NFL Draft analyst tabs Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer as potential big riser up draft boards if he does one key thing

If you had told fans of the Oklahoma Sooners at the midpoint of last season that a quarterback in a Sooners uniform would be high on boards for NFL Draft analysts, I suspect many of them would consider you crazy or wonder if some miracle occurred.

As it turns out, no miracle here, just the transfer portal and a radical new offense. The hire of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and the opportunity to play in the SEC convinced quarterback John Mateer to enter the portal and transfer to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Now, his play has caught more attention. So much so, in fact, that prominent NFL Draft analysts are turning eyes onto him, and his buzz is only growing the closer we get to the season.

ESPN's Jordan Reid, one of the top draft analysts in media, told the Paul Finebaum Show, that Mateer had "really caught my eye."

"Coming over from Washington State where he threw for a ton of yards, he was really productive in that system there.

“But I think an underrated factor about him is just the mobility. He actually rushed for over 800 yards last year, which was a stat that really caught my eye when I was doing my research on him and it shows up in the tape, as well. But the competitiveness that he plays with, I think he’s by far one of the more competitive players in the country this year. This is a big year for Oklahoma, in my opinion,” Reid said. “I think this is a make-or-break season for Brent Venables. They have to figure it out. They’ve done a good job in the portal bringing in some guys, and Mateer is really the headliner along with running back Jaydn Ott, who’s going to receive a lot of notoriety coming into the season, too. I’m excited to see what Mateer does this year, but I think he has a chance to really climb up boards, especially if he plays well in that Week 2 matchup against Michigan."

There's plenty of opportunity for Mateer to turn heads this season, with the Sooners owning the toughest schedule in college football and plenty of primetime opportunities, but their early matchup against Michigan feels like a tone-setter for the rest of their season. 

If Mateer impresses there, the rest of the season seems like it could be a runway to propel himself further up draft boards.