Sooners QB John Mateer Named Heisman Contender By ESPN

ESPN named Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer as a legitimate Heisman contender heading into the 2026 season, and the national media is finally starting to catch on to what Sooner fans saw flashes of last year.

The piece raises a fair question about whether Mateer can get back to his early-season dominance before the thumb injury derailed his momentum.

“After the first month last season, Mateer was the clear Heisman favorite. Then, he injured the thumb on his throwing hand and, after returning from surgery, was never really the same. Can he rekindle his form from last September?”

It’s kind of surprising that more people aren’t giving Mateer serious Heisman love right now.

Before the injury, he was playing at an elite level and looked like the best quarterback in the country.

Even after he came back and clearly wasn’t 100%, he still made big plays down the stretch and was a major reason Oklahoma found a way to sneak into the College Football Playoff.

It feels like a lot of people have conveniently forgotten just how dominant he was in September.

If Mateer is fully healthy and looks like the quarterback we saw in the early part of 2025, he’s absolutely capable of winning the Heisman Trophy and leading this Oklahoma team to a National Championship.

The talent is there.

The arm strength, the athleticism, the decision-making when he’s in rhythm, it’s all Heisman caliber. He’s shown it.

What should excite Sooner Nation even more is the supporting cast around him this season.

Mateer has better weapons than he did a year ago. Isaiah Sategna III, Xavier Robinson, and Tory Blaylock are back, and OU added Rocky Beers, Hayden Hansen, Trell Harris, and Parker Livingstone.

That’s a deep, explosive group of skill players who can stretch the field and make plays after the catch.

This offense has the potential to be much more complete.

Of course, the big question mark remains the offensive line.

If those guys can come along nicely and improve throughout the season, they’ll keep Mateer upright and healthy while opening up lanes and giving him clean pockets.

That combination, a healthy, confident Mateer with time to throw to these playmakers, could be scary for defenses across the SEC.

A Heisman for Mateer would be incredible and a great story for the program. But what Oklahoma really needs from him is something a little more grounded: limit the mistakes, take care of the football, and make life easier on that defense.

If he does those things consistently, the Sooners are going to be a serious contender whether he’s in the final Heisman conversation or not.

The schedule is tough, especially early, but that’s exactly the kind of gauntlet that can either break a quarterback or forge him into a star.

Mateer has already shown he can handle big moments.

Now it’s about staying healthy and building on what he did before that injury last year.

If he rekindles that early 2025 form, we could be talking about Mateer as one of the best quarterbacks in the country all season long.

Oklahoma’s success in 2026 will ride heavily on his right arm and his ability to stay on the field.

The tools are in place. Now it’s time to see if he can put it all together for a full year.