Dean Blevins: Hawkins Takes Over After Cast Fails Arnold

From the time it was announced the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns would be joining the SEC until now, many OU fans have been right. One side of the football team has turned out to be no problem – SEC ready from the jump. But the other side is not.

Who could’ve guessed this? 

No one could’ve guessed it would be the defense that’s already transformed itself into a strong unit. The recruiting and defensive coaching of third-year OU Head Coach Brent Venables is as strong as ever. And it’s the offense that’s posting numbers that are equally stunning and reprehensible.

Through four games, the 2024 Oklahoma offense ranks 119th – one spot behind terrible Temple and one better than Old Dominion. Ahead of only 13 bottom-feeders amongst the 133 teams ranked. And these numbers were largely posted against awful defenses from the three non-con teams.

Unfathomable. Unacceptable. And unlike any offense in program history. It’s hard to compute, considering continued successful recruiting classes, highly paid coaches (and players), and a historical success for over half a century that’s unmatched.

It is logical that a quarterback change heading into Game 5 at Auburn Saturday gives Oklahoma its “best chance to win a fourth game," as Venables put it. Mike Hawkins possesses elite athletic skills, and he produced in part both running and passing when given his one half and one series on the field against a great Tennessee defense. To be fair, as happens routinely, Tennessee took a different defensive approach when the lead swelled early third quarter.

Josh Heupel said as much and prioritized avoiding the big play and offensively bleeding the clock.

But the pure God-given assets the true freshman QB already possesses are special. By all accounts, the 6-1, 200-pounder’s confidence, character, heart and soul and leadership by example are impressive and in place. Obviously well-raised, a bedrock foundational piece for success, which is becoming more rare by the minute.

Although the Sooners are somehow at 2.5-point road favorite at Auburn, Hawkins will face your standard SEC squad: skilled, big, strong and fast defense. Hungry for success that would be extra special with it being SEC newbie blueblood Oklahoma. Forget the anemic 2-2 record. The opponent and the environment present a massive test for Hawkins and his team.

Fortunately, for Hawkins and the offense, there’ll be a week off for Hawkins to settle in as the new BMOC. But then he’ll face the most difficult schedule in memory. After losing to No. 5 Tennessee, five of the eight remaining games are against AP Top 14 teams from the SEC: No. 1 Texas, No. 4 Alabama, at No. 6 Ole Miss, at No. 11 Mizzou, at No. 14 LSU.

The sobering reality is that this is what Oklahoma enthusiastically signed up for. And if this Sooner team had the 2023 offense and its coordinator Jeff Lebby (and frankly most every OU offense since the 1999 arrival of Bob Stoops, led by creative, in-their-prime, and respected OCs Mike Leach, Chuck Long, Josh Heupel, Lincoln Riley and Lebby), things would much different.

We expected it to be a challenge offensively, with a new coordinator(s), new QB, and a completely new O-Line. What no one could expect is what’s been the most injured offense in memory. If star slot receiver Deion Burks is not recovered from a “soft tissue” injury, he will make it the top six receivers unable to contribute. While the position group was deep at one time, it has become barren of most any legitimate threat. When you combine that with almost equally as many injured linemen, who do not possess special abilities like the receivers, and coordinator failures, you have little chance for success.

And that’s exactly what Jackson Arnold was dealing with for three and a half games. No doubt from here that given the surroundings and supporting cast that Arch Manning had in his first start last Saturday in Austin, Arnold would have posted as good as, if not better numbers than Manning’s.

But the problem for Arnold is that after understandably losing confidence from being harassed in the pocket, getting little OC and receiver help, he became jumpy with a head full of indecisiveness. Predetermining what he would do in the RPO offense. In a normal world, OU’s typical surrounding cast and coaching would lead Arnold out of the rut and onto bigger and better things.

But it’s not a normal world. And unfortunately for the coveted QB and the program, the only way Arnold will likely get another shot, is with an injury to Hawkins. And even if that happens, facing the unrelenting gauntlet of SEC games ahead, and with no reason to believe the major problems he dealt with before would be any different, Arnold would be in a similar predicament that he struggled to overcome when he started.

So, while the move to Hawkins makes sense, Jackson Arnold has not forgotten how to quarterback. But in this instant gratification and NIL/transfer portal world we live in today, odds are he’ll find the success he deserves, outside the 4-0-5.