Oklahoma QB John Mateer has Enjoyed a 'Super Productive' and 'Focused' Spring

The Sooners made the College Football Playoff in their first season with John Mateer, but the quarterback knows that there is much for him to improve on.

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

NORMAN — There hasn’t been any time for John Mateer to waste over the last few weeks.

Mateer, entering his second season as Oklahoma’s starting quarterback, has spent spring ball working on his throwing mechanics and his footwork.

With less than a week until the Sooners take Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for their annual spring game on Saturday, Mateer believes he has made strides in the right direction.

“It's been a super productive spring ball for me and the whole offense and everybody involved,” Mateer said.

Mateer transferred to OU from Washington State ahead of the 2025 season, and his first campaign in Norman was up-and-down.

The quarterback led the Sooners to a scorching 4-0 start that included wins over Michigan and Auburn, logging 1,215 passing yards and 11 total touchdowns and completing 67.4 percent of his passes during that stretch. At one point, Mateer was the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

But Mateer suffered a hand injury that required surgery in the Auburn game, forcing him to miss the Sooners’ game against Kent State. Mateer came back for the Red River Rivalry against Texas on Oct. 11, but his performance wasn’t the same once he returned.

Mateer completed only 59.4 percent of his passes for 1,670 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions over the Sooners’ final eight contests. He failed to eclipse 200 passing yards in four of those eight games.

After his injury, Mateer regularly threw sidearmed passes, rather than traditional, by-the-ear throws. He also struggled to set his feet in the pocket, likely contributing to his less-efficient play.

This offseason, Mateer has been tasked with finding the balance between making corrections and not overcomplicating his process.

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“You go into spring ball and super focused on details, technicality and stuff, but at a certain point you play football,” Mateer said. “You can't go in there and be too critical, because you need to play ball. You still play with the instincts, 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.”

In addition to the work Mateer has done, he also has one year of SEC experience under his belt.

Over the last few months, he and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle have spent a significant amount of time in the film room together, looking for ways to improve the offense ahead of the 2026 season.

“You go back and watch every game, it’s what the winter period is for, and before spring ball, you watch every game,” Mateer said. “Obviously I’m not going to say what we’re doing differently, but a lot of self-scout.”

On Saturday, Mateer will play in front of fans at Owen Field for the first time since the Sooners fell 34-24 to Alabama in the College Football Playoff First Round.

Mateer’s primary goal for the spring game is to show the Sooner faithful that he has made progress with his mechanics and his discipline. But more than anything, the signal caller is simply excited to be back on the gridiron.

“There's just something about being in the stadium and under the lights,” Mateer said. "We're all super excited to just play ball."