New Oklahoma QB John Mateer not focused on Heisman hype despite program's rich tradition

There are high expectations for new Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer this season.

Mateer spent his past three years at Washington State and is coming off a breakout season. He threw for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Wazzu went 8-5 as an independent in its post Pac- 12 era, which meant Mateer's awesome season went largely unnoticed. If he played anywhere else, he'd be considered a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Well, now he is somewhere else. Mateer transferred to Oklahoma in December 2024, and if he has another spectacular season both as a passer and a runner, there is a realistic chance he'd be a Heisman contender.

That's the expectation at Oklahoma, which has seen seven Heisman Trophy winners — including four quarterbacks. Heisman candidate quarterbacks are almost a tradition at Oklahoma, but Mateer recently revealed that he's not trying to get caught up in that hype. Instead, he's focused on winning games for the Sooners.

"I don’t think about it every day," Mateer told On3's George Stoia III of Oklahoma's Heisman history. "I want to win games and if you win a lot of games, that could happen. … That’d be cool, but I want to win games."