John Mateer's First Status On SEC Injury Report Revealed; Texas Star Set to Return?

Whether or not Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer will play in his first ever Red River Rivalry matchup against the Texas Longhorns this weekend has been a hot topic of conversation over the past few weeks.

Mateer broke his hand almost three weeks ago now while helping lead his team to victory against the Auburn Tigers, an injury which required him to undergo surgery.

With just three days until the Sooners’ rivalry matchup, this week’s highly anticipated SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report has officially been released.

Will Mateer play against Texas?

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) is brought down by Auburn Tigers safety AnQuon Fegans (21) during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Auburn Tigers at Gaylord Family Ð Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday,Sept. 20, 2025. Oklahoma won 24-17. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

To the dismay of both Texas and Oklahoma fans, the injury report didn’t provide any closure in regards to Mateer’s status this upcoming weekend.

The standout quarterback was listed as “questionable,” leaving much to be desired in terms of certainty. Different rumours have surfaced all week regarding whether or not he will take the field at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, but it seems that no one on the outside has a clear and definite understanding of his current condition.

Followup reports will be released on Thursday, Friday and 90 minutes before kickoff, meaning that it could still be a few days until Mateer’s final fate is disclosed.

How could Mateer impact this game?

Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooner — Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian talk before the Red River Showdown college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the University of Texas (UT) Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. Ou Vs Texas | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Mateer has been the heartbeat for this year’s Oklahoma team, recording 1,215 passing yards for six touchdowns across his first four games. The energy he brings to this team’s offense has the potential to make or break their experience in Dallas, which explains why so many have held their breath waiting to hear about him.

That being said, his absence doesn’t guarantee a win for the Longhorns. Texas is now 3-2 this season and 0-1 in conference play, and their struggle to find success against tougher competition so far elevates the stakes of this matchup for them.

A win could help them change the trajectory of their season, while a loss forces them deeper into an already concerning hole.

Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. will step up for the Sooners in the event that Mateer can’t, and with last week’s start against Kent State under his belt, he has had the chance to get a little bit of recent experience with the team. He also led them into last year’s Red River Rivalry as a true freshman, so he has experience in that regard as well.

As for now, fans will have to wait for daily updates to be released to get a better idea of Mateer’s status.

What About the Longhorns?

For the Longhorns, there is good news on the injury front as well, with star cornerback Malik Muhammad set to return after missing Week 6 vs. Florida. Muhammad is one of the best corner's in college football and was sorely missed vs. the Gators.

Freshman standout Parker Livingstone is also listed as probably after suffering a scary hit vs. the Gators and being forced to miss the rest of the game. Fortunately for the Horns, Livingstone seems to be fine.

In some not so great news, however, running back CJ Baxter is still listed as doubtful and seems to be unlikely to play vs. the Sooners. Baxter suffered a hamstring injury on the first play from scrimmage against UTEP, and has been out since.