There is no reason to sleep on Oklahoma’s John Mateer. The Sooners made a significant upgrade at quarterback with Mateer. After a disappointing 6-7 finish, Oklahoma beat out Miami and North Carolina to get the former Washington State star. In 2023, the Sooners lost quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel, Jacob Switzer, and General Booty. This left coach Venables with only Jackson Arnold, Michael Hawkins Jr., Brendan Zurbrugg, and Casey Thompson, none of whom performed well last season. Now, there’s a lot of hope for John Mateer in 2025, but some doubts remain.

“When you mentioned Mateer, like, this dude has experience, and he’s a baller. He’s going to Oklahoma, and he reminds me of Baker Mayfield.” David Pollack spread optimism about the Sooners’ QB and the entire offense on the Crain & Company show. 

Pollack added, “He’s got that ability to scramble. He’s not the number one pick like Mayfield. But he’s got the ability to scramble and extend plays; he throws on the run at an elite level, like really really really good big-time playmaker coming in with his offensive coordinator, coming in with more talent now, and health at receiver in Oklahoma.” Mateer came off a season with 3139 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions at Washington State.

The Sooners’ wide receiver group, including Deion Burks, Javonnie Gibson, and Isaiah Sategna, is looking strong too. But it’s not just his chemistry with the WRs. Mateer’s Washington tie with the OC Ben Arbuckle makes him an even better fit at Norman. He can surely chisel the best out of himself around a familiar play caller.

And the Sooners’ defense has also been the strongest point heading into the regular season. “If you doubt Venables and his defense, you are not very bright; I think their defensive line, if you are ranking Oklahoma’s defensive line, it’s one of the best in the country,” Pollack said. But that’s not all. A gauntlet schedule got in their way.

History repeats. In 2024, they got the hardest schedule, playing against eight conference opponents, and came up short brutally with a 2-6 mark. 2025 seems to be no different. “It’s a tough schedule. Venables is in a tough season of his career, obviously trying to prove himself. If you win nine games, if you win eight games, Oklahoma, you should be ecstatic. You should be happy because that schedule’s not fun,” Pollack said, setting the bar lower for a reason.

“When you add Tennessee and Bama, tough atmosphere at South Carolina, those are three of the tougher atmospheres in college football to play in. You throw in Michigan just for fun. I’m not sure that was the best idea in the world coming into the SEC, in the schedule they got handed, good lord!”

With the eight conference opponents in 2025 merely flipping from 2024, Oklahoma will have to make the best use of Mateer and their new offensive staff. It’s a challenging job. Although a few season opener games, like those against Illinois State and Temple Owls, might offer some relief, nothing is guaranteed. “I hate to use the term must-win, especially with the way we have the playoffs now and the automatic qualifiers if you win your conference championship,” Jake Crain held a mirror to the lofty expectations. “But with that schedule, Michigan week two is about as damn close as you can get into a must-win early in the season to maybe make up for one of these losses in the back end to get to that nine number.”

Even though Jake believes a 9-3 record is enough to reach the playoffs, losing the Michigan game would drastically change things. “Sherrone Moore, with his alma mater being Oklahoma, makes it that much more interesting,” noted Blain Crain. Beyond the unpredictable schedule, the real question is how Mateer, Brent Venables‘ anticipated QB, will handle the immense expectations placed upon him.

John Mateer keeps his goal straight and clear

Be it Arch Manning or John Mateer, handling expectations can easily blur anyone’s talent and skills. But Mateer knows where to focus. His reunion with Ben Arbuckle set the hype high for the former Washington State QB. His prowess backs it up.

Remember when Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray won the Heisman Trophy! Exactly, fans want to bring back that legacy, and the man of their dreams is none other than John Mateer.

The dual-threat QB gave them enough reasons to bet a dime, even with a strict schedule. Last year, Mateer at Washington State was highly impressive. He took several quick decisions and executed deep passes with excellent touch, something he excels at. He was dominant in the run game, too, rushing for over 800 yards and 15 touchdowns. Preseason stats and discussions already have him at the top of the Heisman conversation in his Pac-12 to SEC transition.

But Mateer doesn’t care about any trophy. All he wants to do is do his best and win the games. “It’s pretty clear. I don’t think about it every day,” Mateer said. “I want to win games, and if you win a lot of games, that could happen … That’d be cool, but I want to win games.” It all comes down to Mateer for Venables’ long-term success.