When Sooners made that SEC jump in 2024, they low-key said that SEC was gonna elevate Oklahoma. Turns out, it grabbed them by the ankles and slammed them through a folding table like prime WWE. What was sold as a power move? Nah, that SEC debut was more like a mugging in broad daylight. 6–7 in 2024? That wasn’t just a bad look—that was an identity crisis. While Texas walked into the SEC like Beyoncé at the Grammys, OU showed up like they forgot their invite. But just when everyone counted them out, Brent Venables might’ve found his plot twist and career lifejacket: John Mateer.
Let’s not act like Venables didn’t see the dumpster fire. His 2024 defense? Rock solid. Only allowed 21 points a game. Respect. But that offense? Trash. Like bottom-10-in-the-country trash. So Venables hit the eject button on Seth Littrell midseason and started cooking. In December, he brought in Ben Arbuckle, Mateer’s OC from Wazzu. Then brought the dual-threat demon John Mateer—the same QB who led the entire country in total touchdowns. These two got chemistry like Key & Peele. And if you know ball, you know that duo cooked up fireworks last season.
Brent Venables raved about new #Sooners quarterback John Mateer in Destin.
“John, he’s incredibly talented, but some of his best talents are his leadership, he’s got tremendous football IQ, and there’s no limits on him mentally or physically.”https://t.co/NqBh8ej2wG pic.twitter.com/K808eydJjf
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) May 28, 2025
John Mateer straight up popped off in 2024, turning heads as Washington State’s breakout QB1. In his first full season running the show, the dual-threat dynamo lit up defenses for 3,139 passing yards and 29 TDs, while stacking another 826 yards and 15 scores on the ground. That’s 3,965 total yards—averaging over 330 a game—putting him in elite territory nationwide. From day one, Mateer had folks talking, torching Portland State for 352 yards and five tuddies, plus a 40-yard scamper to the house.
He broke the school record for rushing yards by a QB with 197 against Texas Tech, then turned around and dropped 501 total yards on San Jose State like it was nothing. But his masterpiece came in a 42–10 blowout over Hawaii, where he went 23-of-27 for 295 yards and three scores through the air, plus two more on the ground.
And now, he’s in Norman. Brent Venables finally broke silence on him during SEC meetings in Destin. “He’s got great arm talent, but he’s a guy that’s going to show up early, going to stay late, got great humility,” Venables said. “Came to Oklahoma to be a part of the great lineage at Oklahoma. He’ll be the first to tell you, and he knows it, he’s gotta get better. He’s got a lot of development still in front of him. So he’s great humility, he’s put his head down. All he’s done since he’s gotten here is work, and he’s elevated everybody around him by how he does what he does. He’s honest, he’s transparent, easy to connect to. People relate to him. He’s got great great depth to him.” That’s coach speak for: I’m betting the whole house and coaching career on this man.
But before folks start printing playoff tickets, let’s keep it real. Oklahoma’s 2025 schedule? Pure violence. Nine of their opponents have legit national title odds. Their projected win total? A cold 6.3. That ain’t football—it’s survival mode. But at least this time, the offense might not be a liability. Because John Mateer ain’t walking in alone.
Jim Nagy pulls out all the stops to make sure John Mateer’s set up to success
Jim Nagy saw the vision early. Matter of fact, he had to. When you’ve got a quarterback like Mateer, you don’t just hand him the keys to a lemon. You soup up that ride like it’s a Fast & Furious spin-off. That’s exactly what Nagy did. On March 23, the Sooners brought in Delfonte Diamond—NFL-level receiver and tight end coach—for a private session. It wasn’t a drill. That man came to make sure Mateer had WRs who could catch bullets in traffic.
The chemistry lab was in full swing with Isaiah Sategna and JaVonnie Gibson. Both receivers pulled up to Norman like they had something to prove. Sategna came over from Arkansas with 491 receiving yards and a rep as a route technician. Gibson? He’s a dawg. Came from Arkansas-Pine Bluff with an 83.7 receiving grade. That boy don’t drop nothing. When asked how the new guys were clicking, Mateer didn’t flinch: “They’ve been doing a really good job. It’s not perfect on day one… but we been talkin’, getting to know each other.” That’s how you build a unit. Not off highlight reels—but real chemistry.
And Nagy wasn’t done. He reached into the transfer portal and came back with Jaydn Ott—a certified Pac-12 beast. Ott led the entire conference in rushing back in 2023 with 1,315 yards. Injury slowed him in ‘24, but when healthy, he’s built like a bell cow with turbo. Throw him behind an improved offensive line, and suddenly this offense don’t look so helpless. One insider, Jay Smith, even said, “If Mateer and Jaydn Ott and this offensive line are now healthy and actually has a two-deep, they show up—we’re good.”
That’s not just wishful thinking. The Sooners were already solid in the trenches. Now? They’ve got real depth. And Arbuckle knows how to spread defenses out and play fast. His offense at Wazzu turned heads because it kept defensive coordinators up at night. And Mateer? He’s the exact kind of QB who thrives in that chaos. Can throw off-platform, can improvise, and isn’t scared to take off when the pocket collapses. When you pair that with actual playmakers—this ain’t the 2024 Sooners anymore.
But let’s not act like the haters are gone. The SEC schedule didn’t come with training wheels. Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Texas, LSU—you name it. Oklahoma’s catching smoke from all directions.But here’s the twist: this might actually help them. If Mateer balls out in this gauntlet, NFL scouts gonna start writing love letters by October.
So what does 2025 really look like for Mateer and the Sooners? It’s a high-risk, high-reward situation. Think of it like betting on GameStop stock in the middle of a crash. The potential? Crazy. The risk? Even crazier. But if Mateer clicks with Sategna and Gibson, Ott stays healthy, and Arbuckle unlocks the chaos formula—this offense could go from joke to juggernaut real quick. And Brent Venables? He’ll go from the hot seat to a hot streak.
All eyes on Norman. The rebuild might just be the revenge tour.
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