Latest news with #OklahomaFootball
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Oklahoma QB John Mateer denies betting on sports, calls Venmo descriptions ‘inside jokes'
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer called the descriptions of payments that reference sports betting on his Venmo account 'inside jokes' and denied ever betting on college football or other sports in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. 'The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,' Mateer's statement read. 'My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends. I have never bet on sports. I understand the seriousness of the matter, but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo transactions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have not engaged in any sports gambling.' — John Mateer (@John_Mateer4) August 12, 2025 Screenshots and a video of transactions for a Venmo account in Mateer's name began spreading on social media on Monday night. Two payments from Nov. 20, 2022 were sent to a Richard Roaten and captioned 'Sports gambling,' with one referencing the USC-UCLA football game that took place the day prior. The Venmo page went private later on Monday night. Advertisement Mateer played with twin brother offensive linemen Landon and Luke Roaten at Washington State, and the three were in the same 2022 recruiting class. Landon is a middle name; his first name is Richard. That is also the name of their father, according to a family page. 'OU Athletics provides ongoing education to its student-athletes, coaches, and staff on matters related to sports gambling,' Oklahoma's athletic department said in a statement. 'The department utilizes ProhiBet, which is an industry-standard service offering comprehensive monitoring of sports gambling activities. OU takes any allegations of gambling seriously and works closely with the NCAA in any situations of concern. OU Athletics is unaware of any NCAA investigation and has no reason to believe there is one pending.' Mateer transferred to Oklahoma this offseason, following Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, and is ranked by The Athletic as the No. 1 impact transfer heading into the 2025 season. The Sooners have high expectations for this season after an ambitious retooling in the wake of a 6-7 record in 2024. Oklahoma hosts Football Championship Subdivision opponent Illinois State in Week 1, then preseason No. 14 Michigan in Week 2. The expansion of the legalization of sports betting in recent years has created friction with NCAA rules that ban athletes and coaches from betting on sports. More than two dozen athletes at Iowa and Iowa State were ensnared in a 2023 gambling sting from which many lost eligibility, even though many of the criminal charges were later dropped. Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers lost his full eligibility and admitted in a plea agreement that he bet on an Iowa State football game while on the team. Under president Charlie Baker, the NCAA has slowly pulled back on sports gambling-related discipline for athletes, progressively lessening the penalties depending on the situation. In June, the Division I Council introduced a proposal that allowed college athletes to bet on pro sports where legal but continued the ban on college sports betting. — The Athletic's Bruce Feldman contributed reporting. (Sarah Phipps / The Oklahoman / USA Today Network via Imagn Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Insider tabs Oklahoma football as unranked sleeper to watch in 2025
The post Insider tabs Oklahoma football as unranked sleeper to watch in 2025 appeared first on ClutchPoints. The 2025 preseason Coaches Poll was released on Monday, and to the surprise of many, the Oklahoma football team is not ranked. There is a chance that the Sooners crack the AP top 25 when that poll is released next week, but as of now, they are unranked. To be fair, Oklahoma did not have a good 2024 season as the team finished the year with a 6-7 record. Not good, but head coach Brent Venables brought in a good transfer portal haul this offseason, and that could go a long way. Following the release of the Coaches Poll top 25, The Athletic came out with a list of unranked sleepers to watch during the 2025 season. The Oklahoma football team made the cut. The Sooners struggled last year, but massive additions like quarterback John Mateer, running back Jadyn Ott and new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle should go a long way. 'What an alternate universe we're living in to consider Oklahoma a sleeper,' Christopher Kamrani wrote. 'But the Sooners have been sleepy recently. While one can argue that no head coach in college football is under more pressure than Brent Venables, he did make two of the splashiest offseason moves of the year by hiring offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and signing Superman impersonator quarterback John Mateer from Washington State.' While the addition of Mateer is massive, he still needs guys to throw to. The wide receiver position is definitely a question mark for the Sooners as the season looms. 'The Sooners had a wild string of bad luck at a historically talent-rich position at WR in 2024,' Kamrani continued. 'If Mateer has a bunch of typical OU receivers to throw to — in addition to handing the ball off to Cal transfer Jaydn Ott — the Sooners should be appointment TV. On the flip side: Their 2025 schedule is brutal? Guess it boils down to how much Mateer can channel his A&M-era Manziel and keep the Sooners in 50-48-style games.' It won't take us long to learn about this Oklahoma football team because of that difficult schedule. In Week 2, the Sooners will welcome Michigan to Norman for a clash under the lights. The Wolverines are ranked inside of the preseason Coaches Poll top 25 as they came in at No. 14. Michigan's defense is expected to be one of the best in the country, so Mateer and that offense will immediately be put the test. The pressure is on this year for Brent Venables and the Sooners. They have the talent, but can they put it all together on the field? Related: Insider fuels Penn State football hype train with No. 1 take Related: Texas Tech football GM gets real on plan to 'steal' underpaid recruits
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rivalry game with Texas may be another indicator of how Oklahoma fares under coach Brent Venables
Without a doubt, a measuring stick game for any Oklahoma football coach happens to be the annual October rivalry matchup against Texas in Dallas. The current Sooners' coach, Brent Venables, knows full well about the magnitude of the game commonly known as the Red River Rivalry. In Venables' first three seasons as OU's coach, the game with the Longhorns seems to act as an indicator of the Sooners' fortunes the remainder of the season. In Venables' first season as OU's coach (2022), the Sooners were demolished, 49-0. It eventually led to a 6-7 finish, OU's first losing record since 1998. But the following year, the Sooners got revenge, using a TD pass in the final seconds from Dillon Gabriel to Nic Anderson to pull off a thrilling 34-30 win. That was arguably the high point of a season in which Oklahoma reached the Top 10 and won 10 games. Last season, though, was a similar script to Venables' first season, as Texas handed OU a 34-3 defeat. Like 2022, the Sooners eventually finished 6-7, and won just two conference games in their initial journey through the Southeastern Conference. Sporting News:Oklahoma coach Brent Venables makes stunning confession on team's QB play last season So Venables knows how important this season's game, which takes place on Oct. 12, could be for a team seeking a quick turnaround. He was asked about the Red River Rivalry on Wednesday during Oklahoma's appearance at SEC Media Days in Atlanta. 'I would say two of the three years, we were at some key positions where we were in a really tough spot, but I think two years ago, it was reflective of the type of game that it should be, and will be moving forward,' Venables said. 'But we've got to play better, we've got to coach better, play better, and that's a wonderful venue, as good as there is in all of college football (Dallas' Cotton Bowl). 'I've said it a lot, it's better than any national championship environment that I've been in. … So, we'll get back on track, and look forward to that opportunity in October, when it gets here.' And Venables and the Sooners are hoping this year's game will be more like the 2023 version instead of the ones from 2022 and 2024. MORE SPORTS NEWS Texas Longhorns player honors flood victims at SEC Media Days SEC Media Days: Arch Manning ready for role as college football's top celebrity QB in 2025 Texas coach introduced at SEC Media Days with playing of rival school's fight song Former SEC head coach and offensive guru finds new role with Louisiana college program Nation's longest actively tenured athletic director at one school to announce his retirement Successful Oklahoma high school football coach receives honor from his college alma mater Bixby (Oklahoma) standout continues family tradition with commitment to Oklahoma State
USA Today
11-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Where did Brent Venables land on CBS Sports hot seat ratings?
It's a huge year for the Oklahoma Football program. I'm sure you've heard that more times than you've wanted to this offseason. But that's the state of OU Football after a 6-7 season in 2024. They, and more specifically, the head coach, have a lot to prove in 2025. CBS Sports released their head coach hot seat ratings for the 2025 season, and Brent Venables was rated a 3 on their 0-5 scale. Zero represents "untouchable" and five is "win or be fired." 28 coaches landed on the untouchable side of things, while only Arkansas' Sam Pittman was given a five. Venables' "three" rating landed him among the "pressure is mounting" crowd. It's understandable given a second 6-7 season in three years. Though a lot of what happened can be attributed to the injury woes on the offense, winning is the name of the game. But that's why the program has been all-in this offseason to rectify the issues that plagued them a year ago. They're deeper along the offensive line, a unit that was banged up and young. Oklahoma added the top quarterback in the portal and a former 1,300-yard running back as well. They added five transfer portal wide receivers and three portal tight ends. In essence, it's a nearly new unit on offense that new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is working with to try to lead Oklahoma to a rebound season in 2025. And the offense needs to have a good season for the Sooners to be in contention. If the offense is good, Oklahoma will be a contender. Brent Venables has done the job of resurrecting an Oklahoma defense that was a weakness for much of the last decade and a half. But unfortunately, there wasn't an offense in 2024 to match. But the stars could align in 2025 for Brent Venables to do what Shane Beamer and Billy Napier did in 2024: coach himself off the hot seat. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vote: Which Oklahoma high school football team has the best helmet?
The 2025 Oklahoma high school football season is less than two months away. As game action gets closer, The Oklahoman has a question for fans — which program has the best helmet in the state? From Tulsa Union's 'U' reminiscent of the University of Miami to Guthrie's "G" that includes its own spin on the Green Bay Packers' helmet, Oklahoma is filled with iconic designs. Advertisement Below are 100 schools. Fans have until noon Monday, July 21 to cast their vote. More: Oklahoma high school spring sports: 2025 All-City teams in baseball, soccer, track & more Class 6A-I football Class 6A-II football Class 5A football Class 4A football Class 3A football Class 2A-I football Class 2A-II football Class A-I football Class A-II football Class B-I football Class B-II football Class C football Nick Sardis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Nick? He can be reached at nsardis@ or on Twitter at @nicksardis . Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Nick's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at . This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Vote: Which Oklahoma high school football team has the best helmet?
