What Baker Mayfield told John Mateer to get the QB to Oklahoma

Shortly after quarterback John Mateer committed to the Oklahoma Sooners as the No. 1 player in the Transfer Portal, Baker Mayfield was given some credit for OU landing its most prized offseason addition.

Mayfield hosted his annual football camp in Norman this weekend and met with reporters afterward, where he was asked about his recruiting pitch to help get Mateer to OU.

"Obviously he was still deciding. You can't force anyone to do something they don't want to do. But I just told him everything I would have said," Mayfield said. "If you trust it, if you love it there, if you want a chance to go shine in a place that will truly embrace you for everything you are, this is the place to be.

"Tradition here, you can't beat it -- the atmosphere. Once you start winning, people will rally around you."

Mayfield admits recruiting pitch to Mateer

Mateer admitted during his first interview after his commitment that he actually initially denied Mayfield's call and sent him to voicemail while he was visiting OU.

"It was surreal," Mateer told KREF then. "I actually didn't answer his first phone call because it was a number I didn't know and I don't really hit the numbers I don't know. But he left me a voicemail and I was freaking out. I was like, 'There is no way Baker Mayfield just called me.'

"I was sitting in Brent Venables', Coach Venables', office, this huge office, and I was like, 'There's no way this is real.' Super cool moment. I called him back, obviously. And he talked to me and he was a super humble, nice dude, and it really helped."

Obviously the biggest connection drawing Mateer to Norman was his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, heading to OU first. In Arbuckle's system as a first-year starter, Mateer led the FBS with 44 total touchdowns last season. However, a call from a Heisman Trophy winner and OU's biggest fan definitely helps seal the deal.

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