Well, turns out that Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer has become a true heartthrob. On3’s J.D. PicKell shared, “Say what you want about Jackson Arnold. Say what you want about Michael Hawkins Jr., John Mateer is an upgrade.” Turns out that he is already at an edge over the hyped quarterback, Arch Manning. The reason behind it?
While the latest member of the Manning legacy is yet to prove himself, Mateer did his part. Last season, the quarterback led all FBS players with 29 touchdowns, thanks to his skills as both a passer and a runner, gaining 3,139 total yards. Now you know what made Brent Venables’ quarterback catch the Heisman buzz. But with hype comes huge pressure. As Josh Pate had raised an alarm for Mateer. “But dude, you think about the pressure on a college football quarterback. John Mateer’s coming in there, and think about the pressure, man…Every one of their potential or expectation levels depend on whether you [Mateer] perform.” So, if the quarterback is in need of some motivational juice, here it comes.
On the June 21 episode of the Cover 3 Podcast, Sooners’ insider Josh Callaway came with a report card for Mateer. And in his analysis, the quarterback passed with distinction. “I mean so far A+ for John Mateer in particular. Ben Arbuckle, too. But John Mateer, in particular, he’s got the fan base fired up. He’s kind of the beacon of hope right now as far as the offense goes. He’s done everything he could do without doing it in games, right, which he hasn’t had the chance to do just yet. As soon as he got to campus, he started showing up at basketball games and stuff like that, and he’s got the fan base fired up.”
Mateer just wants the team success that all seven OU Heismans enjoyed. Since he arrived in Norman in January, it’s been clear to his teammates and coaches that he will help things change. Maybe because of his stats. As a redshirt sophomore in 2024, Mateer logged an offensive grade of 83.4. His rushing grade (86.2) was fourth among NCAA Division I FBS quarterbacks. The insider further noted, “The way he’s kind of commanding the room and the fact that he knows Arbuckle’s offense, he’s helping teach it, is definitely helpful. Kind of reminds me of when Dillon Gabriel and Jeff Lebby came aboard was the same kind of thing.”
He added, “DG was able to really help be kind of an extra coach and stall the offense that’s what John Mateer is certainly able to do right now. Him and Ben Arbuckle they’ve got a good relationship, they kind of have each other’s back a little bit. You can kind of sense that talking to them so you know excitement’s high.” The Arbuckle and Mateer-led WSU offense ranked sixth in points scored per game in 2024 (36.6) and 17th in total yards per game (442.8). So can Venables’ Oklahoma get rid of its ghosts of the past?
A safety net for John Mateer to prevent the past from repeating itself
In 2024, the Sooners ranked among the worst in the nation. They stood 113th in total offense, 119th in passing offense, 76th in rushing offense, and 97th in scoring offense. Venables’ offense had hit kind of rock bottom in their 34-3 loss to the Texas Longhorns. To say Oklahoma’s offense has been bad might be an understatement. Nothing had worked while they wound up rolling out eight different combinations of offensive line starters in their first nine games before settling on a group.
As the insider reminisced about the dark days, “The offense was such a mess. It was kind of a Murphy’s law on offense because the injuries did not help. Don’t get me wrong the wide receiver room was decimated like you said offensive line got healthyish toward the end of the year but in fall camp the first half it was just they were on their third string center like it was it was tough to start the year but the offense was just you know as Bren Venables put himself so using his word ‘an abomination’ on offense last year and so Jackson Arnold didn’t play well turned the b- -l over a ton.” Falling prey to a struggling offense, Mateer’s predecessor got sacked 34 times. In that case, Venables has laid out a safety net for Mateer.
The Sooners had their training session on March 23, under NFL wide receiver and tight end specialist Delfonte Diamond. That’s when John Mateer strengthened his chemistry with redshirt sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Sategna and redshirt junior wide receiver JaVonnie Gibson. Thanks to Jim Nagy for pulling in the best protectors for Mateer. Sategna is known for having hauled in 37 receptions for 491 yards and a touchdown in Arkansas. On the other hand, Gibson has already proved himself, walking into Oklahoma with a 79.9 offensive player grade and an 83.7 receiving grade. Maybe, Mateer is the one to shatter the Sooners’ long-running offensive jinx.
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