With the new season approaching, Oklahoma Sooners look to rebuild their offense with some high-flying transfer portal moves. They have brought a total of 14 players (the majority coming on the offense) from the portal. Why was there a need for this offensive overhaul? Well, the Sooners’ offense was the worst since 1999. Of course, the injuries didn’t help during the 2024 season, but not scoring even 30 points against an SEC team? Expectedly, the additions are going to make the team better. Among them, John Mateer, the former Washington State QB, tops the list.

Mateer isn’t the only one who’d change how the Sooners offense goes into the 2025 season. Ben Arbuckle, the new offensive coordinator, who is credited with developing the likes of Cam Ward, will help too. Arbuckle’s Norman arrival triggered his Wazzu guy, Mateer, to follow suit. However, it wasn’t certain, as Mateer had a handful of offers piled on his table. He took some time to enter the portal after Arbuckle’s departure from Washington State and when he did finally, he came out as the No. 1 player in the portal. The battle was far from a cakewalk for Brent Venables.

The competition was especially the strongest from UNC and Bill Belichick. NFL legends Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski reportedly reached out to Mateer on Belichick’s and UNC’s behalf but couldn’t earn his trust. The veteran NFL coach has triggered some serious recruiting momentum to the Tar Heels’ approaching season. But when it comes to Mateer, Baker Mayfield, the former Sooners’ QB, won the race by a single phone call, and Miami, North Carolina, and USC kept waiting behind the radar in their elusive pursuit.

Now the question is how the high-octane move is expected to pay out for the Sooners. Sean Redfearn of SEC Unfiltered had a say. “So much Moxy, character, and swagger about his demeanor comes on after a breakout season in Pullman, earns his way into the SEC, wanted by Miami, wanted by North Carolina but then you remember oh he played G5 schedule, see what he got to himself now playing in a big boy country and then you remember oh he is a baller with 45 touchdowns over nearly 4000 scrimmages, 3300 passing yards, the most returning touchdown by a quarterback in 2024,” Redfearn said hinting some strong silver lining for the Sooners.

Well, the debate is up for scrutiny in the comments and fans largely don’t seem convinced that Mateer is the X factor of a flourishing Sooners offense in 2025. They counter the optimism with a lot of ifs and buts in between and sound skeptical about the Sooners’ offensive line as a whole.

Fans seem half convinced of the John Mateer factor of Oklahoma Sooners for the year 2025

The Little Elm, Texas, native has completed 65% of his passes this past season for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. As a dual threat, he knows how to make plays with his legs. He added 826 more yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground as well. Despite the numbers, his worth is unproven to a certain extent as he is yet to prove himself against the SEC defenses. Moreover, it’d take more than Mateer for the Sooners to improve. One fan added to the qualms, noting, ”He can’t block, pass catch, and run all while being team medic, they will have a good defense though,”

Also, even if we ignore the frowns at his skill, having a quality quarterback alone can’t get the job done. Jackson Arnold, a former five-star prospect, also dipped his feet to OU with a lofty expectation. With a lack of a proper supporting line on the offense, his success score has majorly retracted. So, having the rest of the offense in the place is equally important. Addressing the concern, another fan noted, ”Offensive line will be key to his success.” Another one chimed in recalling the Arnold catastrophe, “Didn’t they have the same hype for Jackson Arnold last year?”

Not surprisingly, a chunk of fans are also in severe doubt regarding coach Venables. The program has already hit an embarrassing low in Venables’ second year at Norman. A gut-wrenching 6-7 will pose a serious threat to his job for another season if the momentum keeps getting worse. Fans aren’t aware of the blues and rightly gauged, ”I hope so but highly doubt it, we have a bigger problem than QB and it starts with Venables.” Another user complained about Mateer’s injury time out saying, ”He barely played, he was hurt.”

All the chaos and grouches will look good only if a wide-awake Oklahoma team listens and takes good care of all of the aspects responsible for bringing the best out of John Mateer.