Oklahoma Sooners QB John Mateer has no more excuses to not win the award he’s being placed on a watch list for
The Oklahoma Sooners have a talented quarterback in John Mateer, and he’s up for the Maxwell Award Watch List.
The Oklahoma Sooners are entering their 2026 season with several players on preseason award watch lists, and the biggest name is quarterback John Mateer. The Maxwell Award, given annually to the best all-around player in college football, is voted on by a panel of NCAA head coaches, sportswriters, sportscasters, and Maxwell Football Club members.
It remains one of the most prestigious Player of the Year honors in college sports, probably right behind the Heisman. Mateer landing on the watch list signals that the national perception of his talent hasn’t wavered. That’s great, even after a rough 2025 campaign.
Mateer’s 2025 was derailed by injury and inconsistency
Mateer was Oklahoma’s starting quarterback last season, but things didn’t go the way anyone in Norman hoped. He dealt with a hand injury that significantly limited him, and he recently described what it was like to throw with that hurt hand: it felt like trying to throw a baseball while missing two fingers. That sounds absolutely brutal, and it helps explain why his mechanics looked off for stretches of the year.
Beyond the injury, Mateer showed signs that he wasn’t quite ready for the SEC. He struggled with his throwing mechanics at times, and the mental side of the game wasn’t always there, whether it was reading defenses or simply making the right throw. His numbers reflected all of it. He finished with 2,885 passing yards and 14 passing touchdowns, a steep drop from 2024, when he threw for 3,100 yards and 29 touchdowns. His rushing production also fell, going from 826 yards and 15 touchdowns to 431 yards and eight touchdowns.
The offseason work has been impossible to ignore
Here’s where the optimism comes from. Mateer has put in more visible work this offseason than maybe any other player on the Sooners’ roster. That’s not to say he’s outworked everyone behind closed doors, but of the guys who have been seen putting in the time, Mateer has been relentless. He’s put on a lot of muscle; he looks huge, and most importantly, his hand is finally healthy.
A lot of people are back on him heading into the season. The belief is that 2025 was a fluke, a combination of a painful injury and a young quarterback adjusting to the SEC. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. We’ll have to wait and find out.
Mateer has the weapons and the line to make a leap
If Mateer wants to go from watch list candidate to actual Maxwell Award contender, the statistical improvement has to be significant. The good news is that Oklahoma has given him every reason to believe it can happen.
The Sooners added two new wide receivers, brought in better tight ends to bolster the run game, and the offensive line has another year of continuity together. The pieces are in place. There are really no excuses now. Mateer is on this watch list for a reason. He has the talent. It’s about putting it all together and going out and doing it.
