The Red River Rivalry is here! However, Sooners’ fans might not be in such a jolly mood. The reason? Taking a look at the latest Oklahoma vs Texas injury report, fans might be struggling to look for any source of excitement. Back on October 8, they dropped an update on Brent Venables’ boys. But eyes were there on John Mateer, who sat on the “questionable” list. There is now an update to that. 

On October 10, James D.Jackson tweeted, “Friday’s availability report. QB John Mateer remains probable, WR Keontez Lewis remains questionable and OT Logan Howland has been downgraded to OUT. #Sooners.” Looks like the Sooners will be challenged in the offensive line. Four offensive lineman are on the “out” list, namely Troy Everett, Jacob Sexton, and Jake Taylor. While Venables’ star Logan Howland was on the “doubtful” list, he has now also been sidelined for the game. 

Keontez Lewis remains questionable after colliding with a brick wall during the Sooners’ last game. He has over 200 receiving yards and two touchdowns this year. But right now, all eyes are on Mateer. In the meantime, Josh Pate had stirred the pot by dropping his projections. “According to our FanDuel sources, 82% of the against-the-spread wagering in this game is on Oklahoma. And yet, despite all that, Texas is favored,” said the analyst.

As the Sooners hung in the air, desperately praying for the injury gods to heal Mateer soon, Steve Sarkisian had his share of heartbreak too. The Longhorns will be playing without their key running back weapon, CJ Baxter, who was “doubtful” in the previous list. Pate added, “We did confirm today that Texas -1.5 is a number that assumes John Mateer starts.” So, the betting line definitely relies on the quarterback. If Mateer is ruled out, the spotlights will be on Texas -5.5. Venables might already be losing sleep thinking about Mateer not playing. 

Then he will have to pass the baton to Michael Hawkins Jr.. Even though he has racked up 3 touchdowns this season, that too in a single game against Kent State, Hawkins does not have that Mateer X factor. That quarterback has literally brought life back to Norman. Even though the 2025 season has not been in his favor and Mateer got throttled after just playing 4 games, he threw for 1,215 yards with six touchdowns and added 190 rushing yards and five more scores on the ground. Mateer was giving Kyler Murray vibes. Now, even if he is healthy, how far are Venables and co. ready to take a risk about their quarterback?

John Mateer is still a game-time question even after successful surgery

Looks like Ben Arbuckle’s diplomatic answer capture the real deal. The Sooners appointed the best surgeon, Dr. Shin, to conduct Mateer’s surgery. An MD from Brown University, Dr. Shin’s client list includes renowned sports stars like Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, among others.

Mateer’s surgery went well. As Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond tweeted a note of gratitude, “Thank God for a successful procedure. Dr. Shin is the GOAT. BOOMER SOONER!!” But looks like Venables and his staff are still not sure about playing Mateer. “You know, like I said kind of last week, John’s a very process-oriented guy and is going to follow the directions given by the doctor, and if there’s any sort of gray area, he may lean towards more the darker shade of the gray whenever it comes to a recovery process,” said Arbuckle.

However, things get tricky if the coach starts to put more stress on Mateer before he is ready. As Arbuckle said, “I think John knows his body. I think he understands, you know, ultimately what’s best for the team. But you know, he doesn’t want to put himself in a compromising position either.”

Now, things are a bit different for John Mateer. Had the Heisman claims not been involved in his performance, he could have had the option to easily sit out and recover. But he can’t afford to do that now. Mateer has already missed a game, which would affect his Heisman stock in the long run. Will he show up against Texas?