John Mateer dishes on the Baker Mayfield of it all at Oklahoma

Fans of the Oklahoma Sooners are dreaming about the way things used to be in Norman, but life in the SEC is no joke.

The Sooners went 6-7 last season in their first SEC campaign and Brent Venables is 22-17 over his three seasons as head coach.

It's just not good enough, and the lack of an elite quarterback has played in a role in that for the Sooners.

This is a program that's not used to anything but a Heisman Trophy-contender at quarterback, though, and there's potentially good news on the horizon in that regard.

Several years ago, Baker Mayfield transferred from Texas Tech to Oklahoma, where he ultimately became a Heisman Trophy winner and one of the best quarterbacks in the program's proud history.

Sooner fans are now hoping history will repeat itself with current quarterback John Mateer, who transferred to Norman this past offseason after lighting it up at Washington State last season.

Could he have a Mayfield-like impact on Oklahoma in 2025? The comparisons are there, and Mateer hears them.

“It’s an honor to be compared to him,” Mateer told reporters at SEC Media Days, according to Nick Schultz of On3/Rivals. “You talk about Oklahoma, everybody loves Baker Mayfield — which is great and deservedly so. He’s done a lot for this university. It’s an honor to be compared to him.

Mayfield was a superstar with his arm but was also shifty and crafty as a runner. That's where Mateer has the opportunity to shine for Oklahoma, because he's a legitimate dual-threat.

He threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns last season for Wazzou while also rushing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.

He's certainly more of a running threat than Mayfield ever was, but either way, the similar potential for star power is there.

No pressure, right? For the record, Mateer says he doesn't feel that.

“I wouldn’t say I’m exactly like him, but it’s definitely cool to be [thought of in] such a high status," he said. "I don’t think of it as pressure, though — I just see it as an opportunity.”