Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer enters the 2026 season with high expectations and plenty to prove after an up-and-down first year in Norman. Mateer joined the Sooners before the 2025 season as one of the top transfer additions in college football.
After a breakout season with the Washington State Cougars, Mateer arrived in Norman as one of the most highly anticipated transfer quarterbacks in the country. He was in early-season Heisman talks, even being the favorite at one point. However, a thumb injury changed the trajectory of his season and affected his performance during the second half of the year. Still, he played well enough to help lead the Sooners to the College Football Playoff.
Advertisement
While his ability to lead Oklahoma back to the playoff was impressive, questions remain about what version of Mateer the Sooners will get in 2026. In fact, ESPN revealed the biggest lingering question for the top 25 teams in college football. Writer Jake Trotter said that the biggest question for Oklahoma centers around Mateer’s health.
“Beginning with his return for a 23-6 loss to Texas, Mateer ranked just 69th with a QBR of 60.5 for the rest of the regular season, then threw a costly pick-six in Oklahoma’s home playoff loss to Alabama,” Trotter said. “With a healthy offseason, which included working with former Sooners Heisman-winning quarterback Sam Bradford, Mateer could be primed to bounce back in a big way.”
Mateer’s first season at Oklahoma was a mix of brilliance and adversity. He showed flashes of being one of the best quarterbacks in college football before a thumb injury changed the course of his season. Now, with a healthy offseason and more experience in the system, Mateer has the opportunity to silence the doubters.
If he can return to the player Oklahoma saw early in 2025, the Sooners will have a quarterback capable of leading them toward their ultimate goal: competing for a national championship.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: ESPN reveals Oklahoma’s biggest lingering question ahead of 2026
