Oklahoma’s John Mateer Makes Feelings Clear About Playing in the Red River Rivalry originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
One of the biggest moves the Oklahoma Sooners made this offseason was landing a commitment from transfer quarterback John Mateer, who’d been with the Washington State Cougars since 2022.
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Of course, joining them means that he will be playing in one of college football’s most premier rivalries, as Oklahoma will be facing off at home against the Texas Longhorns in the Red River Rivalry, scheduled for Oct. 11.
It’s a big deal, and while talking to reporters on Friday, Mateer, who was born in Little Elm, Texas, gave some insight into his thoughts on the historic rivalry and what it will be like to be a participant.
“I only went to one (Red River Rivalry) growing up, I don’t remember which one it was,” Mateer said per On Texas Football’s CJ Vogel. “But I watched all of them, all of the highlights… I’ve watched some film on it and all you see is a sea of people and it’s like — this is insane. And I am so excited.”
Over the past few seasons, the Sooners have performed well against the Longhorns and in their last 10 matchups have gone 7-3, though Texas does hold the all-time lead at 64-51-5.
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In last year’s matchup, Oklahoma didn’t put up much of a fight, as they would lose 34-3, and their 31-point margin of defeat was the largest they’d suffered in 2024, so there’s no doubt that Texas currently holds the bragging rights.
However, Mateer, who last season completed 224-of-347 passes for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions while also rushing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns, is looking to help seek revenge.
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer (10) who revealed his thoughts on the Red River rivalry.Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Unfortunately for Oklahoma, going into the season, there’s a clear gap in the talent and expectations of these programs, as the Sooners come out to No. 16 on ESPN’s FPI, while the Longhorns are No. 1, so it will remain to be seen how things play out.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
