Brent Venables, Oklahoma Dealt Bad News on Wednesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Dec 31, 2025 1:57 PM ET

Brent Venables and the No. 8 seed Oklahoma Sooners suffered a first-round College Football Playoff loss to the No. 9 seed Alabama Crimson Tide. The 34-24 loss officially ended their 2025 season.

That means the Sooners can put most of their attention on the transfer portal, which is open from Friday through Jan. 16. Oklahoma has had 12 players announce their intent to hit the portal.

The latest came on Wednesday. Chris Hummer of 247Sports reported that Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. will be entering the transfer portal.

Hawkins has spent the last two seasons with the Sooners, completing 91 of 147 passes for 950 yards, six touchdowns, two interceptions and a 126.9 passer rating. He also rushed for 262 yards and two touchdowns on 84 carries.

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (3).Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Coming out of high school in the 2024 cycle, Hawkins was a four-star recruit, the No. 18 quarterback and the No. 260 player in the nation, per Rivals Industry Rankings. He chose Oklahoma over Alabama, Penn State, Michigan, TCU and Virginia Tech.

Hawkins started one game in 2025 in place of injured started John Mateer. Against the Kent State Golden Flashes, Hawkins threw for 162 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions with a 58.3 completion percentage. He also had 33 rushing yards and one touchdown.

He'll have three more years of eligibility wherever he lands after securing redshirt status in 2025.

While this is an unfortunate loss for the Sooners, they could find a replacement once the portal opens up. Mateer has a year of eligibility remaining but has yet to announce if he will enter the NFL draft. Last offseason, Oklahoma and Venables were very active, bringing in 21 players, while losing 37.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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