John Mateer is 'Going to Blossom' Thanks to 2025 Adversity, Per Oklahoma Teammates

There weren't many excuses, just acknowledgements that things were stacked against them.

Of course, depending on your point of view, John Mateer's hand injury he sustained in 2025 was either what kept the Oklahoma Sooners from achieving even more than their College Football Playoff appearance, or was a convenient scapegoat.

Such narratives are for those outside the Sooners' walls. Those inside, Mateer's teammates, saw something more as their quarterback gutted through tough performances and agonizing losses. No matter how much criticism was lobbed Mateer's way, he kept coming back onto the field to try and be the quarterback he knew himself to be — even if his hand didn't allow for it at all times.

OU hopes those emotional hurdles will pay dividends in 2026.

"John was John," left guard Eddy Pierre-Louis said Monday at SEC Media Days. "He wasn't 110 percent. We knew deep down what John was going through and knew how hard it was for him.

"We knew how hard it was, but he was willing to work, regardless. Even with his injury he was willing to put his body on the line, regardless," Pierre-Louis added.

Mateer’s demeanor shifted noticeably in 2025. By the time Oklahoma dropped its second game to Ole Miss, he noted that, unlike at previous schools, he could lean on the talent around him at OU — a realization that reshaped how he approached the offense.

That realization was not going to bear fruit immediately. There were too many realities — the injury, the lack of a running game — that stood in their way.

But those frustrations give confidence to those around Mateer that 2026 will be better.

"He's in a great spot now because he needed that cohesion from last year, and now he's going to blossom," Pierre-Louis said. "Having that and seeing a quarterback come back from an injury that should have lasted a couple months meant a lot. It meant a lot."

"I've seen John completely elevate his game and completely transform as a player, and his mentality," defensive end Taylor Wein said. "And it's only elevated the whole offense, and it's brought a huge pulse to the offense. We know John has a very good mindset and he's competitive.

"And it's actually really funny going against him at practice every day. He's the number one dude talking smack. We're going back and forth and what not. It's a really good thing. So, we're excited."

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