John Mateer on reuniting with Ben Arbuckle: 'It's gonna be pretty fun'

After a difficult 2024 season for the Oklahoma Sooners where the offense struggled to consistently produce, especially in the passing game, excitement is once again growing. That’s in no small part thanks to the combination of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer that has come to Norman.

The pair are coming over from Washington State where they found plenty of success that they hope to translate to the SEC. Certainly, as Mateer explained at the Manning Passing Academy, the two have high expectations for one another at Oklahoma too.

“The duo… it’s huge,” John Mateer said. “We understand each other and I know what play he’s gonna call next. He knows what I like we talked through a lot of stuff this offseason. It’s just taking the next step, and it’s awesome.”

Last season, Mateer thrived at Washington State under Arbuckle. He’d finish the year completing 64.6 percent of his passes for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns to seven interceptions. That’s compared to the production Oklahoma did get at quarterback, which amounted to being 119th nationally in passing offense with 175.8 yards per game. They also threw for just 16 passing touchdowns to six interceptions.

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables has spent the offseason trying to address the offense’s issues. That has, of course, been highlighted by the offensive coordinator and passing game, but they’re not alone. The Sooners have also added key transfers like running back Jaydn Ott, wide receiver Javonnie Gibson, and wide receiver Keontez Lewis to create a group that the Sooners are excited about.

“We’ve got some good players here that can do a lot of different things. It’s going to be pretty fun,” Mateer said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

John Mateer describes how the transition to Oklahoma has been for him

There are always some challenges that come with transferring to a new school. However, John Mateer has been incredibly happy with how things have gone to this point.

“It’s been awesome. The people are great. The fans are great. They’ve embraced me and teammates and coaches have really embraced me. I’ve built really good relationships. I really like all the guys. The strength test is good. I’ve gained some weight. Probably lost some today, it’s hot, but I’ve gained some weight. Got a little bigger. Getting a little faster,” Mateer said.

“Year three in the offense. You take some more strides. It’s really promising.”