New Oklahoma QB John Mateer Needs to Settle Down

It was a blur.

That best describes what it was like studying eight games of Quarterback (QB) John Mateer last season at Washington State.

Mateer looked as unpredictable as he looked inconsistent.

Then on Dec. 18, 2024, he audibled out of Washington State and transferred to Oklahoma.

Evaluating is about identifying consistent traits, patterns, and tendencies. But that’s easier said than done with this gunslinger, who showed he can do everything inconsistently.

Mateer flirted with being a drop-back quarterback, relying on ageless QB principles that work in the NFL. However, that’s not the way this went. Mateer got more and more out of structure as the season went on. He got more undisciplined, and his accuracy and ball placement suffered.

Mateer Highlights

• Strong arm
• Fast running speed
• Ability to thrive in a dirty pocket
• Deep passing game

Mateer can put some real zip on his passes. It’s nothing for him to whip the ball side-armed out to the sidelines or across the middle of the field. He’s also a true dual threat who lives for making throws with pressure in his face.

22/46 (47.8%) on +19 air yard throws

I liked Mateer’s deep passing game better than how he looked in the short-to-intermediate range (0-19 yards).

Mateer Lowlights

• Average accuracy
• Average ball placement
• Time to throw
• Ball security
• Sacks
• High injury risk

The bottom line is accuracy, and Mateer is not where he needs to be when it comes to syncing his sense of timing and inconsistent footwork to his receiver’s routes. This also affected his receiver’s ability to pick up additional yardage after the catch.

• 3.04 seconds time to throw (Pro Football Focus)

Last season, only 4/43 NFL QBs had a 3.00-second or slower time to throw (Next Gen Stats).

More numbers that are concerning⎯

• 7 interceptions
• 22 Pass Breakups (PBUs) that I charted (2.75 per game average)
• 31 sacks

Despite Mateer’s athleticism and mobility, Mateer took the eighth-most sacks in the NCAA this past season. This resulted in a lot of hard hits.

Mateer also absorbed A LOT of physical contact as a runner. He runs more like a running back than a quarterback.

Day three prospect

When I began studying Mateer’s game film against Texas Tech, I thought he had a chance to overtake Texas QB Arch Manning for the top spot on my 2026 NFL Draft Preseason Board. But by the end of it, I was seeing Mateer as a developmental prospect because his inconsistencies were too much for me.

The longer I watched Mateer, the more I fell out of love with him. I started to see his heroics more as something he manufactured than something he did out of necessity.

TOO MUCH PLAYGROUND FOOTBALL

#10 John Mateer (that was his jersey # at Washington State) 6-foot-1, 219 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Summer Grade: Fifth-Round (I wouldn’t select him)

Projected by 2.4% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of June 23, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2024 game film evaluated: Texas Tech, Washington, San Jose State, Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State, and New Mexico (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Note: Reminded me too much of John Rhys Plumlee 

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Raw gifted prospect. Unorthodox. Team player. High energy. Urgent hyper tempo. In command. Lacks discipline and patience. No give up in him. Short-term memory after mistakes. Fancy ball handling. Some improv. Flashed the ability to process quickly, but that wasn’t the norm. Flexible hips. Can reset the pocket. Inconsistent going through his progressions. Tends to lock in. Likes to sling it with a sidearm delivery. Spreads the ball around. Tires out defenses. Aggressive downfield thrower. Downfield focus. Average throwing instincts when he’s not depending on throwing mechanics. Tends to leave the pocket too soon. Prefers to dictate to defenses. When he misses, he really misses with his passes. Throws with average anticipation. Lacks touch short. Guns everything. Deep ball doesn’t hang up for long, and misses deep tend to be overthrown. A dynamic runner with quick acceleration. Can make a man miss in the open field.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. Time to throw?

2. Does he look more comfortable in the pocket?

3. Ball security?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.