Through three games of the 2025 season, transfer quarterback John Mateer has led the Oklahoma Sooners to a 3-0 record, including a signature win against Michigan at home. In these games, Mateer has thrown for 944 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for another 161 yards and four touchdowns.
Mateer’s stellar early-season play has taken the nation by storm, propelling him into the national spotlight. He is now tied with Carson Beck as the Heisman favorite. Many of the top college football analysts have taken notice of Mateer’s play, including FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt.
According to Sports Illustrated, Joel Klatt elevated John Mateer to the top spot in his quarterback rankings.
“I thought he was going to be good. He has been good, and maybe even better than advertised,” Klatt said of Mateer. “He goes out there and elevates the play of everyone around him. We saw that against Michigan. He can go to a different level and give his team a chance to win a football game – be the reason that they win a football game,” Klatt said.
John Mateer’s Early Career & Transfer to Oklahoma
Before joining the Oklahoma Sooners, Mateer started his college career at Washington State, spending two seasons as a backup to former No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.
In 2024, after Ward transferred, Mateer became the starting quarterback for the Cougars. Mateer had a breakout season in 2024, leading the nation with 44 total touchdowns while setting Washington State single-season records for quarterback rushing attempts, rushing yards, and rushing scores.
After Washington State finished last season with an 8-5 record, Mateer chose to transfer to a higher-profile program in search of greater national exposure. When his offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle accepted the job at Oklahoma, Mateer called the move to the Sooners a “no-brainer.”
That decision has certainly paid off so far.
High Stakes in Norman as Venables Enters Defining Season
In his first three seasons as the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners, Brent Venables has a 22-17 record. His first season (2022) ended with a 6-7 record, followed by a 10-3 record in 2023, and a 6-7 record in 2024, marking his second losing season in three years.
For Oklahoma Sooner standards, he has underperformed through three seasons.
In the seven years prior to Venables arrival, Oklahoma never lost more than two games. Now, with potentially the best quarterback in the country behind center for the Sooners, they look to get back to their historical success in the 2010s.
Oklahoma does face the SEC’s most difficult schedule in 2025, with seven of their remaining nine matchups coming against currently ranked teams. They have to travel into extremely hostile road environments in Texas, Tennessee, and Alabama.
The Sooners, currently ranked No. 11, host No. 22 Auburn this Saturday in Norman.