John Mateer breaks Baker Mayfield record for passing yards in an Oklahoma debut
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John Mateer watched Cam Ward depart Washington State and become the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s trying to replicate Ward’s route this season with his transfer to Oklahoma. In the process, he topped a different No. 1 pick’s Sooner record on Saturday.
Mateer racked up a whopping 392 passing yards against Illinois State in Oklahoma’s season opener. That figure topped Baker Mayfield’s mark (388, vs. Akron in 2015) for the most passing yards by a player in their Sooner debut.
Mateer looked fantastic versus an (admittedly) overmatched Redbird defense. The redshirt junior completed 81.1% of his passes (30/37) and had three passing touchdowns. He added another 7 carries for 24 yards and a score on the ground.
Mateer’s strong performance is an encouraging sign for an Oklahoma squad that some have labeled a College Football Playoff dark horse. He demonstrated great chemistry with Keontez Lewis (9 rec., 119 yards, 2 TD), Jaren Kanak (5 rec., 90 yards) and Deion Burks (7 rec., 88 yards, 1 TD).
Overall, Mateer completed passes to 9 different players in the contest. The Sooners’ depth and quick-strike ability will be pivotal in their meeting with Michigan’s stout defense next Saturday.
Kickoff for that matchup, which will have College GameDay in attendance, will commence at 7:30 p.m. E.T.
