Oklahoma Sooners John Mateer is one of the more polarizing figures in college football. The former Washington State Cougar was one of the top transfer portal players last offseason.
He ultimately chose to follow offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to Norman. In his first four games, he had the college football world in his hands. He threw for 1,215 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions, while rushing for 190 yards and five scores. He looked like he was on his way to winning Oklahoma's eighth Heisman Trophy.
However, after that fourth game, it was announced that he had a thumb injury on his throwing hand. Mateer wasn't the same after that, which has led to a lot of criticism and many doubters. College football film expert Brooks Austin has been
one of those critics. However, he stated his concern is with something that he saw even at Washington State.
"It's the same stuff I wanted to see him change when he came over from Washington State," Austin said on 'The Oklahoma Breakdown with Ikard and Lehman.' "I know there was some thumb things going on; everybody knows that. But even when he was healthy, man, I saw some turn-downs on tape that I didn't necessarily love... First example: you turn the tape on of them vs. Alabama, and they have Isaiah Sategna running for a touchdown. He puts the safety in a bind; he's running right down the middle of the field, Mateer's got his eyes on it, and he's just like, 'I don't know. I'm not going to do that.'"
Austin's criticism is significant because it isn't simply focused on what happened after Mateer's thumb injury. If the same hesitation was present when Mateer was healthy at Washington State, then Oklahoma has a more fundamental issue to address with its starting quarterback.
That doesn't erase the impact of the injury or the impressive stretch Mateer had at the start of last season. His early production showed exactly how dangerous he can be when he's playing confidently and attacking the field. The question is whether he can consistently make the aggressive decisions necessary to reach that level again.
If he does, the Sooners could have the quarterback capable of taking their offense to another level.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Film analyst wants John Mateer to let it loose in 2026
