When Baker Mayfield got back in town for his annual youth football camp over the weekend, the media wanted to hear his thoughts on Brent Venables’ direction. After all, Oklahoma had a breakthrough 10-3 season and CFP appearance in 2025 as an SEC member. While the elite former Sooners QB offered plenty of optimism, he also pointed to the biggest issue that nearly derailed OU’s offense last season. And it’s got to do with those covering QB John Mateer. 

“I have a lot of faith,” he told Sooners on SI. “Obviously, SEC ball is different. It’s week in, week out. You got to bring your A game. There’s no weeks off there… And I think just with John going into another year and having chemistry with some of these guys and hopefully the guys up front and the receivers stay healthy because that was painful to watch. But I’ve been there. And so I think it’ll make them better in the long run. And I think BV is gonna have it going.”

Baker Mayfield was pointing out the constant stream of injuries that forced Oklahoma to spend much of the year patching together an offense in its first full SEC schedule. If anyone would know what OU football should look like, it’s him. He lived it, won a Heisman Trophy doing it, and took the Sooners to the playoffs when only four teams had a seat at the table. So when he talks about the state of the program, it carries weight.

Baker Mayfield arrived in Norman as a transfer from Texas Tech, sat out in 2014, then transformed into one of the greatest QBs in school history. Across three seasons as the starter, he posted a 33-6 record and capped his 2017 Heisman campaign with 4,627 passing yards, 43 touchdowns, six interceptions and a remarkable 70.5% completion rate. That experience also explains why he’s so confident Oklahoma’s latest CFP run is only the beginning, not the ceiling.

And if Baker Mayfield’s confidence starts with Brent Venables, it also goes to the QB tasked with taking the next step, someone whom Mayfield knew was different almost immediately. John Mateer has already survived the kind of season that can either break a QB or harden him.

“From the first time I talked to John, I could tell he’s kind of built different,” he said. “That’s an important piece to have when you come in and play quarterback at this university.”

Baker Mayfield even played recruiter after John Mateer entered the transfer portal from Washington State, encouraging him to choose Oklahoma before the QB eventually arrived in Norman. The early returns were outstanding. The Sooners opened 4-0 with ranked wins over Michigan and Auburn. During those games, the QB piled up 1,215 passing yards, 11 total touchdowns, and only three interceptions. Then a thumb injury changed everything.

Baker Mayfield likes what he sees in John Mateer

Against Auburn, John Mateer suffered an injury to his thumb that required surgery. That incident sidelined him briefly before he made a surprisingly quick return against Texas, which made even Baker Mayfield think he was “insane.”

John Mateer played fairly well, throwing for 202 yards. But he was also intercepted three times as Texas handed Oklahoma another Red River loss. Over the Sooners’ final eight games, his numbers dipped to a 59.4% completion rate with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. Yet despite battling an injury that affects virtually every aspect of QB play, he still guided OU to its first CFP appearance since 2019. That’s one of the reasons why Baker Mayfield is optimistic for 2026. 

“I think he’s as tough as they come,” he said. “You’ve seen guys that can play with pinkies or some of the other fingers, but having a thumb injury, it’s difficult. Just getting the ball, fielding the snap, and then trying to grip the ball, throw it correctly, it’s hard. That speaks to his toughness and his will.”

Now John Mateer looks ready for a different version of Year 2. Reporter George Stoia III recently caught up with him at the Manning Passing Academy and immediately noticed how ripped he looked. The QB laughed off the assumption that he’d lost weight, insisting the number on the scale hadn’t changed.

“I’m in the best shape of my life, for sure,” he said. 

That’s an encouraging sign for a Sooners offense that should finally have healthier pieces around him. Oklahoma added WRs Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris along with TEs Rocky Beers, Hayden Hansen, and Jack Van Dorselaer through the portal. John Mateer has also said his surgically repaired thumb was “almost” fully recovered after spring practice.

For Baker Mayfield, that’s why last year’s frustrations may end up serving a purpose. If the Sooners can pair that hard-earned experience with a healthy John Mateer entering his final college season, Oklahoma could be positioned to climb even higher in 2026.