How Oklahoma OC Ben Arbuckle Believes QB John Mateer Can Improve in 2026

NORMAN — The duo of Ben Arbuckle and John Mateer saw mixed results in its first season in Norman.

Arbuckle and Mateer, who both came to Oklahoma from Washington State ahead of the 2025 season, commanded the offense as the Sooners went 10-3 and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019.

The unit, though, sputtered in the back half of the season, as the Sooners only surpassed 30 points in one of their final eight games.

Arbuckle knows that much of an offense's success is dependent on its quarterback. And he believes there's more he could have done to ensure that Mateer had a better command on the unit.

“I try to self reflect after every game and every season, and I think there are a few things I could have done, whether it’s week-to-week or the season in its entirety to just put him in a better position to be successful,” Arbuckle said.

Mateer got off to a scorching start as the Sooners’ starting signal caller.

The quarterback led OU to a 4-0 record over the first month of the season. During that stretch, he logged 1,215 passing yards, 11 total touchdowns and only three interceptions while completing 67.4 percent of his passes.

Mateer’s production dipped after that stellar start. He suffered a hand injury that required surgery in OU’s Week 4 win against Auburn, and he missed the Kent State game as a result. Mateer started each of the Sooners’ last eight contests, but he completed just 59.4 percent of his passes for 1,670 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions in those games.

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Oklahoma ranked 12th in the SEC in both scoring offense (26.2 points per game) and total offense (354.3 yards per game) throughout the season.

Arbuckle, entering his second year as the Sooners’ offensive coordinator, believes that he could have been more intentional while instructing Mateer during his first season in Norman.

“Whether that was schematically with the plays or where his eyes should be looking or tells that the defense is giving him… I think every single game you’re going to find things you could do better, but I really think that was it," Arbuckle said.

More than three months have passed since OU’s 2025 season concluded, as the Sooners lost 34-24 to Alabama in the CFP First Round.

Mateer and Arbuckle have now spent three seasons with one another, as Arbuckle served as Mateer’s offensive coordinator at WSU for two years before they both arrived at OU.

Arbuckle believes that Mateer can be among college football’s top quarterbacks when he’s at his best.

And the offensive coordinator sees two blocks in front that Mateer must clear to take that next step.

“I think the biggest things with John were two things: One was, ‘Understanding what my job is on every single play and not compromising that for anything,’” Arbuckle said. “And also just always making sure that we have a good platform. Whether we’re in the pocket or we’re in a run mesh, whatever we’re doing, making sure our platform is really, really good. And, ‘I am hyper-focused on doing my job every single play,’ that sort of thing.”

Eddy Pierre-Louis, a redshirt sophomore offensive lineman, has now played one season with Mateer.

In the first few months of the offseason, Pierre-Louis has seen enough from Mateer to believe that he’ll improve significantly in all areas in 2026.

“John is a leader and he is working on himself and he’s building himself into a better leader than when he first got here,” Pierre-Louis said. “I’ve been seeing that and I’ve been preaching that to him like, man, you’re doing a great job. He’s been coming out each and every day, coming out hard, and he’s been working, man.”

Oklahoma will kick off its 2026 campaign at home against UTEP on Sept. 5.