​With Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer struggling, the two backup quarterbacks have become arguably two of the most popular players with the fan base. Mateer has been hit with the turnover bug over the last three games, turning it over six times.He’s also coming off his worst game, in which he turned the ball over three times, leading to Oklahoma being blown out by the Georgia Bulldogs, 41-13. So, some have called for Mateer to be replaced in the lineup by either Whitt Newbauer or Bowe Bentley.Newbauer started as a freshman for the Mercer Bears. He threw for 1,398 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions, while completing 56.4% of his passes. Bentley was the No. 7 quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class. He threw for 2,911 yards, 32 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while rushing for 474 yards and 11 scores as a senior. Head coach Brent Venables revealed he has great belief in both players. “We have great belief in them,” Venables said via OU Insider. “Trust in them, and there’s a body of work that you know both of those guys, both Bowe and Whitt, have, you know, put out there for us to evaluate. They’re doing a nice job. They’re working hard, improving incrementally.”Venables’ confidence in Newbauer and Bentley gives Oklahoma legitimate depth at quarterback, even if the coaching staff remains committed to developing the room rather than making a knee-jerk change. Both backups have shown enough in their backgrounds to give the Sooners options if their roles expand.For now, the bye week gives all three quarterbacks valuable time to improve. If Mateer can clean up the turnovers, Oklahoma can move forward with its starter playing with renewed confidence. If not, the Sooners at least know they have two young quarterbacks developing behind him. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor.This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma’s Brent Venables has ‘great belief’ in his backup QBs