John Mateer grew up on the other side of the Red River Showdown. The now Oklahoma quarterback is a native of Little Elm, Texas, which is why he was probably surrounded by Texas Longhorns fandom in his youth.
From Little Elm, to Norman.
OU QB John Mateer speaks on playing in the Red River Shootout this season.
“I only went to one (Red River Shootout) growing up, I don’t remember which one it was. But I watched all of them, all of the highlights… I’ve watched some film on it and… https://t.co/dKVpn2D9V6 pic.twitter.com/VJomNiftcG
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) June 27, 2025
Now, he will lead the Sooners against the flagship school of his state. According to a statement he gave to the press, this is an encounter that has always been close to his heart:
“I only went to one (Red River Shootout) growing up, I don’t remember which one it was. But I watched all of them, all of the highlights… I’ve watched some film on it and all you see is a sea of people and it’s like — this is insane. And I am so excited.”
After three seasons with the Washington State Cougars, Mateer had the opportunity to jump to a powerhouse program like Oklahoma. In 2024 with the Cougars, his first season as a starter, Mateer led them to an 8-4 record while recording 3139 passing yards, with 20 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. His 70.9 QBR was 34th in the nation.
At Norman, there are high expectations for the quarterback to lead the Sooners to national relevance in 2025, after a mediocre 6-7 record in their first year in the SEC in 2024. As a transfer, 247Sports rated Mateer as a four-star.
John Mateer on meeting up with Ben Arbuckle in Oklahoma
There will be some semblance of continuity at Norman for John Mateer, as the new offensive coordinator of the Sooners is Ben Arbuckle, who coached him at Washington State. That continuity is a great asset for any signal-caller, and Mateer admitted as much over the weekend to On3:
“The duo… it’s huge,” John Mateer said. “We understand each other and I know what play he’s gonna call next. He knows what I like we talked through a lot of stuff this offseason. It’s just taking the next step, and it’s awesome.”
“We’ve got some good players here that can do a lot of different things. It’s going to be pretty fun, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Ben Arbuckle brings important experience as an offensive coordinator and quarterback coach, having held these positions at Washington State, Western Kentucky, Seminole High School, and Houston Baptist University.
