Maybe a year with less pressure and a year of Southeastern Conference this experience will elevate John Mateer to the expected heights.
It’s not that Oklahoma’s quarterback was bad in his first season in Norman. He started the year as a Heisman Trophy contender and even moved up to the top of the list after OU’s first two games. But a thumb injury and tough SEC competition slowed him down.
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Still, his talent remains and it’s so high that Mateer ended up landing as 2026 Heisman Trophy candidate on USA TODAY’s ‘Way-Too-Early’ list by Austin Curtright.
Quarters Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Mademoiselle), Arch Manning (Texas), Josh Hoover (Indiana), Julian Sayin (Ohio State) and Dante Moore (Oregon) ranked ahead of Mateer on the list as the most likely contenders for the job. Sayin finished as a finalist for the award in 2025. Mateer is ranked among the top 10 honorable mention quarterbacks.
THE Earlier found renewed success with Mateer running the offense, finishing 10-3 and making the College Football Playoff. Individually, however, Mateer’s numbers were poor. He finished sixth in the SEC in passing yards per game (240.4) and 12th in passing touchdowns. His 11 interceptions were tied for third among regular starters in the conference. On the ground, Mateer is tied for fourth among SEC quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns (8) and seventh in rushing yards (471).
Non-quarterbacks on the list were Miami (FL) wide receiver Malachi Toney and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy was the only non-quarterback to receive honorable mention.
This article was originally published on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma’s John Mateer named as Heisman Trophy contender
