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Film Breakdown: What Does Quarterback John Mateer Bring to Oklahoma

John Mateer is someone that brings arm talent and dual-threat capabilities to the Sooners.
Carson Field|
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Oklahoma Sooners

NORMAN — After weeks of waiting, Oklahoma finally got its quarterback.

Former Washington State signal caller John Mateer announced his pledge to OU on Wednesday. In his first season as the Cougars’ starting quarterback, Mateer threw for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns, helping WSU finish the 2024 season 8-4.

What does Mateer bring to Oklahoma’s offense? Let’s take a look.

Strong arm

Granted, Mateer didn’t face SEC defenses in 2024. Even so, his numbers are impressive.

The quarterback, originally from Little Elm, TX, completed 64.9% of his passes and finished with the 34th-best passer rating in NCAA Division I FBS college football.

Throws like this are a big reason why.

That game was against Portland State, an FCS program, but even so, the arm strength and accuracy is something that should excite Sooner fans.

This next one is from Washington State’s 2024 Spring Game, so take what you want. But Mateer’s ability to throw a good deep ball in this clip is impressive, no matter how you shake it.

This next one is a full montage of Mateer highlights during his one-year tenure as Washington State’s starting quarterback. But what I see as most impressive is his throw in the first clip.

Despite being a right-handed quarterback, Mateer shows that same ability to throw on the run. This time, he did so on the wrong foot and still found a man downfield perfectly, and it led to a touchdown in the Cougars’ 54-52 win against San Jose State.

P.S. — skip to the 34-second mark of that video to see what Mateer can do in checkdown situations.

Fast runner

Mateer’s arm is proven, and this clip shows his running abilities.

In the Cougars’ game against Washington on Sept. 14, Mateer faced significant pressure from the Huskies’ defensive line. But Mateer didn’t sweat.

Oklahoma Lands Former Washington State Quarterback John Mateer

Instead, he found a crease and ran 25 yards and a touchdown on 3rd-and-20.

Mateer has also drawn comparisons to Baker Mayfield, who won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma after starting his career at Texas Tech.

This clip is exactly why. He can take pressure and escape from it and turn it into a big play.

In both college and the NFL, Mayfield has shown his dual-threat prowess. Mateer seems to mimic that.

In this play, WSU was trailing. The Cougars were vulnerable to an upset against San Diego State, trailing 26-21.


But this run by Mateer kept Washington State’s offense moving. The Cougars scored on that drive, which helped them beat the Aztecs 29-26.

Mateer also doesn’t need an open field to show off his wheels.

In a goal-to-go situation against New Mexico, Mateer took the snap, looking for an open wideout. None came open.

The dual-threat quarterback decided to take matters into his own hands.

Washington State actually ended up losing this game in a 38-35 shootout. But this play kept the shootout and kept the Cougars in striking distance of the Lobos, even though they didn’t come away with the win.

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Carson Field
CARSON FIELD

Carson Field has worked full-time in the sports media industry since 2020 in Colorado, Texas and Wyoming as well as nationally, and he has earned degrees from Arizona State University and Texas A&M University. When he isn’t covering the Sooners, he’s likely golfing, fishing or doing something else outdoors. Twitter: https://x.com/carsondfield

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