John Mateer faces hard lessons as Oklahoma eyes offensive jump
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer says painful film from Texas and Alabama is shaping his 2026 reset with the Sooners.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
John Mateer has spent the offseason staring down two games he would rather forget, and the Oklahoma quarterback said Monday at SEC media days that the film has been rough viewing.
Speaking to SEC Network, Mateer said watching his struggles from last season’s losses to Texas and Alabama is “very uncomfortable,” but he believes the lessons from those moments can push him and the Sooners forward in 2026.
The Alabama tape carries one play above all: a pick-six in Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff loss to the Crimson Tide. Mateer said Alabama’s defense fooled him on the interception, which tied the game shortly before halftime.
“That one play against Alabama, they got me,” Mateer told SEC Network. “They did. It is a bad play. Everyone knows what I'm talking about. I've thought about it a million times.”
Alabama went on to beat Oklahoma 34-24, according to CBS Sports, with the interception standing as a key swing in the game. Mateer’s takeaway was blunt and forward-looking: “I'll be better for it,” he said.
Texas game still stings
The Texas loss brought a different kind of frustration. CBS Sports reported that Mateer completed 52.6% of his passes for 202 yards and threw three interceptions in Oklahoma’s 23-6 defeat.
That performance came 17 days after hand surgery, according to CBS Sports. Mateer told SEC Network he does not regret playing, even with the result and even while acknowledging he was not at full strength.
“I'm glad I did it because it showed me that you could fight through a lot, even though I was obviously not 100 percent,” Mateer said. “It was a very difficult thing to do. I'm glad I did it, even though I failed.”
Those two losses sit against a broader first season in Norman that gave Oklahoma plenty to build on. CBS Sports reported that the Washington State transfer completed 62.2% of his throws for 2,885 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while adding 439 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
A reset in the pocket
Mateer is now trying to smooth out the high-wire parts of his game. His athleticism helped him create plays inside and outside the pocket last season, but CBS Sports reported that it also contributed to trouble in the Texas and Alabama games.
The quarterback said he has put more focus on operating within offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle’s system, while still leaving room for the instincts that make him dangerous.
“I've never had a problem trying to stay too in line with the offense because the plays will come, but don't take your instincts away,” Mateer said.
There is also a durability piece to the reset. Mateer said he took too many hits last season and needs to avoid unnecessary punishment if he wants to keep playing for the long haul.
“If I want to play the game a long time, I have to be able to do it,” he told SEC Network.
The work has extended to his mechanics. Mateer said his throwing motion had been unusual going back to his Washington State days, and that last season’s hand injury caused his fundamentals to slip as he tried to generate extra zip on the ball.
He described the adjusted motion as manageable because it is not a full reinvention. “It's not that different,” Mateer said. “That's why I believe I'll be able to do it, and also the practices I've had. It's a pattern I already had at Washington State, and then it kind of dropped off.”
For Oklahoma, the bet is that a quarterback willing to revisit the ugly stuff can turn it into cleaner Saturdays. Mateer’s next test is making those offseason fixes hold when the games count again.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.