Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer gave the Sooners a boost when he announced his intention to remain in Norman for an extra season, opting out of the draft process in January.
In his first year at Oklahoma after transferring from Washington State, Mateer led the Sooners back to the College Football Playoff.
Analyst Dismisses John Mateer Injury Amid Jaydn Ott Scrutiny
Mateer arrived at Oklahoma alongside the No. 1 running back in the transfer portal, Jaydn Ott, and the duo was one of the most hyped in college football ahead of the 2025 season.
The Sooners were one of the worst teams at running the football last season, despite the presence of Ott, and their offensive performances tailed off towards the end of the season, despite Mateer’s recovery from a mid-season thumb surgery.
During the “Crain & Cone” podcast on Wednesday, analyst David Cone dismissed Mateer’s injury as an excuse for the Sooners’ woeful run game amid an inquest into Ott’s ineffectiveness to influence that aspect of Oklahoma’s offense.
“It was surprising that Jadyn Ott didn’t contribute to that. I do think the John Mateer hype was justified. We hyped up Cam Ward, he goes to Miami and ends up being the No. 1 overall pick. I don’t think the injury can be a complete excuse for John Mateer, because he was really gunslinging, putting the ball in harm’s way even before that.
“But, certainly, you could tell a difference in play around that time with the multiple injuries that he had. The year one to year two growth in the SEC is what he needs for that unit to be more balanced.”
While Mateer was briefly the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy before his injury, Ott, who was the No. 1 running back in the transfer portal, only managed 21 carries and 68 rushing yards, while catching two passes for 10 yards before declaring for the NFL Draft.
On3 Analyst Reveals Keys to Mateer’s Revival
During last weekend’s “On3 podcast,” analyst J. D Pickell weighed in on the Sooners’ poor run game last season, ultimately hurting Mateer’s performances, and how Oklahoma can get the best out of the maverick quarterback next season.
“John Mateer as good as he is, I wanna hear the offensive line is better around him, ” Pickell said. “I wanna hear there’s some running backs that can really help him in general in 2026, take some pressure off of him.
“Everything John Mateer did last season was behind the backdrop of an offense that ran the ball right around two yards a carry at the running back position. That’s nowhere near good enough. It’s nowhere near good enough to win football games. It’s nowhere near good enough to maximize your quarterback.”
Despite an injury-disrupted season, Mateer managed 2,885 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, while adding 431 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, earning himself a PFSN College QB Impact score of 78.6.
