John Mateer spent much of last season trying to keep Oklahoma moving while dealing with a broken thumb on his throwing hand, and now he’s admitting just how much it changed things.
The Sooners quarterback, who burst out of the gate in Norman with a strong first four games and shot to the top of plenty of Heisman conversations, never fully got back to that level after the Auburn game. Mateer ultimately had surgery on the thumb, then missed only one game before returning and finishing the season with the brace on his throwing hand for most of the way. Oklahoma still reached the College Football Playoff, but the production told a different story: 2,885 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
During the season, Mateer often brushed off questions about whether the injury was affecting him. After the year ended, he was far more direct.
"It affected me a good amount," Mateer said on 'See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack.'" I didn't say it at the time because I didn't want to do that.
I didn't think that was right. But looking back, it changed a lot.
You can imagine how much that would change what I had to do and adapt. But I'm back.
I'm good now. Feeling good."
That context makes his early stretch even more eye-opening. He wasn’t just battling through a nagging issue; he was trying to operate with his throwing hand compromised while Oklahoma went through its second season in the SEC.
Now the conversation shifts to what he can do with that behind him. Oklahoma has worked to give him more support this offseason, adding receivers Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris and making a clear push to improve the run game. If Mateer is fully healthy, the Sooners have a real shot at a much steadier offense.
He already proved he can fight through adversity. The bigger question is what he looks like when he doesn’t have to.
If the version of Mateer Oklahoma saw in those first four games shows up again, the Sooners could be sitting on one of the SEC’s most dangerous quarterbacks. And after last season, getting him back at full strength may be the most important thing Oklahoma has done all offseason.
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