After a debilitating thumb injury derailed his Heisman-caliber start last fall, the Oklahoma Sooners quarterback reveals a massive recovery in grip strength and a renewed focus on championships
TAMPA, Fla. - John Mateer dropped some big news at SEC Media Days on Monday, and Sooner fans should be feeling really good about it.
The Oklahoma quarterback said he is fully healthy heading into the 2026 season, and the way he described the progress he’s made since last year’s thumb injury should have everybody in Norman excited.
Mateer spoke to ESPN and revealed he recently scored a 150 on a grip strength test. That’s a massive jump from the 90 he was at last fall right after surgery when his hand was still weak.
He was very honest about how much the injury affected him.
"It was not strong," Mateer said. "And the range of motion, I had to change how I held the ball."He went on to explain how difficult it was playing through it."In the offseason you put in the work to be prepared, and I had a belief because of the work, and the work it didn't matter. I don't want to say it got taken away from me, but physically it wasn't the same."
We all saw the flashes early last season when Mateer looked like a legitimate Heisman favorite before the injury. Then things changed.
He still helped get the Sooners to the playoff, but it wasn’t the same guy we saw in September.
Now it sounds like that version of Mateer is back — and probably better.
Mateer also showed some maturity when talking about his mindset this year. He’s less focused on individual awards and more locked in on team goals.
"There's a lot of personal opportunities here at Oklahoma playing quarterback, and I don't know if I was thinking too much about those, and then I got to the peak, and God was like, 'No, that's not why we're doing this,'" Mateer said.
"So I've been trying to scale back on the personal stuff. If it happens, it happens, but the team is what matters. You taste the playoff. That's what I want. You get it, and they can't take it away from you. It means so much to so many people."
Mateer tasted the playoff last year, and now he wants more. He’s not satisfied with just getting there — he wants to go deeper.
On the field, Mateer has been putting in serious work this offseason. He admitted he cringes when he watches October film from last year, but he’s been focused on cleaning things up.
"It's being a year better," he said.
He’s been working on the discipline of his steps, timing of progressions, and going through his reads more efficiently.
Brent Venables backed up what Mateer is saying. He told ESPN he believes this team has the talent to win every game on the schedule, and it starts with a healthy Mateer at quarterback.
"I just think we're going to be a lot better around him," Venables said. "And to his point, it's hard to throw a football consistently or down the field, push it or throw it with the velocity when he can barely squeeze it."
Last year, the Sooners were asking Mateer to play through something most quarterbacks couldn’t have done. Now he’s healthy, the weapons around him are better, and the offensive line should be improved. The pieces are there.
Mateer looked like one of the best quarterbacks in the country when he was healthy last fall. If he’s back to 100% and playing with confidence, this offense has a chance to be really explosive.
Combine that with what should be another elite defense under Venables, and Oklahoma has the look of a team that can compete for the SEC and make a deeper playoff run.
Mateer has the right mindset too. He’s focused on the team, hungry after last year’s playoff exit, and physically he says he’s back. That grip strength jump from 90 to 150 tells you how hard he’s worked this offseason.
This feels like it could be a big year for Mateer and for Oklahoma. The expectations are rising, but after hearing him talk, it seems like he’s ready for it.
If Mateer stays healthy and plays like he did prior to the injury, this could be a special season in Norman.
