Oklahoma QB John Mateer believes he has a secret to success in 2025

New Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer put up some big numbers before he made his way to Norman via the transfer portal.

Mateer, soon to be a redshirt junior, had a breakout season in 2024 with the Washington State Cougars. He threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns compared to just seven interceptions as the guy who replaced Cam Ward for Wazzou. He also rushed for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns.

He can fill up the stat sheet, which is why Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables went out and got him this offseason in the portal. Mateer also has an ace up his sleeve at Oklahoma that he relied on last season at Wazzou, though.

Venables also brought in former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to run the Sooners offense. 

Heading into an important 2025 season, Mateer recently revealed that he believes the connection between him and Arbuckle will be vital for Oklahoma.

“The duo… It’s huge,” Mateer recently said while at the Manning Passing Academy (h/t On3). “We understand each other, and I know what play he’s gonna call next. He knows what I like. We talked through a lot of stuff this offseason. It’s just taking the next step, and it’s awesome.”

Oklahoma had its struggles at quarterback and on offense last season, which, in part, played a role in a disappointing 6-7 season.

Bringing in both Mateer and Arbuckle was a major response from Venables, but Oklahoma also brought in a few other notable transfers on offense. Notable amongst those transfers is wide receiver Javonnie Gibson, who caught 70 passes for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns last season for Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

For his part, Mateer seems excited about Oklahoma's offense heading into the fall.

“We’ve got some good players here that can do a lot of different things. It’s going to be pretty fun,” Mateer said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”