Brent Venables enters his fourth year in Oklahoma, but now he’s squarely in the hot seat. After a 6-7 disappointing finish in the Sooners’ inaugural SEC season, he is reclaiming the play-calling duties after the departure of Zac Alley. Venables knows he has to perform, and the pressure’s real: another season of losing, and the chants for change will be thunderous. So, what’s changed? All things, essentially. Venables installed offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, known for his innovation and aggression, to overhaul the offense. And the biggest hire of all: John Mateer, the transfer quarterback from Washington State.

Mateer had a phenomenal year last season, with 3,139 yards passing, 29 touchdowns, and he’s the one they’re putting the house on. Per HC Venables, “he has got tremendous football IQ, and there’s no limits on him mentally or physically… he’s a guy that’s going to show up early, he’s going to stay late.”

That’s where the optimism comes in. The offense is undergoing a complete overhaul, with Arbuckle and Mateer joining forces to restore that old Oklahoma flair. The word is that Mateer’s dual-threat skill set and rapid decision-making are just what this newly configured Sooners team is looking for.

Josh Pate made waves with his opinion on the top quarterbacks in the SEC for the 2025 season on June 6th. He said, “I’m putting John Mateer in the top five, I’m that high on him if I’m right, Oklahoma’s going to be a contender in the SEC.” Pate adds, “I believe in the OC quarterback approach, bring both of them in, not just one of them, especially when they’re both qualified. And Arbuckle and Mateer are.” David Pollack, a veteran analyst, noted that Oklahoma’s advantage over top teams such as Michigan isn’t solely talent, but the reality that Mateer and Arbuckle already possess each other’s rhythms. They worked together at Washington State, where Mateer racked nearly 4,000 total yards and 44 touchdowns last year.

He further discusses how John Mateer enters the huddle this year, and he is not being asked to be Superman. There’s no pleading “Please save us, Mateer!” energy from the fanbase. Why? Pate reflects, “You [Mateer] don’t have to save anybody, you need to go in there and play solid football and execute, make good decisions because you know what you’ve got around, got a top 10 roster around and you got a really good defense.”

The offensive line is finally healthy and deep, with Michael Fasusi and Ryan Fodje in the mix. The running back room and the receiver corps, headlined by breakout star Jayden Gibson, are turning heads in every preseason camp report. This isn’t a team that needs wild heroics every Saturday; it’s a team that builds to win as a unit. And that is the reason Pate concludes with his take that “I think he’s [Mateer’s] going to be really good this year. That’s why I got Oklahoma top 10 in the preseason.”

Following last season’s offense woes, Arbuckle and Mateer have come in and rebuilt the Sooners’ swagger from the ground up. Arbuckle’s competitive, in-your-face style on the field is translating to everyone, and Mateer’s leadership is turning the locker room around.

The Oklahoma QB everyone’s talking about

John Mateer arrived in Norman as a transfer from Washington State with some impressive numbers. The Sooners, yearning for continuity after a bumpy 6-7 SEC debut, were looking for a steady presence at quarterback. Brent Venables, under fire, took a risk on Mateer and tagged along with Ben Arbuckle. But then the Heisman talk began to heat up. Bookmakers placed Arch Manning, Texas’s golden child, ahead of Mateer in the early odds (+700 for Arch, +800 for Mateer). The catch: Manning is still pretty much unproven.

Meanwhile, Mateer is the “safe” choice—he’s battle-tested, he has chemistry with Arbuckle, and he is joining a much-improved supporting cast compared to the one he had in Pullman. Do you place your wager on the guy with the legendary surname, or the fellow who has already proven he can score and guide a team? Even Sooners insiders are divided. Some, such as George Stoia, concede Mateer might be a top-five SEC quarterback but hesitate to label him an actual Heisman candidate, at least, not yet. That’s where things heat up: both Mateer and Manning face enormous pressure.

If Mateer performs, he might leap into the Heisman discussion for good. If not, well, the Sooners’ dreams ride with him. For Manning, it’s all about living up to the last name and showing he’s greater than just hype. So as the season approaches, the Heisman destiny of John Mateer has taken an interesting turn. He is fighting for Oklahoma’s redemption, engaged in a high-stakes battle against college football royalty. But only one will win.