Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer is getting plenty of praise and media attention in the leadup to the 2025 college football season, but none more commendable than the projection by an SEC Network analyst that the former Washington State transfer will be the next Sooners' QB to win the Heisman Trophy.
SEC Network college football analyst Chris Doering is not backing down from the high praise he conferred on Oklahoma and the Sooners' new starting quarterback during SEC Media Days earlier this month.
"I'm all in on him," Doering said on SEC Now. "I think this guy is going to be the SEC Player of the Year, and I also think he is going to win the Heisman Trophy."
John Mateer predicted to win Heisman Trophy
Doering explained what he really likes about Mateer is his arm strength and accuracy when he puts the ball in the air. Also his ability to move outside of the pocket, and what he is able to create when a play breaks down.
And you can't overlook the importance of Mateer's comfort in and full understanding of the offense he's already been running under offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle when the two were together for two seasons at Washington State
"John is the kind of athlete every coach dreams of," Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables recently said. "He's fearless, incredibly smart on the field and has that rare ability to lift everyone around him. It's his character, his drive to be better every single day. He never takes a play off. That type of attitude is infectious."
Mateer's dual skills as a passer and as a runner make him especially dangerous in the offense. Last season in Arbuckle's offense at Washington State, Mateer had 3,139 passing yards and his 29 touchdowns through the air were tied for 10th-best among FBS teams. He also gained 826 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. By comparison, Oklahoma had almost 1,000 fewer passing yards and 13 fewer passing TDs as a team than Mateer last season.
If Mateer can produce those same kind of numbers at OU with more weapons around him and in the much tougher SEC, it won't be just Mateer who will be reaping postseason attention, but the Sooner team, as well.
Team success is front and center in Mateer's mind.
"I don't think a lot about 'legacy' or individual accolades," Mateer said at SEC Media Days. "I would like to win a lot of games and do it while playing as hard as I can. You win and good things happen. So I just want to win a lot of games."
Of Oklahoma's seven Heisman Trophy winners, four are quarterbacks, including the last four (Jason White in 2003, Sam Bradford in 2008, Baker Mayfield in 2017 and Kyler Murray in 2018). All but White went on to become overall No. 1 picks in the NFL Draft. In addition to the four Sooner quarterbacks who won the Heisman Trophy, two other OU signal callers finished as runners-up in the Heisman voting with Josh Heupel in 2000 and Jalen Hurts in 2009.
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