What happened the last time John Mateer and Jackson Arnold faced off

Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold obviously has history with the Oklahoma Sooners, but he also does with OU quarterback John Mateer.

Nearly four years later, Arnold and Mateer will face off again when No. 22 Auburn plays the No. 11 Sooners at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday for Arnold’s first game in Norman since transferring this offseason. As much as the pressure is on Arnold in his return, it’s also Mateer’s chance to show how far he’s come and prove he’s worthy of the role he’s surprisingly taken.

Now playing for Oklahoma and Auburn, Mateer and Arnold also played in high school

It was Oct. 28, 2021, the last time Arnold and Mateer were on opposing sidelines. Arnold, a junior, was a future five-star recruit getting recruited by the Sooners and many others, while Mateer was a senior just trying to get noticed by a major program. And on that night, both quarterbacks fit their role.

Arnold’s Denton Guyer High School handled Mateer’s Little Elm High School 45-21 in a Friday night Texas preps matchup. Arnold completed 11 of 20 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown, according to MaxPreps. He also showed off his dual-threat ability with 87 rushing yards and another score.

Mateer put up better numbers, but turned the ball over and suffered the loss. He was 21-of-36 for 231 yards and a TD with 85 rushing yards and two scores, but threw two interceptions.

Early in the game, Mateer threw a pick-6 to future OU teammate Eli Bowen. Later in the contest, Eli’s brother and also a future teammate, Peyton Bowen, picked off Mateer in the end zone.

“I remember (Arnold), Peyton and Eli beating me pretty bad,” Mateer said this week. “It wasn’t my most fun game.”

Arnold committed to the Sooners about three months later, and Washington State eventually took a risk on Mateer that paid off. After struggling in his first year as a starter, though, Arnold transferred to Auburn to hopefully turn his career around.

Mateer, though, that under-recruited quarterback who took a beating that night in 2021, led college football with 44 total TDs last season in his first year as QB1. When Arnold left, Mateer followed his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, to Oklahoma and has since emerged as a Heisman Trophy favorite and top NFL Draft prospect.

A lot of circles could become full Saturday night. Arnold could get redemption at the place it all started, while Mateer could get assurance at a place no one ever thought he’d be.

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