Josh Pate has concerns about John Mateer in 2026

The Oklahoma Sooners made it to the College Football Playoff in 2025, despite being mostly carried by their defense and special teams. Though the offense was better than it had been a year ago, OU still lagged behind in that department. One reason that the Sooners didn't have overwhelming offensive success was the thumb injury to starting quarterback John Mateer.

After following offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ben Arbuckle over from Washington State, Mateer looked like the Heisman Trophy favorite after the first month of the season. However, he broke his thumb against Auburn and had to have hand surgery mid-season. After missing a game, Mateer rushed back to action, and he didn't play as well as a result.

The entire offense, which was far too Mateer-centric already, saw its production dip as its leader didn't have the same ball placement ability that he'd had in September. OU made it to the CFP, but the Sooners bowed out in the first round. Now, Mateer returns to lead the Sooners for one final season in 2026.

With an up-and-down season in the rearview, he's been working hard to improve for this year. However, some still have concerns about which version of the Oklahoma QB we'll see in the fall. Josh Pate, the host of " Josh Pate's College Football Show ", discussed his level of confidence in a few SEC quarterbacks for this year, including Mateer.