Oklahoma’s path back into the national title conversation may be simpler than it looks: it comes down to John Mateer.
That’s the view from college football analyst David Pollack, who singled out the Sooners quarterback as the key piece if Oklahoma is going to make another push toward the College Football Playoff and beyond.
“All of y’all in Norman, everybody’s excited … But they know that the biggest reason this team can be successful, and win a national championship, and go to the playoff again. It’s going to be on [John Mateer’s] arm.” Pollack said on the ‘Dari Nowkhah Show.’
The Sooners enter the season with real reasons for optimism. Brent Venables just landed a major extension, and Oklahoma has kept important defensive talent in place. With those pieces secured, the spotlight shifts to the player who can change the entire ceiling of the team.
Mateer’s 2024 season at Washington State showed exactly why Oklahoma went after him. He threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns while adding 826 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. That kind of production made him one of the most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks in the country and pushed him onto the national stage.
His first year in Oklahoma colors, though, was a different story. In 2025, Mateer finished with 2,885 passing yards and 14 touchdowns while working through a hand injury that required surgery. He returned quickly in an effort to get back on the field, and that recovery complicated his move into the SEC.
Still, the skill set that made him so productive at Washington State is still there. Oklahoma is counting on him to bring it back in 2026.
The roster around him gives the Sooners a chance to compete in the SEC and chase another postseason run. But as Pollack made clear, Mateer is the swing factor. If he stays healthy and gets back to the level he showed before, Oklahoma could have the quarterback play it needs to turn playoff hopes into something even bigger.
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The secondary, in particular, looked like a spot where the room may be expanding, with freshmen safeties Chris Perry Jr., Kenny Miller-Terry and Bryson Flynn all showing up in Brays evaluation. Lance McGees return from injury added another layer to that mix, and the defenses four turnovers underscored how active the group was throughout the scrimmage. For a team trying to sort out reliable depth before the season, those are the kinds of signs that matter, even if the real test is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
WSU Has A Promising Defensive Sign Fans Will Notice
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Chris Citowicki also got a closer look at the future, with six players making their debut and several true freshmen stepping into first starts. Isabella Amado, Calli Holje, Kate Spangler and Raina Tifft were among the newcomers in the starting group, and the coach praised the defensive effort while still pointing to the attack as an area that needs sharpening as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]