John Mateer injury update: Oklahoma QB's final status revealed for Red River Rivalry vs. Texas

The question on everybody’s mind has been answered: John Mateer will play against Texas in the Red River Rivalry. The Oklahoma QB was not listed on the final availability report released Saturday afternoon, meaning he appears to be good to go.

Mateer was considered probable, according to Oklahoma’s Friday SEC availability report after undergoing successful surgery on his throwing hand late last month. He was injured against Auburn during Week 4 and hasn’t played since.

Luckily for the Sooners, Mateer has only had to miss one game with the injury. Oklahoma was on its bye week following the Auburn game, and backup Michael Hawkins was awarded the start against Kent State last week.

Hawkins led OU to a 44-0 win in that matchup. Hawkins completed 14-of-his-24 pass attempts for 162 yards and three touchdowns in the blowout. He is expected to be ready if Mateer isn’t able to finish the game on Saturday.

Mateer had emerged as a Heisman Trophy frontrunner prior to his hand injury after opening the season with 1,215 passing yards and six touchdowns through the air while also adding 190 rushing yards and five more scores on the ground. Mateer’s 303.8 passing yards per game this season still lead the SEC.

Of course, there was uncertainty that Mateer would even play to begin with. Throughout the week, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said that his team had been preparing for Mateer from the start.

“You have to. He’s a dynamic player, he’s the heartbeat of that offense for sure. Everything goes through him. We played against Hawkins last year. He’s a much-improved player,” Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian said.

“Like most young players, they get better over time. You can see his improvement for sure. Coach (Ben) Arbuckle’s got a great scheme. We’ve got to prepare for the scheme. He’s a fantastic coach. They tax you a lot of different ways.”

Mateer and Arbuckle were essentially a package deal, with Sooners head coach Brent Venables hiring Arbuckle as his new offensive coordinator this offseason after a successful stint at Washington State. Mateer was his QB1 with the Cougars, so it only made sense that Mateer would follow him to Norman.

The pair hit their stride before he went down with the hand injury. Now, 100% or not, Mateer will make the attempt to play against the Sooners’ bitter rival.

Kickoff between for the Red River Rivalry matchup is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. ABC will carry the national broadcast.