Why Would You Not Be ALL-IN On John Mateer & The Oklahoma Sooners?

College football analyst Josh Pate made it official on June 30th – he’s fully buying into John Mateer and the Oklahoma Sooners for the 2026 season.

Pate was on his show and didn’t hold back after seeing Mateer at the Manning Passing Academy: "... did you see this guy at the Manning Passing Academy the other day? Did you see the vibes emanating off of him? I did. And so I would like to announce here and now, June 30th, 2026, I'm not exploring a John Mateer Heisman ticket again. I'm not dabbling with the thought. I am all in on John Mateer. And therefore, I must be all in on Oklahoma this year, which must come as a shock to people who have labeled me a Sooner hater as of late. That's not true."

Pate is spot on.

Why wouldn’t you be all-in on Mateer and Oklahoma right now?

The Sooners are a playoff contender even if Mateer is just a game manager. Then you look at Mateer and he’s healthy, which the last time we actually saw him healthy, he was playing at a Heisman level.

And if you saw him throwing at the Manning Passing Academy, you saw how jacked he looks now and that he is putting the work in to be better than he was before.

The skill positions around him are better. The defense will be elite. The run game will be improved. If the offensive line can keep Mateer held up and do their job, the sky is the limit with Mateer and this Oklahoma team.

They are a complete squad; they just don’t have a ton of depth, meaning there isn’t much margin for error with injuries to Mateer and others.

Also of note, who said Pate was an OU hater? He grew up admiring OU and the school of meteorology on campus. The idea that he’s some kind of anti-Oklahoma guy is silly. He’s just calling things the way he sees them. And right now, he sees a team and a quarterback worth getting excited about.

This feels like a big year for Mateer and the program. The Sooners have one of the best defenses in the country. They have good skill players. The offensive line is improving. If Mateer can stay healthy and play with that same confidence he had early last season, OU could be really dangerous.

Pate’s “all-in” declaration is a good reminder that people are starting to notice what’s happening in Norman. The national media might still be sleeping on Oklahoma a bit, but the pieces are there for a special season.

If Mateer can deliver, this team has the talent to compete for the SEC and make a deep playoff run.

Pate is not just jumping on the bandwagon, he’s seeing the work being put in and the potential this team has. Mateer looks stronger, more confident, and ready to take that next step.

Sooner Nation have every reason to be optimistic. The defense is going to keep them in games. The offense has the weapons. Now it’s about Mateer staying healthy and the offensive line doing its job.

If that happens, Pate might not be the only one all-in on the Sooners this fall.