The Oklahoma Sooners have turned heads with their latest addition to the 2025 class, landing quarterback John Mateer. His arrival alone creates plenty of intrigue, but the real excitement comes from his pairing with offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.
With Arbuckle’s play-calling and Mateer’s potential, the Sooners offense could be gearing up for something special.
Kendel Dolby Is Impressed by John Mateer
The Sooners offense struggled to find its rhythm last season, finishing a disappointing 97th in points per game with an average of just 24. They managed only 24 points against Alabama and 27 against Auburn, which highlighted their need for serious offensive changes heading into 2025.
Mateer arrived in Norman as a much-needed spark for an offense in desperate need of revival. The Sooners are banking on his potential to turn things around, and they are not alone in their belief. Defensive back Kendel Dolby has already seen Mateer in action during practice and is convinced that the transfer quarterback will bring leadership.
What are the early impressions on John Mateer?
Kendel Dolby has been very impressed with the leadership and mentality he’s seen from Mateer.
“When you’re a dog, you can sniff out a dog. So far what I’ve seen from John is he has a dog mentality to him.”@join1oklahoma pic.twitter.com/TZD7HwfWGF
— The REF (@KREFsports) February 27, 2025
“Yeah, so this is what I tell people all the time. Like me, my mindset is, you know, I got a, my mindset is I got a dog mentality. And, uh, uh, how I kind of look at it is when you’re a dog, you can sniff out a dog, you know what I’m saying? And so far from what I’ve seen from John is he has a dog mentality to him,” Dolby told “The REF.”
He even talked about how Mateer never shied away from talking to his teammates and has been able to make a space for himself despite being on the team for only a couple of months now.
“It’s just something about him. You know, I haven’t even really seen him, you know, getting a full action yet, but it’s just the way he carries himself,” he added. “Being a new guy, I know when I first came in, I was really wasn’t talking to a lot of people, everything was new to me. But he just talks to everybody.
“He carries himself as a lead and he’s only been here for a couple of months, but he definitely has a dog mindset. He’s really gritty. Like I said, he works hard, and I think he’s going to be really good.”
National Analyst Has High Expectations For Mateer
Mateer put up eye-catching numbers during his time with the Washington State Cougars, throwing for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns while accounting for 44 total scores.
Despite his impressive production, he never quite received the recognition he deserved. Playing in the Pac-12 often meant flying under the radar, with a limited national spotlight compared to other college football conferences.
So, now that he’s made a transfer to SEC, his presence is going to get acknowledged. On3’s National Analyst J.D. PicKell has even ranked him at the third position in his top SEC QBs ranking. He even praised the decision of the Sooners to acquire the junior QB.
“Oklahoma’s John Mateer, he might be college football’s best-kept secret,” PicKell said. “Y’all, to be real, because he played at Washington State, not a lot of people got to watch his games,” PicKell continued. “You kind of know the name because he’s that Oklahoma transfer, and he goes over with his OC. To me, he is everything that Oklahoma has been missing offensively—playmaker, juice, ad-lib, all those things.”
KEEP READING: John Mateer Lands on Top 100 Returning Players List
John Mateer has already set the bar high for himself, and now, all eyes will be on whether he can be the solution to Oklahoma’s offensive struggles in 2025.
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