Finally, a sign pointing toward the Oklahoma Sooners having starting quarterback John Mateer for the Red River Rivalry against unranked Texas.
Mateer injured his throwing hand against Auburn on Sept. 20 and required surgery nearly two weeks ago, and after missing the No. 6 Sooners' last game against Kent State last weekend, the biggest question has been Mateer's status for the Red River Rivalry at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday in Dallas. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel on Tuesday, it looks like the Sooners could have their QB1 against Texas.
John Mateer injury update
"Oklahoma QB John Mateer is pushing to return this week for the game against Texas," Thamel wrote in a post on X. "There’s a belief that his return is possible, as he’s reacted well to surgery."
Mateer’s surgery on a broken bone in his right (throwing) hand took place nearly two weeks ago. Him playing against Texas would dovetail with the most optimistic return timelines, as he’d be 17 days out of surgery.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 7, 2025
Thamel's report came less than 24 hours after OU head coach Brent Venables said on his weekly coach's show Monday night that, "I don’t know when John Mateer will be back." Venables also said after Saturday's 44-0 win against Kent State that he assumed Mateer would not play against unranked Texas, with sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. getting the start instead.
However, many fans have thought (or at least hoped) that it was all smoke and mirrors from Venables, who has been tight-lipped about Mateer's status before playing OU's biggest rival. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian even said Monday during his weekly press conference that the unranked Longhorns are preparing to face Mateer despite Venables' postgame comment on Saturday.
Thamel's recent report is similar to what Matt Zenits of CBS Sports reported just days after Mateer's surgery nearly two weeks ago. Zenits reported then that there was “at least an outside chance” Mateer played against Texas.
Initial reports after the announcement of Mateer's injury put the timeline anwhere from three weeks to just over a month. The Red River Rivalry will be 17 days after Dr. Steven Shin performed surgery on Mateer's right hand in Los Angeles. Venables also already said that Mateer would "push the limits" to return quicker.
The first SEC Availability Report of the week will be released Wednesday evening, but that probably won't provide any clear answers with Mateer likely listed as questionable throughout the week. Thamel's report is the closest answer anyone has had so far about the chances of Mateer playing against Texas.