Latest news with #Mateer
USA Today
5 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Where did John Mateer rank in USA TODAY Sports SEC quarterback rankings?
Expectations for John Mateer in his first season at Oklahoma are plenty high. Given his numbers last year at Washington State, they should be. Mateer was ranked as the fifth-best quarterback in the Southeastern Conference by USA TODAY Sports' Blake Toppmeyer in his offseason SEC quarterback power rankings. Mateer threw for 29 touchdowns and ran for 15 more last year for the Cougars, ranking tops in FBS in total touchdowns. Toppmeyer knows the numbers. He's waiting to see if Mateer can put them up against better competition than what Washington State faced as a de facto independent (technically, one of two teams in the Pac-12) last year. "Why not rank him higher? He's unproven against SEC competition," Toppmeyer wrote. "Two of his worst passing performances last year came in his two games against Power Four competition." Texas's Arch Manning was ranked No. 1, followed by LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers, and Florida's DJ Lagway. All four quarterbacks played for their respective current teams last season. Manning served as back-up to Quinn Ewers, who now plays in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins. Mateer was tabbed earlier in the week to score more touchdowns this season with the Sooners than Manning will at Texas by SEC analyst Michael Bratton. Manning has the job to himself in Austin, as Mateer does in Norman. Oklahoma and Texas will meet in the annual Red River Rivalry game on October 11 in Dallas. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
7 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
John Mateer discusses his move to the SEC and how he'll help the Sooner offense
New Oklahoma Sooners starting quarterback John Mateer followed new OU offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ben Arbuckle from Washington State to Norman this winter. In doing so, he became one of the key figures in the 2025 season for the Sooners. Additionally, he became a big part of helping his teammates learn Arbuckle's new offensive system ahead of the action this fall. Mateer was at the Manning Passing Academy this week as a camp counselor, something many of the best college football quarterbacks do during the summer. While there, he was asked by "Locked On SEC" host Chris Gordy about his role in installing the new scheme and his relationship with Arbuckle. "Yeah, I mean the duo, or trio if you add Coach Kuz (assistant QBs coach John Kuceyeski) in there, it's huge," Mateer said. "We understand each other, and I know what play he's going to call next, and he knows what I like, and we talked through a lot of stuff this offseason. It's just taking the next step, and it's awesome, and then we got some good players here that can do a lot of different things. It's going to be pretty fun. It's going to be a lot of fun." Mateer continued to emphasize the number of playmakers that the Sooners have this year on offense before being asked about how he'll adapt to playing in college football's hardest conference, the SEC. "I mean I think the discipline that we have and and the adaptability that we have to be able to learn, and you know, it'll be a learning curve, it will," Mateer said. "I'll embrace that and it's going to be fun and a challenge and that's what football is supposed to be, a challenge. There will be learning curves, but for all of us, but there's a lot of people with a lot of experience in the building, so we can avoid the really hard learning curves, and we'll get it in quick. As long as I'm disciplined to my reads and to the play call and to watching film, I'll be good." One thing that may have actually hurt the Sooners when breaking in a new starting quarterback this time last year was the high level of defense that the offense was practicing against in camp each day. Instead of building confidence, OU's offense was routinely outplayed by the defense in fall camp. That showed when the schedule began, and Oklahoma had one side of the ball that was way better than the other. But Mateer believes practicing against another excellent OU defense won't shake him and going against the veteran unit will actually make him better. Gordy asked him about Brent Venables' defense and what he's seen so far. "I've seen a lot, you know I'm obviously not going to say what I've seen," Mateer said. "But I think I've seen probably a hundred different coverages in a hundred different snaps. It's hard, you know, it's a lot of fun. But there's good players and good scheme, you know, so it's making me better." As the Sooners continue to try to reverse the painful offensive memories of 2024, it'll be Mateer's relationship with Arbuckle, his discipline in the system, and his readiness to attack challenges that give Oklahoma a chance to be much improved when they have the ball this season. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
SEC analyst predicts OU QB John Mateer will score more TDs than Texas' Arch Manning
Texas quarterback Arch Manning will enter the 2025 season as one of the favorites, if not the favorite, for the Heisman Trophy. He may not even end up being the best quarterback in the SEC. Oklahoma's new signal-caller, John Mateer, is ranked as one of the top five quarterbacks in the country and the No. 1 transfer-portal recruit. His sophomore season in 2024 at Washington State, Mateer threw for 29 touchdowns and ran for 15 more, leading the nation in total scores. At least one SEC media personality thinks he'll top Manning in the former again, too. "My bold prediction," SEC Mike, otherwise known as Michael Bratton, said on his podcast. "John Mateer scores more touchdowns than Arch Manning. How about it? I mean, c'mon, is that even a bold prediction?" More: SEC quarterback rankings for the 2025 season It isn't that bold, frankly. Mateer has more weapons in Norman than he did in Pullman, Washington, with the Cougars last year. He's also getting to work another year with offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who actually left the Paloose for OU first. Arbuckle was a big reason the Sooners ended up landing Mateer out of the transfer portal over the winter. Oklahoma also picked up former first-team All-Pac 12 running back Jadyn Ott to keep teams from selling out against Mateer's arm. Still, Mateer doesn't find himself on many preseason top 10 lists for Heisman favorites like Manning does. The Texas quarterback is the top choice in June, according to DraftKings' list. Manning played significantly in just three games for the Longhorns last year, serving mostly as a backup to Quinn Ewers. Oklahoma and Texas will meet in the annual Red River Rivalry in Dallas on October 11. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.
Time of India
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'Most competitive m**********r you'll ever see': Analyst Mac Shay raves about John Mateer's grit, gets backing from Jim Nagy
Image Source: @Onikuno/X After Mac Shay, a college football analyst, called Mateer "the most competitive motherf*er you will ever see," Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy wasted no time in responding. Nagy echoed the bold opinion and added his accolades for Mateer, citing "tough" and "leadership." The trade has sparked buzz heading into Oklahoma's spring camp as the Sooners gear up for an important 2025 campaign Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy confirms analyst Mac Shay's praise for John Mateer 's grit and leadership On the 'Oklahoma Breakdown' podcast, Jim Nagy essentially let Mac Shay take a swing at Mateer by repeating Shay's fiery compliment, declaring Mateer as ' A flat-out competitor; something you just can't coach' , Rummage from shotgun via (Nagy) podcast. Nagy said, after observing Mateer in spring drills, his respect increased: 'He's more than what I thought. He throws under pressure that few can'. Nagys said Mateer is competitive, poised, and a leader both on and off the field. The endorsement comes as buzz grows around Mateer, who joined the chaos of the quarterback room in Norman after a breakout season at Washington State. At that point in his career, Mateer was the complete package; he passed for 29 touchdowns and rushed for 15, displaying arm talent and a rare mix of mobility. However, analysts such as Mac Shay have compared his intense mentality and playmaker ability to those of Oklahoma legends Baker Mayfield, with him being on the Heisman radar. John Mateer's future: high expectations fueled by competition and leadership Can Mateer back up the hype in one of college football's toughest conferences may be the ultimate question, though. Last season, the Sooners finished among the bottom 10 nationally in scoring offense, so there is little question the heat is on Mateer. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What She Did Mid-Air Left Passengers Speechless medalmerit Learn More Undo But at Oklahoma, he's back with former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, which could smooth his transition and unleash his potential. Also Read: 'Gotta create some type of balance': Notre Dame boss Marcus Freeman shares solution to growing challenges Nagy acknowledged the pressure but framed Mateer as the ideal quarterback for a winning program: 'You need a guy like him if you want to compete at the highest level. He's the next in line after greats like Jalen Hurts and Kyler Murray.' He made clear there's no added stress on Mateer, but the signs point to a player with the drive to rise to the challenge. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
New York Times
18-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Mandel's Mailbag: Is Baylor-Auburn a sneaky Week 1 splash? Will House settlement affect fans?
Welcome to my first Mailbag since May 14, which means I haven't had a chance to weigh in on the approval of the House settlement and what it means. You guys had plenty of questions about it. But what do you say we start with something lighter? (Note: Submitted questions have been lightly edited for length and clarity.) Advertisement If you are trying to attend the best game every week this season but can go to each stadium only one time, which games would you pick? — Paul G., Cincinnati I love challenges like this. Week 1: Texas at Ohio State. I'm using up my Horseshoe trip early. It helps that Michigan is in Ann Arbor this year. Week 2: Michigan at Oklahoma. Can't miss John Mateer vs. Bryce Underwood in prime time. Or the Sooner Schooner. Week 3: Florida at LSU. This one is easy. Death Valley is my favorite atmosphere in the country. Week 4: Washington at Washington State. Washington's first trip to the Palouse since bolting the Pac-12. Week 5: Oregon at Penn State. It's Alabama-Georgia that week, but I'm not skipping a White Out at Beaver Stadium. Week 6: Clemson at North Carolina. While Kenan Stadium is not on my bucket list, Swinney vs. Belichick might be. Week 7: Oklahoma vs. Texas in Dallas. It's been too long since I last hit the Texas State Fair. Corn dogs for all. Week 8: USC at Notre Dame. I figure I'd better go this year if USC goes through with chickening out of this rivalry. Week 9: Alabama at South Carolina. Brice-Williams is vastly underrated, and LaNorris Sellers is not. Week 10: Georgia vs. Florida. Embarrassing confession: I have never been to a Cocktail Party. Week 11: BYU at Texas Tech. I'm passing on LSU-Alabama to make sure I hit at least one Big 12 game. Week 12: Texas at Georgia. Not sure I need a justification here. Week 13: USC at Oregon. It's a light week on paper, and I won't pass up a trip to Autzen. Week 14: Ohio State at Michigan. No shortage of good choices, but how can I skip this one after last season? Week 15: The SEC Championship in Atlanta. It could be the last one before this becomes a 1 vs. 8 College Football Playoff play-in game. I can almost guarantee that some of these will be flops by the time they come around, but I'll have fun regardless. Advertisement Do you anticipate the recent House settlement allowing players to be directly compensated having much effect on the current implementation of name, image and likeness? Will direct compensation replace some of the NIL money now being distributed by collectives, or will it more likely be in addition to it? — Pat M. Most schools' collectives currently fall well short of $20.5 million in funding, so for most of them, revenue sharing will become the primary means for compensating athletes. But for the schools at the top of the food chain? That depends on who you ask. Commissioners, athletic directors and coaches are expressing a mystifying level of confidence that the new NIL Go clearinghouse, operated by Deloitte, will succeed in ensuring rev share doesn't just replace outside 'NIL' deals but in fact obliterate them. Athletes are required to submit any deals worth more than $600 for approval to ensure they're for a 'valid business purpose' (i.e., social media endorsements, autograph signings, charity appearances) and within a 'range of compensation' that's of fair-market value. Florida men's basketball coach Todd Golden predicted to Hoops HQ that players will soon be making just '10 to 20 percent' of what they did in the past two years. Ohio State AD Ross Bjork told Yahoo that collectives created a 'false market' and that the 'real' NIL market will be more like the pros, where 'NIL deals for pro athletes are really small.' Do they truly believe the words coming out of their mouths? Pro athletes' salaries only ever go up and up and up. College coaches' salaries only ever go up and up and up. But we are to believe that the new College Sports Commission has devised a foolproof system to decrease college athletes' compensation that is — how do you say it — legal? Over the last dozen years, judges from across the political spectrum, including the nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court, have found it to be an illegal restraint of trade for the NCAA's membership to enforce policies that restrict athletes' earnings. And yet the House settlement itself is a two-part restriction in which Division I members will cap what schools can pay their athletes ($20.5 million) while also capping how much athletes can earn on deals made outside the schools. Advertisement CBS Sports recently reported that Texas Tech is locked into NIL deals totaling $55 million for the upcoming school year, between rev share and its collective. (Tech mega-booster Cody Campbell confirmed that number to my colleague Sam Khan.) Either their payroll is going down by more than 60 percent a year from now, or, as I strongly suspect, a judge will have long since issued an injunction that ties the enforcers' hands. Will the new CEO (Bryan Seeley) of the College Sports Commission publicize what the penalties will be moving forward for improper NIL or under-the-table recruiting enticements? — Nick K. All we've gotten are some nebulous quotes from administrators assuring us the penalties will be 'substantive,' 'stiff,' and 'severe.' Either this is the most leakproof endeavor in the history of college athletics, or, more likely, they're not finished devising them. While we're at it, here's a list of some other specifics notably missing so far about a body that we're being told will get the NIL landscape fully under control and fundamentally change how the enterprise operates. • How will CSC monitor tens of thousands of NIL transactions across every Division I sport to ensure the athletes and/or their agents are reporting all of them, and that they're being paid the actual numbers it says in the contract? • What are the inputs used to calculate fair-market value, and will you be transparent with the public in explaining exactly why a player got his deal rejected and is now opting to play for a different school? • Let's say a running back gets his deal rejected in August. Then, in Week 1, he runs for 250 yards and garners Heisman Trophy buzz. Can he get his fair-market value reassessed, and how quickly can that get done? • Most contracts include a confidentiality clause. Does this mean you're forcing the athlete to break it by submitting the deal to Deloitte? Will CSC cover the costs if they get sued? Advertisement • Along those same lines, an athlete who gets their deal rejected can appeal to an arbitrator who supposedly has 'subpoena power' to produce documents. Can you really subpoena a third-party booster or company that is not bound by the House settlement and never agreed to this process? • And what are the penalties, and will you announce them publicly? I've got more, but I'll hang up and listen for now. I know that you are against a salary cap, but the decision and the establishment of a governing body to regulate NIL money make a salary cap very possible. — Edward B. I'm not against a salary cap. I just think this one, which was not negotiated with the players themselves, is legally dubious. Also, that was not a question. There has been no honeymoon for Bill Belichick at UNC. He hasn't coached a game yet and people are speculating that he will resign or are calling for his resignation. How much of this is just the chorus of haters who have been waiting for years to dunk on him, and how much is legitimate concern? — Rick T., Hamilton, N.J. Both? I'm sure NFL fans who either grew tired of Belichick's dominance with the Patriots and/or saw their teams get their butts kicked over and over by the Patriots are getting a kick out of seeing a series of headlines about a 24-year-old girlfriend who may or may not be running his life right now. Case in point, see this amusing Tim Graham story where he talked to several former Buffalo Bills about the eroding perception of the guy who routinely vanquished them. 'All the distractions that he talked against,' laughed former Bills defensive back/linebacker Bryan Scott, 'that's why he's in the headlines.' Nevertheless, there's plenty of reason to be concerned. None of this is normal. It may be that Jordon Hudson made for good offseason fodder but will fade into the background once preseason camp starts and we become more focused on actual football. But none of this has eased my initial concerns. Advertisement One of which is: Is he really all that dedicated to his job? We know he spent a weekend in mid-May at the Miss Maine Pageant. And my colleague Brendan Marks inadvertently and hilariously stumbled into him during a New England golfing weekend shortly after that. Nothing wrong with a little R&R, I suppose, except that May weekends are often when recruits take official visits. Most coaches in America were likely hosting at least a few. But maybe UNC spaced out its visits to accommodate his schedule. And to be clear, he's not going to resign. He doesn't need to resign. Anyone suggesting otherwise is going out of their way to manufacture a hot take. When do you think the settlement and change fatigue will set in for most fans? — Daniel R. I think it already has. Let's just say House settlement stories are not exactly the most widely read on The Athletic. We need Deion Sanders or Jordon Hudson to weigh in on it. Assuming Julian Sayin (Ohio State) and CJ Carr (Notre Dame) are named starters for their respective teams, which supporting cast would you prefer for a first-time starting QB: Ohio State, with the best receiver duo in the country (Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate) with a good tight end (Max Klare), but several new starters along the offensive line? Or the best running back in the country (Jeremiyah Love) and nearly an entire returning offensive line, but questionable wide receivers? — Michael M. You may be short-changing both Ohio State's offensive line and Notre Dame's receivers. The Buckeyes' three interior O-linemen (Luke Montgomery, Carson Hinzman and Tegra Tshabola) all started in the national championship, and Rice transfer Ethan Onianwa was one of the most coveted tackles in the portal last cycle. Meanwhile, Notre Dame's Jaden Greathouse is coming off of back-to-back 100-yard receiving games against Penn State and Ohio State in the CFP semis and title game, and Malachi Fields was an 800-plus-yard guy at Virginia each of the past two seasons. Which is to say, both Sayin and Carr are walking into highly favorable situations. But of the two, I'd rather be Sayin. For one, Ryan Day has a pretty spectacular track record with quarterbacks, and his offense allows for more big-play opportunities in the passing game than Marcus Freeman's. But most of all, Jeremiah Smith. He's that good. He and Tate will likely turn a lot of not-perfect passes into big gains. Advertisement Will players eventually become bigger than programs? — Jamar G. I highly doubt it. Ask Nico Iamaleava. Is the Friday night Auburn at Baylor game a great under-the-radar Week 1 game? Baylor finished strong and should be among the top of the Big 12, while a road win for Auburn could set the tone for a turnaround year. — Anthony V. Absolutely. Baylor snuck up on folks down the stretch last year. In fact, it looked like Dave Aranda was in big trouble after going 3-9 in 2023 and starting 2-4 last season. But then the Bears' offense, under first-year coordinator Jake Spavital, exploded in a 59-35 win at Texas Tech, which they then rode on a six-game winning streak to end the regular season before falling 44-31 to LSU in their bowl game. Quarterback Sawyer Robertson is back, as are running backs Bryson Washington and Dawson Pendergrass, receivers Josh Cameron and Ashtyn Hawkins, and four offensive line starters. And yet, Auburn, a sub-.500 program the past four seasons, will be expected to win on the road, simply by virtue of being an SEC team. Based on the early preseason power rankings out there, the Tigers will likely be around a 2- to 4-point favorite. Auburn was a weird team last year. All the Tigers' metrics suggest they should have finished much better than 5-7. Their offense finished No. 9 nationally in yards per play (6.7), their defense 18th (4.9). They should have been, at worst, a Top 25 team. But they couldn't stop turning the ball over (No. 106) and couldn't convert much of anything in the red zone (No. 109). Thus, they went 2-6 in the SEC, 5-7 overall. Personally, I think they could be much better in Hugh Freeze's third season. Oklahoma transfer QB Jackson Arnold, who became a scapegoat for a Sooners team with zero receivers, should be an upgrade from Payton Thorne. Last year's breakout freshman receiver Cam Coleman is a stud, and several young defenders emerged last season. I have the Bears No. 21 and the Tigers No. 24 in my post-spring Top 25. So yes, a great prime-time game for Fox that leads into Texas-Ohio State the next morning (my time). Advertisement The fan reaction to the House settlement was a lot of doom and gloom and anger. I get it that there are changes that affect players and athletic department administrators, but as a fan of a mid-tier, non-Playoff Power 4 team who enjoys sitting in the stands or watching TV on a Saturday, I don't see how the recent changes affect my experience or fandom. How might the changes affect fans? — Steve You guys would have to tell me, because I'm a neutral observer. I have not experienced the pain of losing my star quarterback to another program with more money or my team turning over 75 percent of its roster from one year to the next. But for all the bellyaching about NIL and the portal on social media, comments sections, etc., there has yet to be any drop in interest in the actual games in the four seasons since players began getting paid. If anything, it's up. Last year, the ESPN networks, which includes ABC, had their most-watched regular season in eight years. Across all networks, 53 games drew four million-plus viewers, pretty much identical to the year before (54). In 2019, the last non-COVID season before NIL kicked in, there were 44. This is at a time when ratings for pretty much everything else sports-wise on television are down, save the NFL and WNBA. As for attendance, I have not seen any trend reports for 2024 yet — likely because Dennis Dodd retired — but a year ago, he wrote that average attendance rose in both 2022 and '23 after eight consecutive years of it going in the other direction. So to Steve's question, I would ask one back: If the previous changes to the sport didn't affect interest in the games, why would the House settlement? All it really does is change the main source of the money that the players are already receiving. I think we can all agree that the governance of college sports is an absolute disaster. But the product itself has not suffered in the slightest. Fall Saturdays are still incomparable. The upsets, the crazy plays, the field stormings and the surrender cobras aren't going anywhere. The fine folks at Deloitte may have the authority to rob college kids of their money, but they can't rob our fun.
