Oklahoma football head coach Brent Venables dropped a sobering truth bomb on what went wrong for Jackson Arnold in Norman. The Sooners' former starting quarterback came in with massive hype as the No. 3 overall prospect from the Class of 2023. While Arnold posted a decent touchdown-to-interception ratio, his QBR ranked 91st in the country, and the team went 5-5 with him under center.

The Denton, Texas native subsequently transferred to Auburn after appearing in 16 games with Oklahoma football. At just 20 years old, Arnold still has his whole career ahead of him and can surely have a productive career with the Tigers. And it looks like Venables is rooting for him after recently getting brutally honest on why it didn't work out between Jackson and the Sooners. The now fourth-year head coach made these comments during SEC Media Days.

“Unfortunately for him (Arnold), everything around him wasn’t helping him be successful. So he had no chance in some ways, under the circumstances, and (got) dealt a really bad hand.”

Venables is now heading into a critical fourth season in his tenure. After making a significant jump in year 2 of the Venables' era, the Sooners struggled in their first year in the SEC, posting their second losing season under the former Clemson defensive coordinator. And a bounce-back season in 2025 will not come easily, as Oklahoma football's schedule is pretty unforgiving. The Sooners' slate features a formidable nonconference clash against Michigan early on, before they open their conference schedule against Auburn in a Jackson Arnold reunion. Shortly after that game comes a brutal stretch.

Oklahoma football might be facing seven ranked opponents in a row, including several national title contenders. Those opponents include Texas, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, and LSU. But with a daunting schedule comes plenty of opportunities to build a College Football Playoff-caliber resume. And the Sooners have a new leader under center in star transfer quarterback John Mateer.

The former Washington State QB could be a legit Heisman Trophy candidate after a terrific season in Pullman. In 2024, Mateer threw for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just 7 interceptions while rushing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns. With the last successful QB to transfer from Washington State being Cam Ward, Mateer has the potential to have that level of impact on Oklahoma football.

Overall, despite the Sooners' new starter's talent, Venables had better ensure that “everything around” Mateer is in a better state than it was with Arnold. That includes the inconsistencies with the offensive line during the 2024 season. Because, as elite as Mateer can be, there is only so much he can control, especially in a vaunted SEC Conference.

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