John Mateer has yet to play his first game at Oklahoma and in the SEC, but chatter about the 2026 NFL Draft is already beginning for the Sooners' new starting quarterback.
Mateer, of course, already has a strong resume as he heads into his first year at Oklahoma. The Little Elm, Texas, product spent the first three years of his college career at Washington State and was the Cougars' starting quarterback last season when they produced the nation's No. 6 scoring offense while averaging 36.6 points per game.
Mateer was one of the most prolific signal-callers in the country last season, passing for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns while completing 64.6% of his passes and averaging 9 yards per pass attempt. He was 17th among FBS passers in yards per game (261.6), seventh in yards per pass attempt, tied for 10th in touchdowns thrown and eighth in passer rating (164.09). He also threw just seven interceptions, with an interception rate of just 2% on the season.
The 6-foot-1, 224-pounder was also one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in college football, as he finished the year with 826 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 4.64 yards per carry. He was sixth among FBS quarterbacks — excluding those from the service academies — in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. When adjusted for sacks, Mateer had 1,027 yards rushing and averaged 6.9 yards per non-sack rushing attempt.
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Now, as Mateer gears up for his first season at Oklahoma — where he and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle will try to port over their offensive success from Washington State to the SEC — the redshirt junior is already being identified as one of the top quarterbacks in next year's NFL Draft class. Over the weekend, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid published some offseason scouting reports on 22 quarterback prospects for next year's draft, and Mateer was included among the top nine players to know at the position.
Reid identified strengths Mateer has put on display already, as well as areas the Sooners' new starting quarterback stands to improve upon this season if he wants to see his stock rise next spring.
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Here's what Reid had to say about Mateer:
"Where he excels: Mateer joins the Sooners after three seasons at Washington State. He broke out in 2024, finishing with 3,139 passing yards and 29 touchdowns to only seven interceptions. He's an aggressive playmaker who has all sorts of funky releases, allowing him to reposition his body and still get the ball out effectively. He has easy arm strength and isn't hesitant to make far-hash throws. Mateer is a fierce competitor and an extremely effective runner on scrambles and designed QB runs, rushing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. He represents a clear upgrade for an Oklahoma offense that struggled mightily in 2024.
"Where he needs work: Thanks to Washington State's schedule, Mateer was able to get away with bad habits in the pocket that won't fly in the SEC. He tends to be a tick slow on reads, relying on his arm power to alleviate tardiness in his progressions. The arm overconfidence also leads to him passing up easier shallow reads for more challenging deeper throws. He'll be tested against a schedule featuring eight SEC schools and a Week 2 nonconference game against Michigan. If he passes with flying colors, Mateer could climb draft boards quickly."
Mateer will certainly have opportunities to prove himself and boost his NFL stock, as Oklahoma is set to face the toughest schedule in college football this season, according to ESPN's SP+ metric. The Sooners face nine teams ranked inside the current top-25 of SP+ — all eight SEC opponents, plus the nonconference game against the Wolverines in Week 2 — including four opponents ranked in the top-10. If he can weather the rigors of the SEC and help resuscitate an Oklahoma offense that spent last season on life support, he could make a strong case as one of the premier quarterback prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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