How John Mateer's Heisman campaign got derailed in 2025

Josh Pate picked Oklahoma QB John Mateer in the preseason to win The Heisman Trophy. With his campaign essentially over now, though, following his recent play after the in-season surgery on his right hand, Pate doesn’t want to hear it from those criticizing that choice now in hindsight.

Pate spoke on the latest reactions to his Heisman prediction back in August during ‘Josh Pate’s College Football Show’ on Sunday night. He noted that those circumstances have very obviously changed with the surgery to Mateer’s hand a month ago now.

“One of the lamest things that people are doing to me right now is sending me bills in the mail. The second-most lame thing that people are doing is they keep on making fun of me for betting (Mateer) to win the Heisman,” said Pate. “And, I don’t know. I had to ask Jesse today, because I sometimes need my memory jogged. Did he not have surgery on his throwing hand literally within the last month? Yes? I’m being told yes that did happen. Um, it’s not the biggest shock in the world that the passing numbers have tailed off. And, for anyone who wants to say that was going to happen anyway, you don’t know that.”

Mateer was a Heisman favorite after the first four games of the season, posting 67.1% completion for 303.8 passing yards per game, six touchdowns, and three interceptions while also rushing for 47.5 yards and five more scores during an undefeated start for OU. It was then revealed that he broke his right hand on a throw during that win over Auburn on September 20th, with him having surgery the following week.

He, with a bye, actually made a very fast return to the field in missing just one game in the non-conference. However, Mateer has clearly trended down in their three games since being back, posting 58.9% completion for 191.7 passing yards per game, two touchdowns, and three interceptions while running for just a dozen yards per game and no more scores in a 1-2 stretch now for the Sooners. That includes Mateer being 17-31 (54.8%) for 223 yards, albeit his most since his return, and a touchdown in Saturday’s loss to Ole Miss.

“It was a subpar game by John Mateer again…Very pedestrian (against Ole Miss),” said Pate.

The Sooners at least have one bye left after their next game this weekend for his rehab to possibly progress a little further. But, with them now at two losses and four matchups left against quality conference competition, that injury and surgery may have derailed the season for Oklahoma, as well as the chances at a Heisman Trophy this year for Mateer.

“I kind of think he is what he is at this point. I would view him as very limited – you know, because they had to cut his hand open a couple of weeks ago. That tends to happen when you have surgery on your throwing hand,” said Pate. “No matter how much your doctor posts on an Oklahoma message board that everything is okay, sometimes it’s not okay.”