The 2024 season was abysmal for the Oklahoma Sooners as the team took a step back from a 10-3 season, posting a 6-7 record. The offense was the biggest flaw for Oklahoma as the offensive line had some massive issues, while the wide receiver room was decimated by injury, which didn't help two struggling quarterbacks in Jackson Arnold and Michael Hawkins.
After a season filled with struggles on offense, changes clearly needed to be made and after Brent Venables fired Offensive Coordinator Seth Littrell in season, the Sooners made a splash hiring Washington State's OC Ben Arbuckle.
Having Ben Arbuckle proved to be massive when Washington State star quarterback John Mateer entered the transfer portal, as he was the level of player that could help solve the Sooners' struggles at quarterback. The familiarity with Arbuckle's system, having played in the offense, was key for Oklahoma in landing John Mateer, but his former offensive coordinator wasn't the only person to lure him to Oklahoma.
Baker Mayfield sold John Mateer on the Oklahoma program
Before becoming a Heisman Trophy winner and the 1st Overall Pick, Baker Mayfield was once just a Texas Tech transfer looking to make his impact on the Sooners program. Given Mayfield's success in the program, and following a similar path to the one that Mateer will take, Baker Mayfield is a great person to talk to Mateer about his decision.
During SEC Media Days, John Mateer revealed that Baker Mayfield called him while he was on his official visit to Norman. On Saturday, Baker Mayfield shared his side of the story and what he told John Mateer to help land Oklahoma a star quarterback.
Baker Mayfield talks about calling John Mateer during his OU visit in December.
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) July 19, 2025
Mayfield said he plans to stay in touch with Mateer during the season. #Sooners pic.twitter.com/gEE07NLBM3
The pitch clearly worked as Oklahoma now heads into the season with one of the Nation's best quarterbacks. Any advantage you can have on the recruiting trail could be the difference, and for Oklahoma, it makes the most sense to use your former Heisman winning quarterback to seal the deal.
While fully filling Baker Mayfield's shoes is nearly impossible, John Mateer is going to have a massive impact on the Sooners' offense. As a passer, Mateer takes care of the football with a 29 to 7 touchdown to interception ratio passing for 3,139 yards. The biggest impact will come from Mateer's rushing ability as he's a dynamic runner not just a quarterback who can move.