Oklahoma Sooners news: John Mateer injured, fallout of Mike Gundy firing, SEC opponents

John Mateer injured

Oklahoma announced on Tuesday that quarterback John Mateer injured his throwing hand in the first quarter against Auburn on Saturday and will undergo surgery on Wednesday. Based on multiple reports, Mateer will miss about a month with hopes he can return for the Red River Rivalry.

"After consulting with medical experts, it became clear that surgery is the best option for John and his short- and long-term future," OU head coach Brent Venables said in a statement. "He's extremely disappointed he will miss some game action but is eager to correct the issue and move forward. As he is with everything, we know he will be aggressive with his rehabilitation and work to return to the field as quickly as possible."

Sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr., who started four games last season, will take over while Mateer is out. The Sooners are off this week before hosting Kent State the next, then play Texas on Oct. 11.

Fallout from Mike Gundy's firing

Oklahoma State on Tuesday fired head coach Mike Gundy in the midst of his 21st season. With the move, that means OSU players can enter the Transfer Portal for the next 30 days and commits are already backing off their OSU pledges, including an in-state prospect the Sooners were after.

Jenks High School running back and OU legacy Kaydin "KD" Jones was the first to decommit from OSU's 2026 class just moments after the news broke of Gundy's firing. The Sooners were among Jones' top options before the Cowboys made a late push. Now after exploding at the start of his senior season, Jones is back on the market for OU again.

The Sooners also lost top in-state recruits defensive lineman Tajh Overton and safety Braeden Presley to their Bedlam rival. Neither have decommitted yet, but there's certainly more opportunity for the Sooners to flip the recruits now.

Future SEC opponents

The SEC on Tuesday released conference opponents for the 2026-29 seasons and also officially announced each team's annual opponents, with the Sooners getting Texas, Missouri and Ole Miss. Other conference teams will rotate on OU's schedule.

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