John Mateer’s 2025 offseason started with massive Heisman buzz. But it all came down when going into the season, Mateer started being inconsistent. Analysts heavily criticized his passing performance after he recorded a career-high 11 interceptions. This played a crucial role in Mateer’s return to Oklahoma, even though he was eligible for the 2026 NFL draft. Nevertheless, Brent Venables is getting some early chances to showcase his QB potential at Oklahoma’s Pro Day. But he needs to be careful.

The pro day is scheduled for 12th March. Sixteen former Oklahoma players will participate, including those who have exhausted their eligibility and are just participating to impress the scouts. Even though Mateer didn’t declare for the NFL Draft, Brent Venables wants him to participate in his school’s Pro Day and throw passes to departing wide receivers while NFL scouts evaluate them.

However, looking at his 2025 performance, this is a very risky thing to do. The direct implication of this might be that his teammates may not get to show off their skills due to his inconsistent performance. Mateer opened the 2025 season with a fairly good 81.1% completion rate against Illinois State. He remained efficient in the first quarter of the season, but a thumb injury on his throwing hand in September caused his completion percentage to dip significantly. After that incident, Mateer went through surgery.

Upon returning in Week 7 against Texas, he completed only 52.6% of his passes. During a six-game stretch after the injury, his completion rate averaged 58.2%. However, he tried to get his form back at the end of the season. Like against LSU, he completed 60.5 % of his passes, finishing the year with a 65.1% completion rate in the College Football Playoff First Round.

Quite inconsistent, isn’t it? Now, Mateer is going to do the same thing during the Oklahoma Pro Day. Wide receivers like Deion Burks and Keontez Lewis are participating, and they were Mateer’s primary targets, among others. During the 2025 season, Burks recorded 57 catches for 620 yards and 4 touchdowns. His draft stock ranges from the late 2nd round to the early 4th round.

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Mateer’s performance may prevent Burks from showcasing his “natural hands” and “body control” on deep routes. But there is still optimism that his draft stock will remain neutral. League evaluators have stated that watching Oklahoma film often makes them like Burks more and Mateer less. They view Burks as a “snappy route runner,” but his quarterback often left clean pockets early or missed open reads, which limited his opportunities.

Burks’ individual performance will be highlighted more. And he has already solidified that by posting a blazing 4.30-second 40-yard dash and a field-leading 42.5-inch vertical jump in the NFL combine. Lewis is the one who is at risk here. Lewis finished the season with 21 catches for 243 yards and two touchdowns.

At this point, Lewis’ only hope is to perform well in the pro day so that the scouts can take notice of him. But will that be possible with his QB being inconsistent? Other than these people, Mateer himself will be at risk.

John Mateer’s early chances of stepping up for the NFL may suffer

Before his injury, John Mateer was a Heisman Trophy favorite with a 149.5 passer rating. During that time, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Mateer as the No. 4 quarterback in the 2026 draft class. The Bleacher reports graded him as a high-level backup with starter upside, consistently placing him in the 3rd-round range even as consistency issues emerged.

But the inconsistent performance took away everything. Scouts have already questioned his sidearm release and ability to throw to his right. A poor Pro Day will leave a very sour taste for scouts during his 2027 NFL declaration. As it is, next year the QB prospects will be Arch Manning and Julian Sayin (if they declare). Sayin was already a Heisman finalist, and his first year under center with the Buckeyes was very commendable.

In a crowded field, a “bad” workout could quickly cause scouts to overlook Mateer in favor of more physically consistent prospects. To ease things out, Mateer’s true value lies in being a dual threat. His rushing stats sit at 431 yards on 149 carries. Hence, before walking into Pro Day on March 12th, Mateer needs to be absolutely confident about his passes. And that momentum should be continued all of 2026 season.