OU’s Venables considered redshirt for QB Arnold

Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff WriterOct 15, 2024, 02:17 PM ET

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Eli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He signed up with ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World.Oklahoma’s Brent Venables validated Tuesday that he has actually talked about the possibility of a redshirt with sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold, but he said that the previous first-class possibility will continue to be an alternative for the Sooners under center over the second half of the routine season.”It’s been talked about between us,”Venables said Tuesday morning.”What was informed to Jackson is if we put you in, it’s since we require you to help us go win. We’re certainly conscious everything. We’re not sitting here with our head in the sand or naive to what it is. However male, he’s a great colleague. He wants to be the beginning quarterback at the University of Oklahoma. “Oklahoma’s quarterback situation remains under focus after

the Sooners ’34-3 defeat to No. 1 Texas in Week 7 with freshman Michael Hawkins’ Jr. at quarterback. Arnold has actually not appeared in a game considering that he was benched after committing 3 turnovers in the first half of a 25-15 loss to Tennessee on Sept. 21. Oklahoma gets in Week 8 ranked 125th nationally in lawns per game(287.7 )as the Sooners(4-2) get ready for a visit from South Carolina on Saturday.Following the loss to Texas, Venables said he did rule out changing Hawkins with Arnold as the Sooners went scoreless

over the final three quarters in their fifth-largest defeat all-time to the Longhorns. Venables repeated that point Tuesday, stressing the significance of providing Hawkins a reasonable shot in the starting job while praising Arnold’s reaction in the time since his Week 4 benching.”I feel that it’s only right to provide Mike the opportunity to be the quarterback and to have a body of work that states he either is or isn’t the ideal

guy,”Venables said.”Will he gain from his past errors? Weekly is a season of its own, as we understand. Every challenger is going to present different problems and issues. “”Jackson’s been wonderful all things considered, “Venables continued Arnold. “He’s taken it in a really tough-minded way. And he’s all set to play.

And if he wasn’t he wouldn’t still be here every day.” Arnold has appeared in 4 games this fall, indicating he would burn a prospective redshirt if he were to play again over the Sooners’final six regular season games.ESPN’s No. 3 overall possibility in the 2023 class, Arnold made his very first profession start in the Alamo Bowl last December and was called the Sooners’ starting quarterback prior to the season. He finished 59.8%of his passes for 538 lawns with 7 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in 4 starts this fall prior to his benching against Tennessee.Hawkins, Oklahoma’s starter versus Auburn and Texas in recent weeks, brings a conclusion portion of 63.4 with 458 lawns and a goal without any interceptions. The true freshman has actually likewise included 118 yards on the ground and committed his first turnover on a fumble before halftime versus Texas. Through 6 games, the Sooners’165.7 passing yards per game rank last among SEC offenses.Hawkins will be back under center when Oklahoma resumes its search for a first SEC win versus South Carolina( 3-3)at 12:45 p.m. ET Saturday on the SEC Network.