NORMAN — Oklahoma Sooners transfer quarterback John Mateer has a chance to reignite his fanbase by improving the team’s offense in 2025.
It’s still surreal to John Mateer that he’s a quarterback at Oklahoma.
“I mean I’m a quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners. It’s wild. But I’m here and blessed to do it.” pic.twitter.com/aPTWfLfZbv
— The REF (@KREFsports) March 5, 2025
The former Washington State signal caller links back up with his old offense coordinator Ben Arbuckle. With such a dynamic offense with the Cougars, the duo should help Oklahoma’s become a much more explosive unit much like it was during Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley year.
“It’s all pretty surreal,” Mateer said Wednesday. “I’m the quarterback of the Oklahoma Sooners. You know, it’s wild and I feel blessed to do it.”
Mateer, an Elm Springs, Texas native, was just the next big thing in Pullman passing for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He was even better on the ground rushing for 826 yards and 15 scores on the ground which made him one of the No. 2 quarterback in the transfer portal.
Now, he returns closer to home and is ready to put on a show on the green grass of Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium.
“It’s close to home which is great,” Mateer said. “My family loves it, obviously because I’m so close.”
There is more pressure put on Mateer this season as he begins his career in the SEC at a program that struggled with consistency in its first year in the SEC. Having the 6-foot-1, 210 passer in the fold as the Sooners starter comes with plenty of expectations to get back the program’s winning ways under coach Brent Venables who enters 2025 in a prove it year.
“It all goes back to the expectation and the pressure,” Mateer said. “I think it’s just the privilege and opportunity to be here and work as hard as I can with the resources I have and the great teammates I have around me to put my best performance out there on the field.”
What Venables likes about his QB1
“He’s got great competitive maturity to him, and competitive toughness,” Venables said. He’s consistent. He likes the locker room. He’s a football junkie, a gym rat.”
When asked how Mateer has come along in developing relationships with teammates, Venables was highly complimentary.
“He’s blended in and transitioned incredibly well,” Venables said.
