John Mateer heads into 2026 with a fresh chance to change the conversation around his game.
After one season in Norman, the Oklahoma quarterback was placed at No. 21 among Power 4 starting quarterbacks by Sports Illustrated’s Zach Koons, and the ranking came with a blunt assessment of his first year in the SEC: "The jump to the SEC was something of a wake-up call," Koons said of Mateer's 2025 season, though he did acknowledge the injury he sustained against Auburn.
Mateer’s numbers tell the story of a season that had flashes, production, and plenty of rough edges. He completed 62.2% of his passes for 2,885 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
The hand injury he suffered against Auburn clearly affected him, especially in the three-interception game against Texas, but it wasn’t the whole explanation. He had already thrown a pick in each of Oklahoma’s first three games before the injury even happened.
The mistakes kept piling up late, too. Mateer threw three interceptions in the Cotton Bowl and another three in the regular-season finale against LSU. He then made another costly error in the College Football Playoff loss to Alabama, the kind of mental lapse he spent the offseason trying to clean up.
Even with those issues, Mateer’s value to Oklahoma went well beyond his arm. He added eight rushing touchdowns on 149 carries and finished with 431 yards on the ground, giving the Sooners a needed spark in an offense that had to scrap for every yard.
There’s reason to think the supporting cast around him should be better this fall. Isaiah Sategna is back after coming close to a 1,000-yard receiving season in 2025. Oklahoma also added Virginia transfer Trell Harris, who earned All-ACC Third Team honors last year, along with former Texas receiver Parker Livingstone.
The Sooners are also hoping for more stability and push in the run game. Their offensive line is another year older after finishing last season with a trio of freshmen starting.
Still, the placement of Mateer at seventh among SEC quarterbacks raised eyebrows. It made sense to put him behind returning starters such as Trinidad Chambliss at Ole Miss and Texas standout Arch Manning. But being ranked behind Auburn transfer Byrum Brown at No. 17 and LSU transfer Sam Leavitt also stood out, especially given the way Mateer’s 2025 season was viewed through the lens of injury and transition.
Leavitt, for his part, completed 60.7% of his passes for 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions, but the comparison only sharpened the debate around how Mateer was evaluated.
Either way, the Sooners will get an early answer. Mateer and Oklahoma open the season against UTEP on Sept. 4, and he’ll have a full stage to show he belongs in the national elite conversation.
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Oklahomas recruiting footprint in Alabama just got a little bigger with the addition of Jaylen Scott, a 2027 safety from Mobile who has become one of the more notable defensive pledges in the Sooners class. A consensus four-star prospect and one of the more highly regarded players in his class, Scott gives Oklahoma another foothold in a state that has become a meaningful part of its recruiting pitch.
What stood out for Scott was the way Oklahoma stayed involved and the comfort level he already had with fellow Sooners commit Jamison Roberts, a relationship that helped make Norman feel familiar. Scott is also part of a growing wave of Alabama prospects looking hard at Oklahoma, and he has been vocal about trying to bring more home-state talent with him as the Sooners keep building that pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
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The more interesting part may be the transfers who are not drawing the loudest buzz yet. Mackenzie Alleyne, Jack Van Dorselaer and defensive tackle Thomas all have paths to useful roles, and the staff has already hinted that some of these newcomers could outplay the outside expectations attached to them. For a roster trying to get deeper and more dependable, those are the kinds of additions that can end up mattering just as much as the marquee names. [Read more 🡒]
National Voice Sends Strong Message About Oklahoma's Portal Work
After the 2025 regular season, Oklahomas portal work drew a favorable reaction from a national voice, and it was easy to see why. General manager Jim Nagy and his staff targeted clear needs, bringing in wide receivers Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris along with linebacker Cole Sullivan while also keeping Owen Heinecke in the fold after he was granted an injunction to play this season.
The additions give the Sooners a more defined offseason blueprint, especially on offense and at linebacker, where depth and impact both mattered. ESPN analyst David Pollack singled out the group in positive terms, and the appeal is obvious: Oklahoma added players who can help right away, but there is still a bigger question about how quickly all of those pieces can mesh once the Sooners get back on the field. [Read more 🡒]