Will Stein knows John Mateer is a threat that can't be ignored ahead of Kentucky's trip to Oklahoma

There was a time when Kentucky head coach Will Stein wanted Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer as his own QB1 to run his offense, so he obviously understands what Mateer is capable of.

Multiple stops and about five years later, the two will face off on Saturday afternoon in Norman, where Mateer's Sooners will host Stein's No. 15 Wildcats in his first year as a head coach. Stock in Stein couldn't be higher right now with Kentucky at 5-1, while a turnover-prone Mateer is still being doubted, despite being clutch in the Sooners' 27-24 upset of No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry last week.

Stein, though, would be willing to buy low on Mateer and knows not to overlook him.

"He's a guy that can beat you through the air, on the ground," Stein said during his weekly press conference. "I know he's had some turnover issues this year, but you can't sleep on this dude. The guy's been a winner his whole life. ...

"I recruited him a little bit when I was at UTSA, and then he went to Washington State. Obviously, he was a Heisman hopeful before the season. I still think he's got elite and some rare talent in spots. Again, he can beat you through the air, he can throw it deep, and he's got a real threat to run."

John Mateer still deserves opponents' respect despite recent struggles

Mateer showed in the final 19 seconds of the Red River Rivalry exactly what Stein is talking about. Mateer was able to become a Cotton Bowl hero because his coaches also never lost faith in him, so instead of playing for overtime after a game-changing interception, they let Mateer take over and march the Sooners to field-goal range.

OU got the ball on its own 39-yard line with 19 seconds on the clock after Courtland Guillory picked off Arch Manning. Mateer completed a 13-yard pass to Isaiah Sategna on the first play of the possession, then threw a nearly perfect 20-yard back-shoulder throw to Sategna on the next play. Both completions were right at the sideline to set up Mateer taking a knee at Texas' 30, where Tate Sandell drilled a game-winning 47-yard field goal as time expired.

Most importantly in the game, Mateer never turned the ball over for the first time since Week 1 against UTEP. The Sooners are 6-0 when Mateer is turnover-free, but considering he's made 17 starts in two seasons at OU, that's obviously a rarity for their QB1. That's a glaring flaw that not even Stein could ignore while giving Mateer his flowers.

Mateer has completed 66.7% of his passes for 1,038 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He's also rushed for 70 yards, which is a number that would be much higher without 12 sacks. He averages 221.6 total yards per game. Overall, Mateer's numbers aren't too shabby if his turnovers didn't cloud any good he's accomplished in 2026.

But Stein also saw the most in Mateer when everyone else didn't expect much. When Stein was recruiting Mateer, he was a three-star recruit out of Little Elm High School in Texas before heading to Washington State, where he impressed enough to become the top quarterback in the transfer portal in 2024 and followed his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, to Oklahoma.

The worst of John Mateer is what keeps OU fans up at night with concerns for their beloved Sooners, but the best of Mateer is what keeps opposing coaches awake and exactly what they have to prepare for.

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