One more column about John Mateer … and his so-called 'renewed confidence.'
On his way out of Tampa, site of SEC football media days, The Oklahoman’s Colton Sulley filed a fine story about Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer.
Sulley’s piece served a couple of purposes.
Underneath a headline proclaiming, “OU football QB John Mateer enters 2026 season with renewed confidence,” it shed light on a part of Mateer’s offseason we didn’t know about.
Apparently, he blamed himself horribly for his team’s failings, though the Sooner brass, general manager Jim Nagy and head coach Brent Venables, particularly, stepped in to make clear he remained valued.
“I struggled. I really did, but they had my back the whole time …” Mateer said. “Them bringing me back and wanting me to be here, and uplifting me to be who I am, means the world.”
It’s clear Mateer took his struggles hard.
In the same press gaggle that supplied Sulley’s story with its quotes, Mateer was asked what he thought were the reasons for the Sooners offensive inconsistency last season.
“I would say I was the reason,” he said. “I mean, to be honest, when you’d watch the film … I cringed when I watched the film.
“So, I’ve got to be better, we’re all working towards it. We’ve all done a great job, but if the quarterback doesn’t perform then it’s tough on everybody.”
