Oklahoma Hopes to Avoid This One Major Concern at Quarterback

Improved quarterback play is a must if OU hopes to return to the College Football Playoff in 2026.

The Sooners went 10-3 last year, winning their last four games of the regular season against Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri and LSU to punch their spot in the CFP. They did this with a limping offense, as OU surpassed 30 points in just one of its final eight contests.

The 2025 season marked John Mateer’s first as Oklahoma’s starting quarterback. He got off to a scalding start, leading the Sooners to a 4-0 record with ranked wins over Michigan and Auburn.

Mateer, though, underwent surgery for a hand injury after the Auburn game. He only missed the Sooners’ lopsided win against Kent State, but when he returned, he wasn’t nearly as effective. Mateer completed just 59.4 percent of his passes for 1,670 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions over his final eight contests.

Fast forward to the 2026 summer, and Mateer is now close to fully healthy. He participated in full throughout spring ball and will be ready for the Sooners’ opener against UTEP on Sept. 4.

But while Mateer is now seemingly at full strength, his pocket presence must improve in 2026.

Importance of Mateer’s pocket presence, footwork

Unsurprisingly, Mateer was better when he was awarded a clean pocket. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), the quarterback completed 68.1 percent of his passes when the pocket was “kept clean.”

On downs where Mateer faced pressure, he completed only 41.3 percent of his passes. He threw just two touchdowns passes and three interceptions in such situations.

Not all, but much of Mateer’s struggles in pressure situations can be traced to inconsistent offensive line play.

And while he was better with a clean pocket, he was still far from perfect. Mateer threw eight of his 11 interceptions with no pressure, and PFF says he committed 15 “turnover-worthy” plays in those situations.

Some of these struggles can be traced to his footwork despite having time to throw.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.

On numerous occasions, Mateer threw from his back foot or off-balance in clean pockets. That led to multiple of Mateer’s interceptions in this category.

During spring ball, Mateer said he was “super focused” on how he could improve his footwork and mechanics.

“You still play with the instincts,” Mateer said. “And I don't think I've lost that. I think I'm super hard on myself with the footwork and arm angle and stuff and just being innovative in the way I throw. I think it’s been super productive.”

Mateer showed that he can be one of college football’s most dynamic signal callers before his injury. And now that he’s close to 100 percent, he’ll have a chance to prove that the technical aspects of his game have improved.

Add us as a preferred source on Google