It’s one thing when fans hype up a returning quarterback. However, when whispers start coming from inside the game and coaches claim someone out loud to be “the best player in college football,” that’s not a regular occurrence. And neither does it come without the added pressure. Lately, these whispers have started circling John Mateer, the Oklahoma Sooners’ QB, entering a defining season in college football.
Mateer’s name hasn’t been thrown around as loudly in national circles as some of his peers, but that might be changing quickly. He’s always been regarded as a quiet grinder, not necessarily the best to ever do it, but fiercely competitive and consistent. Now, it appears the folks who’ve seen him the closest believe he’s ready to take the leap from being underrated to unstoppable. And the source of that belief? Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert.
On The Saturday Down South Show with Connor O’Gara, Dickert finally said it out loud. “John Mateer is the best player in college football,” Dickert said. “I believe that, and he’s going to go out there and prove it again.” He went on to place Mateer in elite company, comparing his leadership traits to those of Cam Ward and Josh Allen. “The biggest thing with all three of those guys is the competitive nature and the approach with which they bring it to every day and how they’ve gotten not just an offense but a whole locker room of people to go out there and play for them.”
Dickert, who served as Washington State’s head coach before taking over at Wake Forest, coached Mateer in practice every day, and that connection makes his comments even more meaningful. “John’s gonna keep evolving,” Dickert said. “I’ve always compared him to Bo Nix. I always have. And Bo Nix, when he was at Auburn, transformed his game when he went to Oregon, right? So that’s what I think you’re going to see in the next iteration of John.” He acknowledged Mateer’s room to grow as a passer, especially in progression reads, but emphasized that the quarterback’s athleticism, drive, and character would continue to elevate his game.
Having spent years watching Mateer, Dickert knows exactly what kind of player he is and what he’s capable of becoming. With comparisons to Bo Nix and the confidence of a coach who’s seen him grow firsthand, Mateer enters the 2025 season not just as a name to watch, but as someone fully expected to take over the spotlight.
John Mateer’s story behind the statistics
John Mateer put on a show in 2024. The Washington State signal-caller wasn’t content with just picking apart defenses through the air. (though he did that beautifully, completing nearly 65% of his passes for over 3,100 yards and 29 scores). Mateer had to rewrite the playbook entirely. While other QBs were sliding safely out of bounds, Mateer was putting his shoulder down and fighting for extra yards—826 of them to be exact. And those 15 rushing touchdowns? They weren’t just sneaks from the one-yard line. We’re talking about 30-yard scrambles where he left linebackers grabbing at air.
But there’s a story behind these godly performances. Dikert threw light on this. He narrated a moment that cemented John’s place as the best player in CFB in his eyes. He said, “I knew John Mateer was going to be successful. It was the first practice of fall camp. I’m leaving at 10:00. The lights are out in the stadium. And there’s this player down there going through the plays for tomorrow’s script. It was John Mateer. Those are the type of things that nobody will see that is going to lead to all his success this season.
And that’s exactly what 2024 was for Mateer; his stat line may impress on paper, but it’s the late nights, the solo grind, that often go unnoticed. For Jake Dickert, those unseen reps under the lights were proof of Mateer being the best player.
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