John Mateer heads into 2026 with plenty of noise around him, and SEC Network analyst Chris Doering is firmly on the optimistic side of the conversation.
Doering ranked the five SEC quarterbacks he trusts most entering the season, and Mateer landed at No. 2, trailing only Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.
"I think John Mateer is gonna be back in that category again this year of Heisman hopefuls as we get through the second half of the season," Doering said. "If he can stay healthy, I think there's a lot more talent around him, as well ...
You gotta get the run game going, you gotta get the protection a bit more stout up front ... I think John Mateer is a tremendous leader, but he's gonna have more people around him doing their part and he's not gonna have to carry the load himself like he had to do so much last year."
That belief comes after a 2025 season that was derailed by a hand injury Mateer suffered in late September. Before that setback, Doering was already high on him. Now, with Mateer healthy again, the expectation is that Oklahoma has given him more support on offense.
The Sooners spent the offseason building around their quarterback, aiming to give him more help on the field and take some of the burden off his shoulders. The idea is simple: let Mateer work within what the defense allows, and only ask him to play Superman when the moment demands it.
There will still be some of the gunslinger in his game. Oklahoma knows that comes with the package.
But the Sooners are also trying to sharpen his decision-making and keep him from having to force the issue snap after snap. His playmaking ability gives him a chance to create something out of nothing, but OU wants that to be the exception, not the rule.
With kickoff less than a month away, the Sooners are about to find out whether the offseason work around Mateer pays off.
Projected SEC starting quarterbacks in 2026: Alabama: Keelon Russell or Austin Mack
Arkansas: KJ Jackson or AJ Hill
Auburn: Byrum Brown
Florida: Aaron Philo or Tramell Jones Jr.
Georgia: Gunner Stockton
Kentucky: Kenny Minchey
LSU: Sam Leavitt
Mississippi State: Kamario Taylor
Missouri: Austin Simmons
Oklahoma: John Mateer
Ole Miss: Trinidad Chambliss
South Carolina: LaNorris Sellers
Tennessee: George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon or Ryan Staub
Texas: Arch Manning
Texas A&M: Marcel Reed
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EMarion Harris Just Offered A Telling Oklahoma Reality Check
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Harris is expected to step in at right tackle, which makes his adjustment especially important for Oklahoma as it reshapes its offensive front. For a player looking to sharpen his game in his final college stop, the appeal is obvious: a more demanding competitive environment, a higher level of resistance every day and teammates who seem to have matched the urgency he was looking for. [Read more 🡒]