John Mateer identifies individual stat he wants to improve in 2026
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Oklahoma fans are expecting a sizable step forward from redshirt-junior quarterback John Mateer this season, as the former Washington State transfer endured through an up-and-down 2025 campaign while battling a nagging hand injury.
Now fully healthy and with a year in the program under his belt, Mateer is confident that he and the Sooner offense can improve upon their marks from a year ago.
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Asked about an individual statistic that he hopes to attack the most this season, Mateer cited his completion percentage as something he’s been keyed in on.
“The biggest one has been the completion percentage, moving the ball forward, staying ahead of the chains. That’s one of them,” Mateer said. “It’s the accuracy, the timing, the decision-making, that’s how that happens.”
The eye test told that story in some regards throughout the season, and the numbers back it up.
After completing 64.6% of his passes as a full-time starter at Washington State in 2024, that clip dipped to just 62.2% in the SEC. Reinforcing that point is the fact that Mateer tossed just 7 interceptions with the Cougars before seeing 11 of his passes picked off last year.
Mateer’s passing touchdowns were also more than cut in half, as he threw 29 in 2024 before accounting for just 14 through the air in 2025.
Will Oklahoma return to the College Football Playoff this season? Kalshi is taking predictions on Playoff qualifiers!
Parker is currently the sports editor for Gulf Coast Media in Foley, Alabama. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
