In the three years since head coach Lincoln Riley left campus for the lights of Los Angeles, the Oklahoma Sooners have found themselves mired in mediocrity. Two 6-7 seasons were interrupted by a promising 10-3 campaign in 2023, but Brent Venables is under pressure to pull away from Riley's shadow and establish a new era of Oklahoma football.

Venables hopes to develop talent on his defense. Offensively, the Sooners have turned to the transfer portal.

In acquiring running back Jaydn Ott and quarterback John Mateer, Oklahoma has set the bar high for 2025. As both prospects look to boost their NFL Draft stocks, the hype has only continued to grow.

Mateer earns high praise after transfer to Norman

Every quarterback that steps into Oklahoma will be measured against Baker Mayfield, whose meteoric rise earned him a Heisman, the No. 1 pick, and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Kyler Murray, the first pick in 2019, met that expectation. Jalen Hurts continued to develop in Norman, and Caleb Williams flashed greatness before following Riley to USC. Spencer Rattler and Dillon Gabriel found more success elsewhere, and Jackson Arnold fell short in 2024.

Now, it's Mateer's turn. Matching Mayfield's production is a challenge, but few Sooners offer a skill set as similar to the 2017 Heisman winner.

Former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy invoked Mayfield's name when previewing Mateer's impact on Oklahoma.

"When I watch this young man, he reminds me a lot, frankly, of Baker Mayfield," McElroy said at the SEC Media Days on ESPN (h/t Willie Gillespie). "He runs like Baker Mayfield. He's more powerful, I think, as a runner than he is a guy that's gonna finesse his way to big carries. But his legs make all the difference, man, and he's got great comfort with the system. He also has an outstanding supporting cast."

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Mateer threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns to only seven interceptions in 2024. It made him one of the top transfers under center and one of the most meaningful acquisitions of the offseason.

McElroy spoke to Mateer's similarities on the ground (he ran for 826 yards last season at Washington State). But physically, he's very similar, too. Like Mayfield, Mateer sits at 6-foot-1, and at 225 pounds, he's a little denser than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback. With a penchant for making plays on the move and an arm that exceeds the expectations of his frame, Mateer wins in many of the same ways Mayfield did.

Subsequently, the ingredients for a breakout are present. Pulling it off against an SEC schedule remains a daunting challenge.

"So I think John Mateer is a guy that right now is still really flying under the radar when it comes to SEC fans, because they've never seen him play at this level of football," McElroy concluded. "But they better get ready to hear a lot and a lot of good things from the Sooners quarterback this year."

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