Todd McShay breaks down Oklahoma QB John Mateer's NFL Draft outlook

NFL Draft expert Todd McShay broke down John Mateer, detailing the good and bad about the intriguing 2026 prospect. The Oklahoma quarterback transferred in from Washington State after three years and a breakout 2024 campaign.

McShay even called him “breathtaking” when it came to the tape study. It’s hard not to see why, considering the 29 touchdowns, over 3,000 passing yards and over 800 yards rushing with 15 touchdowns to boot.

Dual threats in, as long as they stay healthy right? Mateer career Washington State and now could carry the Sooners’ offense.

“Mateer is a breathtaking prospect to study—in all the ways,” McShay wrote. “He’s an undersized playmaker with undeniable suddenness and speed. He has a snap release with energy on the ball no matter the arm angle or body contortion on delivery. I absolutely love his competitive fire and toughness, and also appreciate that when buying time (which is frequently) he’s always looking to advance the offense rather than bailing/drifting/retreating.

“He routinely executed the most challenging of throws and he often delivered in clutch moments in 2024. He carried WSU’s offense last season and he’s a massive upgrade at the position for OU in 2025.”

That being said, McShay wrote about the negatives surrounding Mateer as well. It’s not like the quarterback can’t fix these issues, but they’ll be something to watch in 2025 and moving forward through next year’s NFL Draft process.

“That said, Mateer’s footwork can be an unmitigated mess at times and his erratic ball placement is a direct reflection,” McShay wrote. “In addition, Mateer’s frenzied style of play leads to a lot of poor decisions, despite his solid TD-to-INT ratio last season.

It’s a new stop in Norman but the same OC. My hope is that Mateer has drilled in his footwork and has worked diligently to play within structure with more patience in the pocket and sound decision-making based on progression reads.

“Improving in both areas this season will be a must for Mateer as it pertains to his NFL draft stock. Simply put, Mateer’s challenge is to bottle up the magic while dialing down the turbulence. As it stands, I would comfortably say he’s a Day 2 prospect heading into the season but I’m highly intrigued by his skill set, competitiveness and playmaking ability, and I believe there’s a good deal of growth in his future.”

Mateer and Oklahoma open the season August 30th against Illinois State. It’ll be fan’s first chance to see him in action in Norman.