THIBODAUX, La. — John Mateer all the time knew this might occur.
He might have been the No. 124-ranked quarterback within the 2022 recruiting class and a Central Arkansas commit till lastly drawing a pair of FBS gives after his last season of highschool soccer, however Mateer all the time believed he can be one of many premier quarterbacks in college football.
It is simply the Oklahoma a part of his path that got here as a shock.
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“It has been a very good one, it has been lots of enjoyable,” Mateer mentioned of his journey whereas serving as a counselor on the Manning Academy. “That is what I all the time wished. I all the time believed it will occur. It is surreal. Nevertheless it’s not the craziest factor ever. Being at Oklahoma and the way that occurred is loopy.”
Mateer emerged as one of many high quarterbacks in faculty soccer for Washington State. A largely unknown successor to Cam Ward, Mateer exploded into the nationwide consciousness with a 3,139-yard, 29-touchdown season that additionally included 826 yards speeding and 15 touchdowns.
He was appointment viewing for the waning embers of Pac-12 After Darkish.
That additionally meant he can be probably the most standard gamers within the switch portal if he selected to enter it.
And Washington State made a powerful push to get him to remain. He “cherished it” in Pullman.
However the NIL cash saved going up. Then his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, left for a job as Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator. That is the transfer, at the same time as Mateer continued to battle internally about whether or not to enter the portal throughout what he described as a “bizarre time,” that in the end pushed Mateer to Norman.
“Identical offensive coordinator, near house,” Mateer mentioned. “All of it got here collectively very well. It was a no brainer.”
Not that Oklahoma did not have competitors within the switch portal, the place Mateer ranked because the No. 6 total participant within the switch portal for the 2024-25 cycle in keeping with 247Sports.
Mateer scheduled a visit to see North Carolina and Invoice Belichick shortly after the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach took the job in Chapel Hill. It was speculated to happen after Mateer’s go to to Oklahoma. However that by no means occurred with Mateer calling the North Carolina flirtation a “you by no means know what is going on to occur” backup plan.
The opposite faculty that basically went after Mateer was Miami.
“My god, they did,” Mateer mentioned. “Yeah, they fuc—– did.”
Mateer, who pulled in “record-setting” NIL contract at around the $3 million range, by no means did actually give the Hurricanes a lot consideration, nonetheless.
The explanation why? Ward.
Mateer did not wish to observe the eventual No. 1 total choose from Washington State to the portal after which to Miami. He wished to create his personal path.
“I did not wish to go to the identical place he did (after which the) identical place he did,” Mateer mentioned. “They may supply me so much, however I could not have gone simply due to that.”
Mateer and Ward stay buddies. However these comparisons have just about stopped.
Now the gunslinger from Texas is being in comparison with Baker Mayfield, a former Sooners Heisman Trophy winner he shares a placing bodily comparability to given each are 6-feet-1 and round 215 kilos.
As for what Mateer expects in his first season with the Sooners, he mentioned it needs to be lots of the identical. He is in the identical system with the identical play caller. The pillars of a high 10 Washington State offense from final season, simply with totally different items round them.
“(We use) lots of tempo and (do) lots of various things,” Mateer mentioned. “We will throw so much at you, and now we now have gamers to throw much more at you now.”
Mateer is aware of he is coming to Norman following a disappointing 6-7 season for the Sooners of their SEC debut.
He expects to assist change that in Yr 2.
“Final 12 months, I would not say an anomaly, nevertheless it’s not regular for Oklahoma,” Mateer mentioned, “Coming into the SEC we did not have a very good profitable Yr 1, however I feel subsequent 12 months goes to be simply nice.”
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