Oklahoma QB John Mateer Talks Why OU, Brent Venables, Baker Mayfield and More

The Sooners' new quarterback spent Monday morning doing local radio and describing why last week's visit to Norman was "surreal."

Washington State quarterback John Mateer / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

New Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer was pretty taken with both the magnitude and the content of OU coach Brent Venables’ office.

So when his phone rang, of course he sent Baker Mayfield to voicemail.

It was a big moment for the former Washington State QB who had entered the NCAA Transfer Portal just a couple days before, and he didn’t want to blow it by answering some number he didn’t know.

“It was surreal,” Mateer told OU sideline reporter Chris Plank on Monday during an appearance on am1400 KREF in Norman. “I actually didn’t answer his first phone call because it was number I didn’t know and I don't really hit the numbers I don't know. But he left me a voicemail, and I was freaking out. I was like, ‘There's no way Baker Mayfield just called me.

“I was sitting in Brent Venables’ office, a huge office, and I was like, ‘There's no way this is real.’ Super cool moment. Called him back — obviously, you know — and he talked to me and he was a super humble, nice dude, and it really helped.”

Mateer, who leads the nation in total touchdowns this season and is among the top five in total offense, officially signed with Oklahoma last Thursday.

He talked to Eddie Radosevich and Sooners On SI’s Ryan Chapman on fm107.7 The Franchise later Monday morning and described more from his surprising phone call with Mayfield and the impact it made on his ultimate decision to pick OU.

“He just persuaded me that OU was a place to go, and that it's just a great time,” Mateer said. “ … He told me if I need anything, just hit him up. So if that time comes and I need that question answered, then I'll just text him.”

Now that Mateer has a Pro Bowl quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner in his corner, he’s looking forward to continuing to build his relationship with new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, with whom he had so much success at Washington State.

“He’s meant so much my development, you know, you come out of high school, you don't know anything, right? I was just out there playing ball and just throwing it to whoever I thought was going to be open. I spent that first season with Coach Morris, but then coach Arbuckle, who came in and and he really helped me learn the game of football and just learn the offense and the progressions and the protections, and you can go on and on. I could, about all that he taught me. 

“And then just making me a better man and and how to handle different situations. Because early in the year, I was not as confident as I am now. I had to prove it to myself. But I did that, and the offense helped me do that, you know, putting us in good situations, staying ahead of the chains, and giving it to people that we know can make plays — the receivers, the running back, the tight ends. It's all encompassing. You know, we can do anything with this offense. It's really exciting. And me being having the reins of it, it makes me feel good.”

In reality, it was Arbuckle, not Mayfield, who drew Mateer to Norman.

“Me and Coach Arbuckle have a great relationship,” Mateer said. “Coach Buck has been a great man in my life and a great mentor. … It was kind of a no-brainer to go with him.”

It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks for Mateer. He spent the first week of December working out with his old team, and then he spent a week practicing and preparing to lead the Cougars against Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27. His sister graduated from college in Missouri the following weekend, and he flew there and spent time with family. They discussed transferring, naturally, and by the time Monday rolled around, he had pretty much made up his mind that he would be leaving Pullman. Immediately ranked the No. 1 overall prospect in the transfer portal, Mateer was coveted by OU (where Arbuckle had landed), by Miami (where former Wazzu QB Cam Ward was a Heisman finalist) and by North Carolina (where NFL icon Bill Belichick had surfaced).

So he hasn’t gotten to meet a whole lot of his future teammates yet. But one he’ll meet soon enough is quarterback Michael Hawkins — the starter in the Dec. 27 Armed Forces Bowl against Navy, and an old acquaintance of Mateer’s.

When Mateer was in high school at Little Elm, TX, he was the District 5-6A Offensive Player of the Year — a district that also included Denton Guyer junior Jackson Arnold and Allen sophomore Michael Hawkins. Allen and Guyer were co-champs, and Little Elm went 1-5 in district play, but it was Mateer who stood out in that group.

New Sooners QB John Mateer was District 5-6A Offensive Player of Year in 2021 playing for a Little Elm team that went 1-5 in a district where Denton Guyer & Allen were co-champs. Guyer’s QB was Jackson Arnold (District MVP) & Allen’s QB was Michael Hawkins (Newcomer of Year). https://t.co/J6UdWNI6of

— Bill Jones (@CBS11BillJones) December 19, 2024

“His team beat me pretty bad,” Mateer said. “We didn't really stand a chance. But he's a great player. Really excited to be able to sit in the room with him. I think it’ll be a great time. And he knows the guys, and I'm really excited to work with him.”

Mateer might not have grown up with a passion for the Sooners like Mayfield had when he grew up in Austin, but he definitely had an affinity for Oklahoma quarterbacks — and Mayfield was at the top of just about any list.

“I mean, I watched Oklahoma, you know, obviously the great quarterbacks that went there,” Mateer said. “I loved watching quarterback. I didn't really have a favorite college team when I was growing up. So I just found the best quarterback. Coincidentally, it happened to be OU a lot of the time, right?”

It was a completely different experience, Mateer said, than when he was being recruited out of high school.

“I didn’t enjoy high school recruiting,” he said.  “This was a little different because I was the No. 1 player in portal at the time, and high school was kind of like, nobody wanted me.”

That clearly wasn’t the case this time, and that truly hit home when he heard the voicemail from Mayfield and called him back.

“That was surreal for me, talking to Baker Mayfield,” Mateer said. “I’d seen him, obviously. One of my best friends is like a superfan of his, so he was jealous.

“But it was great. He’s a super nice guy. He was super nice on the phone. Him calling me on the phone says a lot about who he is as  person and the humility to help the University of Oklahoma. It feels great. He just told me it was a real family atmosphere and it was the place to be and Coach Venables was doing a great job.”