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John Mateer seems to be establishing an elite connection with a wide receiver no one is talking about at fall camp

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Justin Churchill | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 2:14 PM ET

Getting John Mateer was the best roster decision the Oklahoma Sooners could have possibility made this offseason. A quarterback who can do it all, and was one of the best in the country last year, coming to a team who had major QB issues? Yeah, that’s an A+ transfer portal move.

But, no one is doubting him or what he can do. Sure, some have said that what he did last season may not translate over to the SEC, which I don’t agree with, but that doesn’t mean people think he will be bad. His floor is very high, meaning even at his worst he is still a good quarterback.

But to get the most out of him, like most quarterbacks, you have to put great weapons around him, and give him time to throw. The latter of that equation is still up for debate, as this offensive line is a pretty big wildcard. But, the weapons portion of it couldn’t be more true for the Sooners’ 2025 offense.

They have so many different types of wide receivers on the roster, and so many who could have a big game at any given moment. But, there is one guy that seems to be sticking out to Mateer a ton, and it’s someone that isn’t being talked about enough.

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Sooners WR Zion Kearney is building chemistry with John Mateer

It’s pretty nefarious to make the quarterback do everything they are supposed to do, and then think we can do it better from our couch. The responsibilities of a quarterback, especially the starting quarterback, go way beyond the difficult ones we see on game days. They have a ton of responsibilities off of the field, too.

And for the Sooners, one of the most important things for the QB is to build chemistry with the receivers, especially with the guys down the depth chart. Sure, you may think those guys won’t play much, so it doesn’t matter as much — then I would say to look at last season, where the Sooners were without their top-five WRs all at once.

So it’s important for Mateer to have chemistry with the guys who are going to be playing when injuries happen. He’s done that so far.

John Mateer on Zion Kearney: “He’s really good. He’s impressing a lot of people. You can see his size. He’s a young guy, but he looks old. He’s built, and he can move. We’re going to get a lot out of him.” #Sooners
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) August 4, 2025

“He’s [WR Zion Kearney] really good,” John Mateer told reporters o-site at fall camp practice. “He’s impressing a lot of people. You can see his size. He’s a young guy, but he looks old. He’s built, and he can move. We’re going to get a lot out of him.”

And, who knows, maybe Kearney actually has a way bigger role than we expect, and that’s why he is building this chemistry. But Kearney played as a depth piece last year, and that’s what he’s projected to be this year. But, you truly never know what will happen.

It feels like if a similar situation happened in 2025, Kearney will be ready to rise to the occasion. He could end up being a very underrated weapon for the Sooners.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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