John Mateer is determined to play in the biggest rivalry of his collegiate career. The Red River Rivalry is this week and just two weeks after having surgery on his throwing hand, Mateer is set on trying to play in Saturday’s showdown, per Pete Thamel. It would be Superman-esque of him to try and play in a game less than a month removed from surgery. If he manages to not only play but take down Arch Manning and Texas, he’d have Oklahoma’s respect for the rest of his life.
Sources: Oklahoma QB John Mateer is pushing to return this week for the game against Texas. There’s a belief that his return is possible, as he’s reacted well to surgery. pic.twitter.com/KXOKoIDK9G
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 7, 2025
Mateer couldn’t have suffered an injury at a worse time. He was at the apex of Heisman Trophy favorite candidates, led Oklahoma to being a top 10 team in the country and made his transition from small-school Washington State to SEC power Oklahoma seamless. The injury he suffered against Auburn left him and Sooners fans wondering when he’d return.
They might not have to wait too much longer to see their star quarterback back to his elite self, running through defenses and slicing through secondaries. A return this week would be near miraculous and could pretty much seal his Heisman campaign if it goes the right way.
John Mateer is setting himself up for failure if he returns for Red River Rivalry
I respect Mateer for wanting to put it all on the line for his team and prove he’s as good as he believes he is. But playing through an injury that could affect his ability to play isn’t smart; just ask former Heisman Trophy winner and Sooner, Baker Mayfield. Though Mayfield was able to turn that injury-riddled season into a better career elsewhere, that 2022 season ultimately ended his Cleveland Browns tenure.
Had he not tried to play through an injury that made him play terribly, things could have been different. Mateer could have that same fate if he chooses to play through an injury that could either hurt him more or affect how well he can play. Both would be detrimental to the reputation he’s already built in Norman.
The Oklahoma-Texas rivalry is one of the best in college football and missing it isn’t ideal. I understand he wants to play, but for a second, he should think about the bigger picture. Nobody is going to question his toughness by refusing to play 17 days after having surgery. It’s a risky move that could ultimately plummet his Heisman campaign and even his NFL Draft stock.
The fact that he’s a quarterback at Oklahoma puts him in a category better than most college quarterbacks. Oklahoma has been a quarterback factory and Mateer was well on his way to being the next quarterback in Norman to turn collegiate success into NFL stardom.
John Mateer is next up from QBU, he better not ruin it
Baker Mayfield; Kyler Murray; Jalen Hurts; Spencer Rattler; Caleb Williams. It’s an exhaustive list of former Oklahoma quarterbacks that are in the NFL and thriving (for the most part) with their respective professional clubs. Mateer is in the perfect situation to be the next Sooner to thrive in the NFL, but playing through his hand injury could do more harm than good for him in the long run.
All of those quarterbacks except for maybe Rattler, have been solid additions to their teams with Mayfield playing at an MVP level, Williams turning over a new leaf in year two and Jalen Hurts the lone one in the bunch with a Super Bowl ring and Super Bowl MVP. You could argue no college has been as successful as Oklahoma at putting out quarterbacks. Mateer doesn’t have to be a hero in Norman, he just has to continue to play well.
In his first four starts at Oklahoma, he’s already proved to people that thought his game wouldn’t translate well, that he’s good enough to play against SEC defenses. He’s also proving that he perfectly fits Oklahoma’s past lineage of quarterbacks.
That could all come crashing down in the Red River Rivalry if he either doesn’t look well or hurts himself further and it affects his future. Mateer is good and there’s no doubting that and I’d like to think he wouldn’t be teasing to play if he didn’t feel well enough to play. If he does dominate in the game and lead Oklahoma to a win, it’s proof he’s just as good as the Sooner quarterbacks before him.