A banner marking Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff appearance last season hangs inside the Sooners’ Everest Indoor Training Center, but John Mateer isn’t treating it like a trophy. He sees it as a reminder that the job wasn’t finished.
“It’s cute," Mateer recently told On3. "You know, it’s up there.
But everybody’s like, 'No, that’s not the goal.' So, there’s a couple things like that, which from an outside piece, it’s like, 'Oh, that’s great.
You made the playoff.' But it’s like, no, it’s not."
That kind of answer is exactly why Oklahoma fans have plenty of reason to lean in ahead of the season opener against UTEP on Friday, Sept. 4.
Mateer arrived in Norman last offseason as the top quarterback in the transfer portal after leaving Washington State, following offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle with the hope that the pair could quickly fix the Sooners’ offensive problems under Brent Venables. The expectations were heavy from the start, and they only grew from there. Then Mateer broke the thumb on his throwing hand, and SEC defenses seemed to have the upper hand on Arbuckle’s play-calling as a first-year OC.
Even with all that, Mateer still started 11 regular-season games, won nine of them and helped push Oklahoma into the CFP. But the numbers tell the story of a season that fell short of the standard many expected: he completed 62.2% of his passes for 2,885 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while also rushing for 431 yards and eight scores. His decision-making drew criticism, but the injury clearly affected him, even if he didn’t admit it until this spring.
What stands out now is not just what Mateer said last year, but what he’s done since. He’s talked openly about how 2025 wasn’t good enough, and he hasn’t reached for excuses. He’s also worked on changing his throwing motion, added muscle and has been part of an Oklahoma roster that now has even more talent around him.
That’s the part that should matter most to Sooners fans. Mateer has been blunt, consistent and unsatisfied, and that’s usually the profile of a quarterback who is set up for a major leap.
Plenty of fans will wait to believe it until they see it against an SEC defense, and that’s fair. But Mateer’s words this offseason haven’t sounded like empty optimism.
They’ve sounded like a quarterback who knows exactly what he wants next.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Just Got A National Nod That Will Fire Up Sooners Fans
Pro Football Focus gave Oklahoma a preseason boost this week by slotting defensive tackle David Stone at No. 31 on its college football top 50 for 2026, a notable national nod for a Sooners defense that figures to lean on him again. Stone was the lone Oklahoma player to make the list, and the recognition fits the way he flashed in 2025 as a disruptive interior force.
PFF pointed to Stones pressure production and his ability to impact the run game, two traits that should keep him central to Oklahomas plans as the new season approaches. With other key pieces like John Mateer, Isaiah Sategna and Michael Fasusi expected to shape the offense, the Sooners have reasons to feel good about their roster balance, but Stones rise gives the defense a headline name and a reminder that the front can still set the tone. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Receiver Depth Looks Better But One Doubt Still Lingers
Oklahomas receiver room is in a better place heading into 2026, at least on paper. Isaiah Sategna is back, and the Sooners have added transfer help in Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris, giving the top end of the group a look that should be more dependable than it was a year ago. For a team that wants more consistency on the outside, that kind of upgrade matters, especially with a clear trio emerging as the foundation of the passing game.
The lingering question is what comes after those three. Brent Venables has talked up several reserve wideouts during spring practice, but Oklahoma has not leaned heavily on its receiver depth in the past, and it is still unclear how much trust the staff will place in the lower part of the chart once the season starts. If the Sooners are going to get where they want to go, they may need more than just the headline names to hold up when the games start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Faces A 2026 Quarterback Gauntlet Fans Wont Ignore
The Manning Passing Academy always offers a glimpse at the next wave of quarterbacks, but for Oklahoma, this years version came with a little extra relevance. Four of the 11 passers singled out from the event are already on the Sooners 2026 schedule, which means the conversation quickly shifts from summer buzz to a real look at the kind of arms Brent Venables defense will have to chase around next fall.
Arch Manning sits near the top of that group, while LaNorris Sellers checks in at No. 7 and Bryce Underwood brings the sort of ceiling that keeps evaluators talking. Underwood was the No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class, and the appeal is obvious if he keeps climbing toward that level. Oklahoma also has to account for John Mateer, whose offseason transformation drew plenty of attention, adding another layer to a schedule that already looks loaded with quarterback talent. [Read more 🡒]