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Oklahoma Sooners starting quarterback John Mateer enters the 2026 season with his fair share of believers and doubters after an injury-disrupted 2025 season, but one pundit is all-in on what Mateer can be this year.
SEC Network analyst Chris Doering ranked the five SEC quarterbacks that he has the most confidence in heading into 2026. Mateer was No. 2 on that list, behind only Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss.
"I think John Mateer is gonna be back in that category again this year of Heisman hopefuls as we get through the second half of the season," Doering said. "If he can stay healthy, I think there's a lot more talent around him, as well ... You gotta get the run game going, you gotta get the protection a bit more stout up front ... I think John Mateer is a tremendous leader, but he's gonna have more people around him doing their part and he's not gonna have to carry the load himself like he had to do so much last year."
Doering was high on Mateer last season, but the hand injury that he suffered in late September changed the outlook of his season. Now, a healthy Mateer is back, and, as Doering noted, the Sooners have improved the pieces around him.
What Oklahoma needs Mateer to do is take what the defense gives him and only play Superman when he has to. The Sooners will have to live with the good and the bad of Mateer's gunslinging nature, but he'll be coached to make better decisions this year. His playmaking capabilities give him the ability to make things happen that other QBs can't, but OU is trying to make sure he doesn't have to do that all the time.
Everything the Sooners did this offseason on the offensive side of the ball was structured around surrounding Mateer with more help. With kickoff less than a month away, we're about to find out if their efforts worked or not.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: SEC Network analyst confident in John Mateer this year
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SEC Network analyst Chris Doering ranked the five SEC quarterbacks that he has the most confidence in heading into 2026. Mateer was No. 2 on that list, behind only Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss.
"I think John Mateer is gonna be back in that category again this year of Heisman hopefuls as we get through the second half of the season," Doering said. "If he can stay healthy, I think there's a lot more talent around him, as well ... You gotta get the run game going, you gotta get the protection a bit more stout up front ... I think John Mateer is a tremendous leader, but he's gonna have more people around him doing their part and he's not gonna have to carry the load himself like he had to do so much last year."
Doering was high on Mateer last season, but the hand injury that he suffered in late September changed the outlook of his season. Now, a healthy Mateer is back, and, as Doering noted, the Sooners have improved the pieces around him.
What Oklahoma needs Mateer to do is take what the defense gives him and only play Superman when he has to. The Sooners will have to live with the good and the bad of Mateer's gunslinging nature, but he'll be coached to make better decisions this year. His playmaking capabilities give him the ability to make things happen that other QBs can't, but OU is trying to make sure he doesn't have to do that all the time.
Everything the Sooners did this offseason on the offensive side of the ball was structured around surrounding Mateer with more help. With kickoff less than a month away, we're about to find out if their efforts worked or not.
Projected SEC starting quarterbacks in 2026
- Alabama: Keelon Russell or Austin Mack
- Arkansas: KJ Jackson or AJ Hill
- Auburn: Byrum Brown
- Florida: Aaron Philo or Tramell Jones Jr.
- Georgia: Gunner Stockton
- Kentucky: Kenny Minchey
- LSU: Sam Leavitt
- Mississippi State: Kamario Taylor
- Missouri: Austin Simmons
- Oklahoma: John Mateer
- Ole Miss: Trinidad Chambliss
- South Carolina: LaNorris Sellers
- Tennessee: George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon or Ryan Staub
- Texas: Arch Manning
- Texas A&M: Marcel Reed
- Vanderbilt: Jared Curtis or Blaze Berlowitz
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X@Aaron_Gelvin.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: SEC Network analyst confident in John Mateer this year
Continue reading...
