RADIO
Can a Healthy John Mateer Lead Oklahoma to Title Contention?
Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer began his Sooners career with a bang, tallying 1,221 passing yards, 190 rushing yards, and 11 total touchdowns through his first four games. However, he suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand in the fourth game of the season against Auburn, which required surgery. Over his next six games, he averaged just 174.2 passing yards per game and threw just six touchdowns. His thumb injury seemed to impact Oklahoma's offense significantly, but the team also saw a step up in competition during Mateer's cold streak. Despite this, Brent Venables' defense led Oklahoma to the College Football Playoff. Expectations remain high for that unit in 2026, but can a healthy Mateer engineer an offense worthy of competing for a CFP National Championship, or was his start to last season the outlier? Mateer's performance is one of the biggest storylines in this year's SEC and CFP race.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
