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Paul Finebaum reacts to John Mateer injury, potential return timeline

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh09/23/25griffin_mcveigh

News out of Norman has shocked the college football world. Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer suffered a right hand injury during Saturday’s win against Auburn, requiring surgery. Sooner Scoop‘s George Stoia reports “at least three weeks” will be missed by Mateer, putting him in danger of missing a couple of critical SEC games.

Paul Finebaum gave his reaction to the news, calling the injury “a crushing blow” to Oklahoma’s 2025 season. The schedule was always going to be a difficult one for the Sooners, with or without Mateer.

“Do you come back for Ole Miss?” Finebaum asked. “Then you’re at Tennessee, at Alabama. Missouri, LSU. The end of that schedule is just downright brutal. They’re going to need Mateer at some point, I would say. Could they win at South Carolina? Right now, South Carolina is an enigma — it’s difficult to predict. But certainly a crushing blow to the Sooners’ chances.”

Finebaum used the three weeks, presuming Mateer would miss the final nonconference game of the year vs. Kent State and then the Red River Shootout against Texas. On3’s Pete Nakos reports there is “some hope” Mateer will be back in time to play in the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 11.

The exact moment Mateer broke the bone appears to have happened in the first quarter vs. Auburn. He still went on to have an incredible day, throwing for 271 yards and a touchdown on 24 of 36 passing. Mateer also scored the game-winning touchdown on the ground in the fourth quarter.

Oklahoma started the season with a 4-0 record, getting marquee wins against Auburn and Michigan two weeks prior. Mateer shot up boards to win the Heisman Trophy due to his performances, recently topping the On3 Heisman Trophy Poll.

“After consulting with medical experts, it became clear that surgery is the best option for John and his short- and long-term future,” OU head coach Brent Venables said in a statement. “He’s extremely disappointed he will miss some game action but is eager to correct the issue and move forward. As he is with everything, we know he will be aggressive with his rehabilitation and work to return to the field as quickly as possible.”

Michael Hawkins now takes over as the Oklahoma starting quarterback. Venables made sure to keep Hawkins in the program despite bringing Mateer in via the NCAA transfer portal. The move is now going to pay off, having somebody with some experience under his belt take over.