John Mateer playing 'huge' role with OU's offensive line

NORMAN — Bill Bedenbaugh was meeting with his offensive linemen on Sunday when he noticed a surprising face in the room.

John Mateer.

The OU quarterback quietly invited himself into Bedenbaugh’s meeting room, eager to learn more about his teammates protecting him up front.

“I don’t know if he knew what he was in for when he sat in my meeting,” Bedenbaugh said Monday. “… I didn’t know he was there. (I) kind of get going, look up and he’s sitting there writing stuff down, listening and all that. I love John. John’s awesome.

“He’s a guy that you — not that you don’t want to play for anybody, but you better step up. This is a guy that’s a big-time quarterback like we’ve had around here. You don’t want to be the dudes, whatever position it is, to let people down. That’s how it should be anywhere but when you have a guy like that with the charisma, the swagger, the confidence, the way he plays, you want to step up for him.”

That’s been the mentality for Mateer with his offensive line.

The new OU quarterback has worked to entrench himself in the trenches. He’s been regularly involved in the film studies with the offensive line and has gotten in extra work with the linemen after practice. It’s not always about football activities, either — Mateer took the offensive line out to a hibachi restaurant before fall camp began.

His locker is next to center Troy Everett, and the two regularly work together as they look to lead the offense. Everett has challenged Mateer to be the vocal leader the offense didn’t have last season.

A big part of that, for Mateer, is being heavily involved with the offensive line.

“I think I’m a huge part in it,” Mateer said. “And I do whatever I can to help them out, flipping the protection and just building the relationship. And I think it’s huge — not to say this didn’t happen last year — but to be around them and to do things for them so they really give everything they have for the dude behind them. So I’ve really tried to put and emphasis on that.”

Mateer’s involvement with the offensive line has definitely had an impact on his teammates, particularly freshmen like Michael Fasusi.

“When we finished the meeting, I look back and I see John and I’m like, I love this dude,” Fasusi said. “Having someone like that who has the passion for his spot and his brothers spot as well, it’s great having someone like that because it’s gonna help him with his knowledge of the game, too. He’s the guy making the calls for us. He’s been talking to coach (Bedenbaugh) a lot more lately. He’s learning a lot more about the o-line.”

Now, the goal is for that chemistry to pay off on the field.

Most of the metrics were unkind to the offensive line last season. The Sooners finished in the bottom five nationally last season in both sacks allowed and tackles for loss allowed. And while a lot of that was due to injuries up front, the Sooners also suffered from a lack of overall cohesion on the offensive line. The coaching staff didn’t just add Mateer for his dual-threat ability or his explosiveness — the hope is he can be the leader the Sooners simply didn’t have last season.

That starts on the offensive line.

“The best thing that I truly think about John,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said, “is he has a way of galvanizing the people around him to push towards a common goal, to pull the rope in the same direction. He’s smart. He’s intentional. He has a great spirit about him that guides not only the offense, but as coach alluded, guys on defense, our kickers, our deep snappers, our coaches, they draw to him. 

“I want to work harder for John Mateer. These kids want to play harder for John Mateer, and he in turn does the same thing.”

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