OU’s once again heading into the Red River Rivalry game without full trust in its starting quarterback.
Head coach Brent Venables started Davis Beville at quarterback in the 2022 Red River Rivalry game, with then-QB1 Dillon Gabriel out with injury. It was Beville’s first college start, and he registered only 38 passing yards. Now, Venables grapples with quarterback issues for a different reason, with John Mateer having made catastrophic mistakes in recent games.
Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle “discussed all options” at quarterback at halftime against Georgia, following Mateer’s three first-half turnovers. He is still the starter going into Texas, but after three consecutive games with an interception, Mateer’s confidence is wavering.
“John’s our starting quarterback, … but (he) carries a lot of weight,” Venables said. “But things that make it easy to believe in John are just how he shows up every single day (being) the same guy, how he works, how he competes, how he leads, how he responds. … But there's a lot of resources that we have to deal with all of our guys … and just navigate the trajectory of their career and what they go through.”
Senior defensive back Peyton Bowen added that Mateer needs to get back into rhythm and believe in himself.
Mateer was one of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal when he arrived at OU, coming off leading Washington State to the No. 6 offense in the nation. Mateer then broke out as an early Heisman candidate in 2025. However, he has not looked the same since.
“He just has to get his swagger back,” Bowen said. “I feel like, when he came in here, he was that guy in the transfer portal. He was that guy on campus. Still was this whole offseason and I think he just has to get that mojo, that swagger back. His best play was when he was evading, making moves out the pocket and making those long throws down the field.”
Bowen added that Mateer’s mind cannot be his own worst enemy.
“He's still that guy that runs that offense,” Bowen said. “And (getting) his confidence and mojo back, I feel like, is the biggest part because he has all the intangibles. And he's a great leader, a great teammate, a great ball player. He just has to get out of his own head right now.”
Bowen also watched former OU quarterback and former roommate Jackson Arnold deal with confidence issues.
Arnold started nine games in 2024, never having firm hold of the QB1 spot. He was first pulled from the starting role against Tennessee, the first conference matchup that year.
“I've seen it first-hand in my own household whenever Jackson was here,” Bowen said. “So I know it's hard. I mean, I see the stuff. I don't, like, delete Twitter and all that. … I can just imagine … that's hard for someone to go through. Like, that's mentally draining. … Being his friend from high school and seeing how much he was on a pedestal to just (having) tomatoes being (thrown) at him.”
Bowen now lives next door to Mateer and tries to make sure he is handling the pressure well.
“I go over there and check on him all the time, like just see him outside his house, talk to him, whatnot,” Bowen said.
Fifth year linebacker Kip Lewis added that Mateer simply needs to settle into his role.
“Just telling him he doesn't have to be Superman or anything,” Lewis said. “Just go out there and do your job.”
As pressure increases heading into OU-Texas, Venables trusts that Mateer’s mental fortitude will carry him forward.
“John’s as tough as they come,” Venables said. “I don’t have to take that for granted.”
