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**From Overlooked Recruit to Sooner Savior: John Mateer’s Unlikely Path to Oklahoma**

**NORMAN, OK -** John Mateer’s journey to becoming the starting quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners is a testament to the unpredictable nature of college football recruiting. Once a relatively unknown prospect from Little Elm, Texas, Mateer is now tasked with revitalizing an Oklahoma offense that struggled mightily last season.

Despite throwing for 66 touchdowns and running for 22 more in high school within a talent-rich district, Mateer received surprisingly little attention from major FBS programs. Rival high school coaches, like Reed Heim of Denton Guyer, were baffled, with Heim even calling college coaches at programs like Colorado, Tulsa, and Michigan State, urging them to recruit Mateer. “I felt Jackson (Arnold) was 1a and he (Mateer) was 1b in the district,” Heim said. Mateer ultimately committed to FCS Central Arkansas.

Fast forward to the present, and Mateer finds himself in Norman after stops at Washington State, where he impressed in 2024, throwing for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns. The catalyst for his transfer was the arrival of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who previously coached Mateer at Washington State. Arbuckle sees similarities between Mateer and former Sooner Heisman winner Baker Mayfield, in terms of confidence, charisma, and playing style.

Arbuckle remembers one question he asked of the district coaches in Texas: “Why should I not recruit this John Mateer kid?” Every one of them said, “Coach, that kid’s phenomenal.”

In his debut as a Sooner, Mateer has already made waves, throwing for 392 yards and three touchdowns against Illinois State, breaking Mayfield’s record for most passing yards in an Oklahoma debut. While his talent has always been evident, coaches say Mateer’s football IQ and film study habits have grown significantly in recent years. With Arbuckle calling the plays, the Sooners are hoping Mateer can lead them back to prominence, much like Mayfield did before him.

“The feeling inside the Sooners program is that Mateer — and Arbuckle — are just getting warmed up.”

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