Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer stretches before one of the Sooners' fall camp practices. SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oklahoma QB John Mateer Learned a Key Lesson Last Year as a First-time Starter

Originally posted on Oklahoma Sooners on SI
By Ryan Chapman | Last updated Aug 22, 2025 3:00 PM ET

John Mateer took many lessons from his first season as a starter in college football.

He threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns and added 826 yards and 15 additional scores on the ground. His 44 total touchdowns were tied for the best mark in all of the FBS, but the biggest takeaway from the year was how he now approaches things off the field.

“I was really worried about all the outside noise and everything. I was so young and looking back, I feel like a whole different person,” Mateer said on the Heisman Trophy Podcast with Chris Huston. “… I cared about what everybody thought. And now, getting older… I really learned that it’s the people closest to you in your circle, their opinion matters because you’ve built trust with them.

“But not everybody, man. Everybody’s got something to say but you trust the people that you trust.”

The lights will be much brighter at Oklahoma, but Mateer will have those familiar faces he trusts firmly in his corner.

He moved to Norman alongside offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, and Washington State quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski also joined the Sooners as a senior offensive analyst.

Playing in the same offense under the same coach allowed Mateer to focus on other aspects of the transfer process with his new teammates.

“I just built relationships in the locker room because I didn’t have to sit in a meeting room and learn the offense,” Mateer said. “I could sit in the locker room and learn the players. And that’s huge.

“There’s nothing that can replace that and just being around the guys and learning the culture.”

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Not having to digest a new playbook also allowed Mateer to improve other aspects of his game.

He carried the ball 178times last year and took his fair share of hits.

That won’t be as sustainable in the SEC, though Mateer said he’s never going to shy away from putting his body on the line in the game’s crucial moments.

“I was playing some pretty reckless football there at the beginning (of last year), and I was throwing my body into defenders,” Mateer said. “And that’s one way to play, but it’s not the best for your longevity. So getting to checkdowns and trusting my athletes around me.

“… There are definitely still spots you’ve got to do it. Third down, fourth down, end of the game, you let it loose. But the team needs you and we’ve got really athletic guys that are built to take those hits.”

Mateer is now fully settled into life in Norman, but he said he’s still excited for the emotions he’ll feel when he runs out onto a sold-out Owen Field for the first time next Saturday.

“It’s definitely surreal. I mean, it’s still pretty nuts to me,” Mateer said. “… This town makes it — you can’t really avoid it, and you hear it all the time. It’s Oklahoma. And growing up, Oklahoma is the Mecca. And now I’m here, it’s pretty crazy to me.”

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Sooners on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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