The tiniest detail everyone is noticing about John Mateer and why he does it

The quarterback of the Oklahoma Sooners is under a microscope with every highlight video and practice clip dissected, so nothing about John Mateer will go unnoticed, not even things that happen in the blink of eye.

Only a week into fall camp, local media and OU fans already noticed that Mateer has a habit of throwing the football without the laces. He's been seen doing it in pictures and videos from practice, as well as old highlights from his time at Washington State.

Watch closely. Mateer doesn't go without laces every throw, but just about.

Like TJ Eckert pointed out, Mateer doesn't just go without laces during quick passes like slants or while scrambling. Mateer will even grip the ball without laces when he drops back. That shows he's comfortable without laces, and that's because, even though it's new in Oklahoma, it's not to Mateer.

Why John Mateer throws football without laces

Mateer has always regularly thrown the ball without laces. In an article and video on CougFan.com posted last July, Mateer explained then why he doesn't use the laces.

According to Mateer, not throwing the ball with laces provides a quicker release and helps him actually grip the ball better. Both are especially important when he has to throw on the run, which happens quite a bit with Mateer being a dual-threat QB.

In that same article, which Mateer himself wrote, he also explained how he rubs down his football in the same way an MLB pitcher would, proving how important grip is for Mateer. Mateer admitted he doesn't like a brand new ball. At least then, Mateer would prep his own balls in a process that took over 24 hours.

So as much as media and fans pay attention to the details of John Mateer, Mateer focuses even more on every tiny step.

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