Oklahoma Is a Sleeping Giant With John Mateer at Quarterback in 2025

One of college football's proudest programs has fallen on hard times of late.

The Oklahoma Sooners won six straight Big 12 titles between 2015 and 2020 before Lincoln Riley bolted to the USC Trojans. The team scrambled to former Clemson Tigers defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who had the misfortune of guiding the program into a tougher SEC.

OU has gone just 23-17 under Venables in three seasons, so what possible changes could inspire hope to contend in the nation's hardest conference? How about a firecracker in cleats I've dubbed "Johnny Football 2.0".

John Mateer has transferred to Norman to take over the Sooners' starting quarterback job after a productive season with the Washington State Cougars.

What is Oklahoma's ceiling with Mateer in the fold? How will he help their recent issues? Where could it go wrong? Let's dive in.

How Will John Mateer Impact Oklahoma?

Washington State had huge shoes to fill when Cameron Ward left Pullman for the Miami (FL) Hurricanes. They got everything they could have asked for out of John Mateer.

In his first season of full action as a redshirt sophomore, Mateer was a do-it-all threat that posted 3,139 passing yards and 826 rushing yards. As irony would have it, Mateer's total touchdowns (44) tied for the FBS lead in 2024 with...Miami's Cam Ward.

Now, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for the inexperienced signal-caller. Mateer took 31 sacks and threw 7 picks, which is why his QBR (71.3) ranked just 32nd in FBS despite the raw production. Still, the passing or rushing highlights were insane weekly:

However, Wazzu scored 33.8 PPG, and that was enough to earn offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle a promotion. On December 2nd, Arbuckle became the new OC for the Sooners, and it was one of college football's worst-kept secrets who might be coming with him. Mateer grew up in Little Elm, Texas -- a suburb just outside Dallas. A close-to-home reunion with the playcaller that made him a star was almost a given.

Arbuckle and Mateer are now tasked with turning around an offense that, across FBS, ranked 110th in points per game (21.1) and 126th in yards per game (303.2). Against what was essentially a Mountain West schedule, Washington State was a top-30 school in both categories.

There is a leap to the production translating to a higher level, but it's not much different than Ward's leap from 2024. Finishing top three in Heisman voting, it's safe to say that worked out to some degree.

Oklahoma Sooners 2025 Season Preview

In a year where the Texas Longhorns, Mississippi Rebels, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Georgia Bulldogs are also transitioning quarterbacks, it would not be crazy for the Sooners to contend for an SEC title.

Last year, Venables' unit was stout. Oklahoma was 21st in opponent yards per play (4.8), which is particularly extraordinary considering how tired the D must have been having to make up for a totally inept offense. It returns seven upperclassmen as starters in addition to Marvin Jones Jr. as a pass-rusher from the Florida State Seminoles.

The team has also given Mateer quite the cabinet of weapons.

Former California Golden Bears running back Jadyn Ott joins Jovantae Barnes as an electric tandem. Ott ran for 1,305 yards in 2023 before an injury-plagued 2024, and Barnes ran for 4.7 yards per carry (YPC) last season despite injury issues of his own.

Deion Burks also had availability issues last season as a high-profile transfer. He had 647 yards and 7 touchdowns as a sophomore with the Purdue Boilermakers in 2023, and they got him help. Javonnie Gibson absolutely balled at FCS Arkansas-Pine Bluff with 1,215 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns a year ago.

Though a solid season from Arch Manning will be tough to beat in terms of press, Mateer has the ability to generate highlights with his arm or his legs in the same system as 2024. With a summer to clean up his mechanics a bit, Mateer is my personal Heisman Trophy odds-on favorite as college football's top returning touchdown-getter a year ago.

Oklahoma would have been a brutal out a year ago with just decent quarterback play. If Mateer is among the nation's best as forecasted, this is a team built to win on both sides of the ball, and Venables' championship experience at Clemson wouldn't be out of place in an expanded College Football Playoff.

For a team with just a 7.5-win total, the Sooners have put a lot of pieces in place with the nation's 12th-ranked transfer portal class. Could happier times be on the way for Boomer Sooner?

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