After an abysmal season on the offensive side of the football, the Oklahoma Sooners are banking their hopes this season on a new face. Along with new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, the Oklahoma Sooners landed Washington State quarterback John Mateer. The Sooners' offense rotated between Jackson Arnold and Michael Hawkins last season and the team will be happy to have a proven veteran leading the way.
John Mateer had a massive season last year after backing up Cam Ward, completing 64.6% of his passes for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. More impressive than his passing ability is Mateer's ability to make plays with his legs rushing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns leading the team in both categories.
⛓️💥John Mateer broke or evaded 53 tackles last season - the most from any FBS QB.
— The Main Line Podcast (@TheMainLinePod) June 13, 2025
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The addition of John Mateer has completely shifted the expectations in Norman, including the mindset of Brent Venables, who's expecting an incredible season from the offense.
"This will be more like the ’23 season, where we were top 5 in the nation in every offensive category. We’re in a much different place (compared to a year ago), a different team completely."Brent Venables
Heading into the 2025 season, Brent Venables isn't the only person buying in on Oklahoma's offense with John Mateer under center. SEC Network and ESPN analyst Chris Doering is all in on the Sooners quarterback, predicting that John Mateer will be the SEC Player of the Year and the Heisman Trophy winner.
.@ChrisDoering is ALL IN on Oklahoma's John Mateer 👀
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) July 29, 2025
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After an abysmal season on offense, the Sooners' landing John Mateer is transformational as it could get. As a passer, John Mateer is a clear upgrade over Jackson Arnold and Michael Hawkins, and his experience in Ben Arbuckle's offense will only help him progress. As a rusher, John Mateer can lead this team in rushing, while his ability to run will make teams pull players from coverage to keep him in the pocket.
Whether or not John Mateer can play to a Heisman level will determine the race in the SEC but, even a down season from Mateer would be a massive upgrade.