Who knew Brent Venables was going to come back this strong after his nightmare 2024 season? It sent Jackson Arnold packing, and Venables knew he couldn’t afford a repeat of that. John Mateer came to Oklahoma with Ben Arbuckle, and the Sooners seem nothing like their past selves. The offense, which finished 113th in the country last year in total offense, has gotten back up to 50th after Week 4. Mateer was a huge reason behind this comeback. But he will no longer be able to do so. The offense won’t just be lacking a leader in Mateer as the QB misses time due to a hand injury. They’ll also be faltering in another major area.

Jordan Rodgers said in a September 24 episode of Get Up, “While I think he was the best pure passer in college football, he was also Oklahoma’s leading rusher. The run game has been absent without him, and I think that’s the biggest stressor for Oklahoma moving forward.” Mateer leads the team in rushing yards, with 190 yards.

That’s almost 38% of the rushing production from Oklahoma so far. The Sooners are ranked 100 in rushing offense, averaging just 3.58 yards per carry. Mateer alone was on a 4.4 yards per carry average. Simply put, Mateer was pretty much carrying the whole offense on his shoulders.

John Mateer is one of the key reasons why Oklahoma was in contention to make the playoffs. That was despite the disappointing show from last year and the Sooners having one of the most difficult schedules of the year. The ground attack now has to become superhuman to replace Mateer’s production. The question is, will Venables be able to do it with the talent he has? Mateer is followed by freshman star Tory Blaylock, who has 179 passing yards. After him, the production drops to 45 yards from Jovantae Barnes.

Venables said that Mateer is expected back on the gridiron at some time in the season. After Kent State, Oklahoma plays big-name SEC players all the way until the end. Now that John Mateer is away, Brent Venables is back on that tightrope. But he will still have some leeway from the selection committee. Heather Dinich said, “The selection committee’s protocol requires the group to reconsider factors like injuries to key players.” The only problem is that Venables has to hold steady until Mateer returns. Unfortunately for the QB, his own stocks are taking a few hits because of his injury.

John Mateer thrown off the Heisman odds after injury

As the season went on, the Heisman odds underwent a major upheaval. Before August 30, Arch Manning was the leading favorite. Looking at his performance so far, we know that isn’t happening. Garrett Nussmeier has also slipped, and the extra room pushed John Mateer up to the top ranks. However, the uncertainty surrounding his comeback has caused him to plummet back downwards. The Oklahoma QB’s odds dropped to +2200 from +700, taking the Heisman away from him.

Mateer is expected back in a month. He will most likely not be able to come back in time for the Red River Rivalry game against Texas, which will be a major one for Venables. The longer he remains away from the field, the farther he goes from the Heisman. The race is still open to a lot of candidates. Fernando Mendoza replaces Mateer at the top with +650 odds. But by the time Mateer gets back into gear, his competitors will have surged past him.

John Mateer turned out to be the savior for Oklahoma football this year. He knew what he was getting into and delivered what was expected of him. Brent Venables is now looking at a doubtful offense as Mateer sits out for the duration of his rehab. Fans will definitely be hoping that their star QB comes back to take control of things as soon as possible.