John Mateer prioritizing winning over joining Heisman Park at Oklahoma

When it comes to quarterback at Oklahoma, there is a clear standard. Trips to New York City are almost expected, with a long list of Heisman Trophy winners on display in Heisman Park. Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray were the latest to win college football’s most prestigious individual award while Jalen Hurts finished runner-up.

Insert John Mateer, a transfer from Washington State who comes to Oklahoma with a lot of hype. He is linking back up with Ben Arbuckle, his offensive coordinator in Pullman. After putrid offensive performances in 2024, the Sooners are going all-in on Mateer.

And while being in the Heisman Trophy discussion would be nice, Mateer states his focus is on one thing. He wants to win games in the fall for Oklahoma. Managing to do so may lead to Heisman discussion but winning takes top priority.

“It’s pretty clear. I don’t think about it every day,” Mateer said via George Stoia of On3’s Sooner Scoop of Heisman Park. “… 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.”

Mateer threw for over 3,000 yards last season, adding 29 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Oklahoma is going to enjoy the dual-threat ability Mateer has to offer too. You can add 826 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 178 carries to the stat sheet too.

Those are the kind of numbers head coach Brent Venables translates to the next level. Mateer faced just two teams who were in power conferences last season but swept Texas Tech and Washington early in the schedule. Similar performances against SEC foes would be a massive upgrade for the Sooners.

Even before entering the NCAA transfer portal, there was speculation between Oklahoma and Mateer. The connection to Arbuckle was an obvious one. Lining up with OU’s need for a quarterback for the 2025 season, the connection was too good to pass up — even if Miami had anything to say about it.

With spring ball now set to begin in Norman, expectations are only going to grow. Mateer is experienced and will not have a learning curve with the offense despite being in a new program. Oklahoma is hoping the transition is as smooth as possible.

The goal for Mateer has already been stated, though. He wants to get Oklahoma back to winning ways after last year’s 6-7 record. If personal accolades follow, it’s just an added bonus.