Tim Tebow: Bryce Underwood faces tough test, John Mateer QB to watch in Michigan-Oklahoma

John Mateer and Bryce Underwood provide a fascinating quarterback matchup in tonight’s game between Michigan and Oklahoma. Tim Tebow can’t wait for the Big Ten-SEC showdown to get underway.

While Underwood is brimming with potential, Mateer is more proven, and ready to show the world his talent against the Wolverines. The SEC Network analyst waxed poetic about Mateer during a hit on SportsCenter ahead of Saturday’s college football slate.

“I love Bryce Underwood. I think he’s going to be really special. But he’s still a freshman, going into Week 2, making his first start on the road — that’s going to be a really tough environment in Norman. John Mateer — I think this dude is for real,” Tebow stated. “Watching him in Week 1, I know they weren’t playing anybody great, but man, this dude is twitchy. He reminds me a little bit — just a little bit — of Johnny Manziel.

“Look at this on the blitz: free safety, sees man-to-man, pulls it back, throws the fade in a silly position. Then his ability to make a play — come on. That’s a different level. But probably what I love most is how he understands what the defense is doing, and then how quickly he gets the ball out.

“He sees the free safety coming down into the field, knows he’s got a skinny, and fires it. You see his receiver — it almost took his hands off. Like, he’s saying, ‘Okay, I’m going to go with this ball for a second.’ John Mateer is a unique, gifted quarterback. If he can get a little more help from his offensive line and his receivers continue to improve, this could be a really special offense.”

In his debut for OU during a 35-3 win over Illinois State, Mateer was 30-37 (81.1%) for 392 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception, while also rushing for 24 more yards and another score. That was the latest dual-threat display he’s put out in college after what he did last fall at Washington State.

It also further justified him as one of the better players in the sport for this season. Due to his performance, Mateer’s odds for the Heisman are now the fourth-best in the country, and they’re continuing to improve for him to win the award, per BetMGM.

All told, Mateer will need more than ‘twitch’ tonight in his Top 20 matchup against Michigan. Their offense as a whole will have to work, with him leading the way, in order to do enough against the Wolverines’ defense. We’ll see if he can get it done.

— On3’s Sam Gillenwater contributed to this article.