Redshirt junior John Mateer, against Illinois State, followed in the steps of Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts and others as a transfer quarterback debuting in a Sooner uniform. However, the Washington State transfer cares little about expectations.
“It’s freakin’ football. I didn’t come here for the media, or so I could get the hype,” Mateer said. “I came here to play football at a high level.”
Mateer, while ignoring outside thoughts, recorded 392 passing yards and four touchdowns — three passing and one rushing — in a 35-3 win against Illinois State. His performance eclipsed Mayfield’s school record for passing yards in a debut, with the former Sooner recording 388 yards against the University of Akron in 2015 before winning the Heisman Trophy in 2017.
WELCOME TO THE MATEER ERA 🔥John Mateer broke Baker Mayfield's record for most passing yards in an @OU_Football debut! pic.twitter.com/C4QTOGkvzZ
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) August 31, 2025
Yet, despite the accomplishment’s significance, it simply falls in line with Mateer’s many career milestones. Mateer, a four-year varsity starter for Little Elm High School football, broke the school record for passing yards in a game and season with 497 against Allen High School on his way to 2,268 his junior year. In that game, Little Elm fought through a 68-44 loss to a team that would later finish 10-2 and reach the regional finals.
“He could get us really close plays regardless of what was signaled, " Kendrick Brown, former Little Elm football head coach and current Lancaster Independent School District athletic director, said.
The Allen game was challenging, but Mateer kept his team motivated, an energy he still gives others.
“John's awesome, man,” offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh said on Aug. 11. “He's a guy that … (makes you feel) you better step up.”
As Bedenbaugh mentions, Mateer has now carried his mentality and talents to the Southeastern Conference. In Norman, just like in Little Elm, Texas, Mateer is putting on performances that rank among the best at his position and inspiring others while doing so.
“Even when he began to play for us at the high school level (as a freshman), he always saw himself as being one of the top quarterbacks in the state of Texas,” Brown said. “Now, he's one of the top quarterbacks in the country. … His dream is now coming true; it’s pretty special.”
Brown, who coached Mateer at a young stage and has followed all that came after, feels deeply sentimental after seeing his former player put on a display that validates the quarterback’s confidence. According to Brown, throughout the whole day leading up to Mateer’s debut, the former Little Elm coach felt excitement.
Quarterback John Mateer scores his first touchdown in a Sooners uniform
"All day, I've just been in the buzz, just waiting, anticipating the (5 p.m.) kickoff because I knew that John, this is something that John has worked hard for,” Brown said. “So just to sit there on the couch and to see that first touchdown was truly special.”
Similar to his former coach, Mateer felt the moment to be so sweet. Not only was it Mateer’s first SEC game, but it was one his family could easily attend, as he grew up only two hours away. Attending Mateer’s college games is a simpler task at OU than it was to drive 28 hours to Pullman, Washington, in previous years, so having his family present was special for Mateer.
Redshirt Junior quarterback John Mateer before the game against Illinois State University on Aug. 30.
“It was joy and passion,” Mateer said. “... (Immediate) family, extended family, they were all there.”
However, the game was not all pleasant for Mateer, as he threw an interception in the third quarter. Mateer, though, has already reflected on the causes of the weak play.
“I got off the middle route too early, and we just weren’t on the same page,” Mateer said.
According to head coach Brent Venables, Mateer’s ability to quickly analyze and move on speaks volumes about the quarterback’s character.
“It's about responding and taking the bad with the good and staying at a consistent level, and I thought he did that from his leadership and his (ability to) bounce right back after the interception," Venables said. “... His maturity, his toughness, his leadership, his playmaking, all of that were at a real premium level.”
Those traits are already paying off in record-breaking fashion at OU, but to Little Elm baseball coach Matt Harbin, who contributed to four years of Mateer’s athletic development and still regularly communicates with him, the quarterback’s attitude comes as no surprise.
“I knew he (would) pick apart his (interception) and the plays he either missed his receivers or got sacked. … His mentality is to enjoy the success but work on the things he could have done better to help his teammates,” Harbin said.
From breaking records in high school to his debut as a Sooner, Mateer has always given deep joy to those who knew him during his Little Elm days, especially Harbin, who sees him like a son.
“I hang on his performances as if it was my own kid,” Harbin said. “So to see what he did tonight makes me super proud of him, knowing where he came from and the work he put in while he waited for this opportunity.”
This story was edited by Laurie Jones.
