INTRO
All aboard the John Mateer hype train
The result: Illinois State 3 – Oklahoma 35
The stats: 30-37 (81.1%), 389 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 9.7 ADoT, 3 big time throws, 2 turnover-worthy plays, 1 sack
6 rushes, 28 yards, 4.7 YPC, 1 TD
If you enjoy free-wheeling quarterback play, have I got the prospect for you. I tried my best to hype up Mateer this summer, but he had the tough break of being featured in the same article as Arch Manning. I figured if anyone outside of the usual suspects in this class had a chance to sneak out a victory on merit
in a fan vote, it would be the electric Washington State transfer who was taking his brand of ball to the SEC and Oklahoma.
Mateer is an electric player to watch. Whether or not you think he can thrive in a more competitive conference, there was zero doubt that his 2025 campaign would, at the very least, entertain.
I tweeted that after the Sooners’ first drive of the day against Illinois State, and Mateer didn’t let up from there. Watch Mateer in the video below, and I think a very obvious, yet daunting, NFL comparison becomes clear: Patrick Mahomes.
Am I saying Mateer is as good as Mahomes? No way. I’m merely talking about his playstyle. Watch the reel below and tell me we didn’t just watch Mahomes play with this same backyard style of play last night against the Chargers.
It’s true, Illinois State and Oklahoma are practically playing different sports when it comes to the money involved and the recruiting power the Sooners, or any SEC school, possesses. But there is a lot to like about what Mateer put on tape, regardless of competition level:
- Ability to access all three areas of the field.
- Touch and accuracy on his deep ball
- Great pacing on the ball, ability to rip it into tight downfield windows when needed, but also able to mix his velocity when the situation calls for it
- Able to buy time behind the line of scrimmage with his legs or turn into a weapon in the run game
Mateer seemingly never gives up on a play. That can be a double-edged sword, as it allows him to consistently extend plays and drives, but can also lead to some ugly plays that might frustrate some evaluators.
No. 15 Michigan will be the first real test we’ll get for whether Mateer can remain as prolific against stiffer competition. Last year, he led Washington State to victories over bigger programs like Texas Tech and Washington, but those were early in the season and weren’t his best games. WSU also was blown out by Boise State, though Mateer’s numbers were better in that game.
The Sooners will enter today as underdogs. If they can pull off a convincing win against Michigan, they and Mateer might become the early story of the college season.
I’ll save a seat for you on the Mateer bandwagon.
Next up: Oklahoma hosts No. 15 Michigan today
Sam Leavitt
The result: Northern Arizona 19 – Arizona State 38
The stats: 24-38 (63.2%), 257 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 7.7 ADoT, 3 BTT, 2 TWP, 2 sacks
5 rushes, 94 yards, 18.8 YPC, 2 TDs
If the five quarterbacks we discussed in Part 1 this week represent our top tier of prospects, Leavitt is another quarterback in our second tier that should make a push to enter the conversation. Leavitt and the Sun Devils flew under the national radar for much of 2024, but Leavitt seemed to gain momentum as his first season as a starter wore on.
Now, he’s become one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation, and put that on full display, accounting for four touchdowns in the Sun Devils’ tune-up game against Northern Arizona.
There are things to clean up, of course. Leavitt’s interception in this game was ugly, a case of a quarterback making a heat check by attempting a throw he shouldn’t have and putting a little too much dip on his chip with his mechanics breaking down on the throw. Leavitt, similarly to Klubnik, can get itchy in the pocket sometimes and roll outside when he doesn’t have to.
I’ll be watching to see if that part of Leavitt’s game progresses this season. The Sun Devils will face an SEC opponent this weekend, but Mississippi State was among the worst defenses in the country in 2024, so it might be a while before we see him face stiffer competition.
Up next: Arizona State travels to Mississippi State
Fernando Mendoza
The result: Old Dominion 14 – Indiana 27
The stats: 18-33 (54.5%), 193 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, 12.1 ADoT, 1 BTT, 1 TWP, 1 sack
5 rushes, 39 yards, 7.8 YPC, 1 TD
Mendoza is another popular name among draftniks to sneak into the first round. He possesses a live arm, has displayed excellent touch and placement at times — though I would like to see more consistency — and as we saw against Old Dominion, he isn’t afraid to huck it deep.
Don’t be too alarmed by that dismal completion percentage from this game, in 2024 Mendoza completed 67.9% of his passes. But on Saturday, against an Old Dominion team whose offense posed zero threat to the Hoosiers’ defense, Mendoza and the Indiana coaching staff seemed content to let him chuck that thing downfield early and often, which explains his absurd 12.1 ADoT.
Mendoza’s prettiest throw of the day was dropped, unfortunately, and it would have gone a long way towards improving his box score.
As the video below will demonstrate, Mendoza still seems to be working towards getting on the same page with his receivers. That isn’t too concerning just yet; that’s what these early games are for, after all. As long as they clean things up moving forward and start connecting on more of these vertical shots, Mendoza could be in line for a prolific year.
The Hoosiers have a couple of more tune-up games on the schedule before they hit the heart of their conference games. Put a pin in Mendoza for now, and let’s circle back when they square off against teams like Illinois, Oregon, and Penn State.
Up next: Indiana hosts Kennesaw State
Bits and bobs
- It was against Alabama A&M, but Arkansas’ Taylen Green completed 24-of-31 (77.4%) for 322 yards and 6 passing touchdowns, while adding 51 yards on eight carries. Green and Razorbacks have some big games coming up against Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and they’ll play LSU and Texas late in the year. If Green can play on this level against those schools, he’ll start climbing up the boards.
- I’m not quite ready to call it a comeback, but a tip of the hat is necessary for Carson Beck after he led Miami to a win over Notre Dame. The box score isn’t mind-blowing — 20-of-30 (66.7%) for 205 yards and two touchdowns — and his receivers bailed him out on some throws, but Beck looked more decisive and energetic than he did all last season at Georgia.
- I’m still not sure what to make of Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson. He threw for over 419 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn, but he completed just 56.3% of his passes, and the Bears were never really close to being a threat against Auburn in a 38-24 loss. Robertson can make a handful of impressive throws a game, but he never really felt in command.
- Speaking of that game, Auburn’s Jackson Arnold is another dark horse for some analysts, but he remains more dangerous as a runner than a passer at this point. We’ll keep him on our radar, but I’m not considering him much just yet.
- Aidan Chiles completed 73.9% of his passes for 155 yards and a touchdown against Western Michigan. Chiles appeared to have taken some strides, but the Spartans took an early lead and were content to grind out the clock with a heavy dose of the run game.
- Dante Moore looked incredibly sharp in his debut as Oregon’s starter. He completed 18-of-23 (78.3%) for 213 yards and three touchdowns against Montana State. Looking forward to seeing him in conference games.
- Nico Iamaleava remains a frustrating player. The athletic talent is obvious, I’m just not sure he’s ever going to put it all together. He completed just 11-of-22 passes for 136 yards, a touchdown, and an interception as the Bruins got waxed by a Utah team that might be better than people realize. Iamaleava did have a great day on the ground, picking up 75 yards on nine rushes.
- I don’t know how much credit I want to give him just yet due to the competition level, but Jayden Maiava was phenomenal in USC’s 73-13 blowout of Missouri State. He completed 15-of-18 for 295 and 2 scores and added a rushing touchdown.
What do you think of these prospects? Have any of them moved up your big board? Let us know in the comments!
