Completed Event: Football versus Illinois State on August 30, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 3
Final
Football
35
vs Illinois State
3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
The Hurry-Up: Volume 1
July 31, 2025 | Football
NORMAN – The Oklahoma football team opened preseason camp Thursday morning, hitting the field as a team for the first time in preparation for the 2025 season. This first edition of SoonerSports.com's annual Q&A series, "The Hurry-Up", features redshirt junior linebacker Kip Lewis and redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer.
"It's a start. It was fun getting out here on the first day, seeing everybody fly around. We weren't going to be perfect today, but we knew that coming in. A lot of people impressed me, but it was the first day. Everybody just was out there playing hard."
What are your expectations for camp, as you get underway?
"We just have to come in and get better every day. Bring that grit, bring that fire every day. We want to stack days on both offense and defense."
Going into your second season as a starter, how is your mentality different this year?
"I would say this year, I'm leading more vocally. Usually I would lead with my play, with my actions. This year, I want to emphasize being more vocal to the guys and being a voice they can depend on."
What are your thoughts on being listed on the Butkus Award watch list with Sammy Omosigho?
"I'm honored. I think Sammy would say the same, I'm honored to be included on there, but I still have to go prove it."
"It was good. We're a lot further ahead than where we were in the spring. Being able to work together throughout the summer was good. I didn't really know anyone personally in the spring and it takes time to build relationships. So that's what I did over the summer, and it's translated well. We had a lot of fun out here today."
What are your expectations for training camp and how the team can grow leading up to the season?
"We have high expectations. There's no limit on what we think we can do."
What were your thoughts on the offensive summer transfers today?
"It was smooth, we were all pretty good. Jaydn (Ott) and Jer'Michael (Carter) looked good. It was really their first day out here with the team since they came in the spring portal. Coming out of the spring portal isn't easy, but they meshed really well today. It's like they've been here playing with us. Even us guys who arrived as part of the the winter portal, it's like we've all been playing together for a while."
What are your thoughts on the quarterback room?
"We're a bunch of good dudes. It's a fun room. Having a fun quarterback room is crucial. A lot of QB rooms hate each other because you're competing for a job. That's not the way it is here. That's not the culture Coach (Ben) Arbuckle and Coach (John) Kuceyeski hold in that room. We're pretty young. I'm the oldest one, which is crazy, but we're all so willing to learn and dedicated to it."
What's the competition like between the offense and defense?
"You need competition all the time. This is a good offense and a good defense. We have some dogs on the field who don't like to lose. It's good to get after each other a little bit."
For updates and more information on OU Football, follow the Sooners on Instagram and X (@OU_Football) and like Oklahoma Football on Facebook.
LB Kip Lewis
What are your thoughts on the first day of practice?"It's a start. It was fun getting out here on the first day, seeing everybody fly around. We weren't going to be perfect today, but we knew that coming in. A lot of people impressed me, but it was the first day. Everybody just was out there playing hard."
What are your expectations for camp, as you get underway?
"We just have to come in and get better every day. Bring that grit, bring that fire every day. We want to stack days on both offense and defense."
Going into your second season as a starter, how is your mentality different this year?
"I would say this year, I'm leading more vocally. Usually I would lead with my play, with my actions. This year, I want to emphasize being more vocal to the guys and being a voice they can depend on."
What are your thoughts on being listed on the Butkus Award watch list with Sammy Omosigho?
"I'm honored. I think Sammy would say the same, I'm honored to be included on there, but I still have to go prove it."
QB John Mateer
How was Day 1 of camp?"It was good. We're a lot further ahead than where we were in the spring. Being able to work together throughout the summer was good. I didn't really know anyone personally in the spring and it takes time to build relationships. So that's what I did over the summer, and it's translated well. We had a lot of fun out here today."
What are your expectations for training camp and how the team can grow leading up to the season?
"We have high expectations. There's no limit on what we think we can do."
What were your thoughts on the offensive summer transfers today?
"It was smooth, we were all pretty good. Jaydn (Ott) and Jer'Michael (Carter) looked good. It was really their first day out here with the team since they came in the spring portal. Coming out of the spring portal isn't easy, but they meshed really well today. It's like they've been here playing with us. Even us guys who arrived as part of the the winter portal, it's like we've all been playing together for a while."
What are your thoughts on the quarterback room?
"We're a bunch of good dudes. It's a fun room. Having a fun quarterback room is crucial. A lot of QB rooms hate each other because you're competing for a job. That's not the way it is here. That's not the culture Coach (Ben) Arbuckle and Coach (John) Kuceyeski hold in that room. We're pretty young. I'm the oldest one, which is crazy, but we're all so willing to learn and dedicated to it."
What's the competition like between the offense and defense?
"You need competition all the time. This is a good offense and a good defense. We have some dogs on the field who don't like to lose. It's good to get after each other a little bit."
For updates and more information on OU Football, follow the Sooners on Instagram and X (@OU_Football) and like Oklahoma Football on Facebook.
Players Mentioned
Sooner Football With Brent Venables - 9/7/25
Sunday, September 07
FB Highlights: OU 24, Michigan 13
Saturday, September 06
Brent Venables Postgame vs Michigan
Saturday, September 06
Ben Arbuckle Postgame vs Michigan
Saturday, September 06
