Mason Young
Tulsa World OU Sports Reporter
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NORMAN — Tim Tebow still has flashbacks to facing Brent Venables’ defense in the 2009 BCS National Championship Game. Florida’s Heisman Trophy winning quarterback still bested Oklahoma that night, but it was a tall task.
“It was one of the best game plans we ever went up against,” Tebow said. “… We were expecting a lot of what they had done throughout the year. Four down fronts, certain looks they were going to give up, and it was opposite. Three down. It gave us a lot of fits for the first half. Thankfully we adjusted and had a better second half.
“I think (Venables is) one of the best defensive minds. I’ve thought that for a long time. Look at everywhere he’s gone. Very aggressive, his defenses play extremely violently, they play fast. Just one of my favorite defenses to watch.”
Tebow is now an analyst for SEC Nation, the Southeastern Conference’s Network’s version of the ESPN College GameDay preview show.
SEC Nation will air live from OU’s South Oval at 8 a.m. Saturday before Venables and the Sooners take on Auburn at 2:30 p.m.
After arriving in Norman, Tebow and his SEC Nation colleague, former Vanderbilt quarterback Jordan Rodgers, met with local media Friday to preview the OU-Auburn matchup. Here’s a look at the best of what they said:
More praise for John Mateer
Rodgers went on ESPN’s “Get Up” morning show earlier this week and said that OU quarterback John Mateer is “the guy to beat” in the 2025 Heisman race right now. He expounded on his praise of Mateer on Friday.
“I think what jumps off the tape is just the confidence that he plays with,” Rodgers said. “A lot of times, it’s a part of the quarterback psyche and game that you don’t talk about a ton. … He’s willing to take risks and throw into windows that a lot of other quarterbacks aren’t willing to.
“But I think what I love most about him breaking down the tape from Washington State and coming here was his ability to throw off platform, change and manipulate the trajectory of balls. So a lot of times you’ll see him drive it, but he’s really good as well off platform, floating the ball over second level defenders or over the shoulder of a receiver. He’s just got an unbelievable command of the football, which I think is rare in college.”
Tebow believes Mateer’s work ethic, leadership and grit are Heisman-like qualities.
“You can even watch from afar how other players respond to him,” Tebow said. “There’s a little bit where you can see Johnny Manziel with his game, just that twitchy factor. I just love it. … Just running the game, no fear to let it rip, no fear on third and long. Sometimes there’s got to be some caution at times. But I love how he plays. Just toughness, reckless abandon. I think this team responded to that. If there was a college draft, he’d be pretty darn high.”
What’s new with Jackson Arnold?
On the other side of the matchup Saturday, former OU quarterback Jackson Arnold is now commanding the Auburn offense.
What kind of adjustment has Tebow seen Arnold make through three games at Auburn?
“Playing with more confidence and command of that,” Tebow said. “Those kind of go together. …One of the things that he did really well here that’s a carry-over is using his legs. Just saw some of the stats… what he did, 14 forced missed tackles, 12 against Baylor alone. That’s been an X-factor for him, and I also think it’s really important tomorrow against this defense when there’s pressure.”
Rodgers expects OU to be a revelatory challenge for Arnold.
“It’s revenge tour time, right? I mean, look, I think a lot of the criticism fell on Arnold last year, some unjust because of… the injuries at offensive line, the injuries at wide receiver, they couldn’t run the football,” Rodgers said. “… We hear that he is a different quarterback. … This is the true test of, did (Auburn) Hugh Freeze actually build the confidence that we didn’t see in Jackson Arnold last year?
“He’s going to get hit in the mouth a couple times tomorrow. We’re going to see if he responds the way we kind of saw him respond last year, which is panic, start to see ghosts and scramble around and not run the offense. Or maybe we’re going to see a quarterback that has developed a lot.”
Venables has downplayed the advantage his defense might have over Arnold, but others see it as a real weapon.
“(Auburn hasn’t) really needed to push the ball downfield a ton,” Rodgers said. “They will this game, because I think OU’s gonna put up points. They’re gonna need to keep pace. … (Arnold’s) going up against… a defensive coordinator that was his head coach, that innately knows everything that gives him issues. … That’s gonna be fun to see early, just what Venables dials up, knowing what Jackson struggled with and what he doesn’t like to see.”
Ben Arbuckle draws rave reviews
New OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who brought Mateer down with him from Washington State, has impressed many with his offense’s early performance.
“Using, sometimes, not to be harsh, not the best talent (at Washington State), he brought a lot out of it,” Tebow said. “Now he’s got even more speed, and the way he can use tight ends, backs, the way he uses short yardage. We were just talking in our meeting about one of the quick play-actions for a down where he gets it to his back in the flat on a blitz zero and he anticipated that. I think with his shifts and motions, it also gives safeties and secondary a lot to consider. … He forces the defense to communicate, and all of that can create really big, explosive plays.”
Bad news for OU fans: Rodgers doesn’t expect Arbuckle to be in Norman much longer.
“I think he is a wizard at manipulating defenses with formations and motions pre snap,” Rodgers said. “Like he does an unbelievable job of creating space. … There’s a reason that he’s gonna be very sought after, unfortunately for (OU), after this year for head coaching jobs, as they start to open. I think he’s that good.”
The Thomas factor
Oklahoma defensive end R Mason Thomas is suspended for the first half of Saturday’s game after getting flagged for targeting last weekend versus Temple.
Rodgers believes Thomas will come back with a vengeance, though.
“He’s gonna be chomping at the bit,” Rodgers said. “That means Auburn better watch out in the second half, because I think he’s one of the best pass rushers in the entire country, and he’s going to be coming with something to prove, and pretty mad that he missed a half of it.”
Bigger game for Venables or Freeze?
OU’s Venables and Auburn’s Freeze both entered the 2025 season on the hot seat.
Which coach’s future does the game Saturday matter more for?
“I think it is bigger for Hugh Freeze,” Rodgers said. “If (OU) hadn’t played Michigan, we’d kind of still be like, ‘Oh, they look good, but we don’t know.’ Like, no, they checked the box. If (Auburn loses) it’s not going to be an end all be all for him, but Hugh Freeze, it’s going to get real loud. Especially if it goes big for Oklahoma. If they get embarrassed, people are going to start that conversation, for sure.”
Heisman House
Tebow spends time around former OU Heisman winners Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray when they’re filming the Nissan Heisman House commercials.
“They’re both awesome,” Tebow said. “Good friends. Kyler is a little bit more serious and Baker is a little bit more sarcastic and cut up. We have a good time whenever we get free time. We’ll play cards or different things, and it’s usually a really fun time with a lot of jokes, and me and Baker go back and forth, giving each other a hard time for a while.”
Tebow has enjoyed watching Mayfield resurrect his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Right system, right fit,” Tebow said. “It’s just so much in sports in general and in football, especially in the NFL, right system, right fit. You can see the change, right? … And I just see it. When you believe in somebody, you give them a chance.”
mason.young@tulsaworld.com
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Mason Young
Tulsa World OU Sports Reporter
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