Why Oklahoma QB John Mateer Says He 'Needs to be Better'

NORMAN — John Mateer is well aware that his first year at Oklahoma wasn’t good enough.

Mateer, who transferred to OU from Washington State ahead of the 2025 season, finished his first season in Norman with 2,885 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on 62.2-percent passing.

The quarterback led OU to a 4-0 start, but his production took a significant hit midway through the season after he suffered a thumb injury that required surgery against Auburn on Sept. 20. Mateer completed only 59.4 percent of his passes for 1,670 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions over the Sooners’ final eight contests.

After the first four games, Mateer was viewed as a potential first-round pick in the NFL Draft. By the time the season ended, his stock plummeted to a possible late-round selection.

That made his decision to return to OU easy.

“It was pretty obvious in the end — I need to be better,” Mateer said. “Needed to come back and develop another year, and this place is awesome.”

Mateer and his teammates took the practice field for the first time of spring ball on Wednesday.

In the more than three months since OU’s loss to Alabama in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Mateer’s thumb got healthier. As a result, Mateer said that his throwing motion has become more conventional.

“I can grip the ball better,” Mateer said. “Getting back to some more over-the-top stuff, less sidearm. That all plays in with the thumb, and I’m not making excuses, but that’s the truth. I had to adapt a little bit… It's closer to the ear; that’s what my dad always told me, ‘Keep the ball closer to your ear.’”

The lows of Mateer’s first season were evident. He threw a costly pick-six against Alabama in the CFP, which helped the Crimson Tide eventually win 34-24. Mateer also failed to surpass 200 yards in four of the Sooners’ last seven games.

But there were also plenty of highs. His bomb to Isaiah Sategna in OU’s regular-season finale against LSU gave the Sooners a late lead and helped them seal their spot in the CFP. And despite his pick-six against Alabama, he tallied three total touchdowns in that game.

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With those ups and downs now under his belt, Mateer feels more confident heading into his second season at OU.

“My mind, just understanding where I’m at and not having to look everywhere, see all the new things… my brain’s just used to seeing everything,” Mateer said. “It’s not that it’s been easier; it’s just a whole different challenge.”

Mateer also has the benefit of knowing the majority of his teammates. The Sooners retained several running backs, wide receivers and offensive linemen during the offseason, meaning there should already be built-in chemistry between the quarterback and his offensive teammates.

He has also put an emphasis on befriending the team’s newcomers. Between true freshmen and the several offensive transfers that OU acquired, there are several players who will likely have prominent roles that Mateer had to quickly build relationships with.

Now healthy, Mateer believes that his best football is ahead of him. And the quarterback believes that the work he does throughout the spring will help OU’s offense reach its full potential.

“Being a year older, I learned a lot,” Mateer said. “I look back to last year and I’m like, ‘Well, I’m way better than I was.’ It’s a lot of fun.”