QB John Mateer has Learned a Few Valuable Lessons on and off the Field at Oklahoma

The 2025 season has been defined by growth as both a player and a person for OU quarterback John Mateer.

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer (10) points toward the Oklahoma section after a fourth quarter touchdown during a college football game between Tennessee and Oklahoma in Neyland Stadium. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer credited an assistant coach with firing the Sooners up before their 33-27 win over Tennessee. 

OU’s players meet every Friday night before the game, but it was an analyst who challenged the team to come out swinging against the No. 25-ranked Volunteers. 

“Coach Kevin Wilson kind of called us all out and told us to make a decision, and so we did,” Mateer told On3’s J.D. PicKell. “… We've got to get it done. When a man doesn't have a choice and they have to do something, there's another gear that we can all hit, all get to. And I think we got to it.”

By taking down Tennessee in response to the loss to Ole Miss, the Sooners still control their own destiny. 

Win out, which would see the No. 12 Sooners notch victories over No. 4 Alabama, No. 22 Missouri and LSU, and Oklahoma will earn a bid to the College Football Playoff. 

To get there, Mateer will have to build on his second half performance at Neyland Stadium.

It’s the best he’s looked since sustaining a thumb injury against Auburn, and Mateer admitted it took him a bit to get adjusted to his new reality after surgery. 

“It's been tough, I won't lie,” Mateer said. “There's a lot of trials that God has put me through, and I've become a better man on this side of it. But it was tough. It was tough there in the middle of it. Obviously, the play and people could see how I was playing. It didn't really look like myself, but I felt I'm getting back to it. Getting more confident and more comfortable knowing what I've got to deal with in my hand and get back to it.”

Mateer completed 12-of-16 passes for 115 yards in the second half against the Volunteers, and he used his legs to pick up 21 yards on third-and-16 on a rush that looked every bit like the pre-injury version of Mateer. 

While working through the injury, Mateer has spoken more about his eyes than his hand as he strives to process information faster so he can make better decisions. 

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer waves to Oklahoma fans after the Sooners defeated Tennessee 33-27 in Neyland Stadium. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“If my eyes are right — on each play I have a key,” Mateer said. “And I need to know the coverage and I need to know what the defense is doing and if there's a run read that I'm pulling, I need to know who to look at. And as long as my eyes are in the right spot, historically this year and last year, I've made good plays. It's typically not the physical, like I just can't do it. I've found with my thumb, there's some more challenges that have came. But I still don't think it's a total drop off in my physical ability, I think.”

That process is easier said than done, he acknowledged. 

“I say that real simple, it's not that simple. It's a tough game,” Mateer said. “Last week we had 100,000 people yelling at me, so you add that into it, which was awesome. But there's a whole bunch of variables, so I know that... I can control my eyes. I can control where I'm looking. So if I can control that, then I can have a good shot.”

Mateer has adjusted to life off the field as well. 

---

Read More Oklahoma Football

• Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables Gives Injury Update on DE R Mason Thomas
• Five Oklahoma Players Who Have Surprised So Far in 2025
• Oklahoma’s Brent Venables on Playoff Push: “Improve and Win These Last Few Weeks”

---

The spotlight at Oklahoma is brighter, as Mateer learned when he told a Chipotle employee about his recovery timeline ahead of the Red River Rivalry. 

“That was me not realizing who I can trust and who I can't trust. It was real,” he said. “I didn't think he would go and tell the whole world about it. It's not my favorite thing somebody's ever done on the other side of what I've told him. But that's my fault. I shouldn't say anything. I shouldn't be throwing my business out there.”

Mateer has embraced the attention put upon him by Sooner Nation, though he does work to carve out some alone time for himself during the week. 

 “It's not that I don't enjoy talking to people, but sometimes I need to chill and have my own space. But it's awesome,” he said. “The fans, they're great and they recognize me and ask for a picture and tell me how much they appreciate me. It's all good stuff, and I appreciate having the influence and the attention that I get. It's awesome. But sometimes I just, you know, need my own time.”

Once the team regroups following OU’s final open weekend of the regular season, everyone’s focus will shift to Alabama as the Sooners start their crucial stretch to close the year. 

“There's a lot ahead of us, and we've got to take care of business,” he said.