The 2025 season in Norman was a tale of two Mateers. After the first four weeks, John Mateer’s Superman act began to fray. The reason for Mateer’s late-season slide wasn’t just a thumb injury; it was a systemic failure of the Oklahoma run game that left its quarterback dangerously exposed.
Joel Klatt on What Brent Venables Must Do to Save John Mateer
Joel Klatt, appearing on “The Joel Klatt Show,” specified that the reason for Mateer’s late-season slide wasn’t just a thumb injury; it was a systemic failure of the Oklahoma run game that left its quarterback dangerously exposed.
Klatt said, “Now, Oklahoma, this was a problem last year and it has to get fixed because this problem was the reason that John Mateer wasn’t able to play at his potential.”
The stats illustrate a staggering imbalance. Mateer finished 2025 as the team’s second-leading rusher with 431 yards and 8 touchdowns, but he was also forced into 397 pass attempts.
When a quarterback leads the team in carries while also handling a high-volume passing load in the SEC, he isn’t just a dual threat. He is a target.
Cautioning about Mateer, Klatt added, “I thought Oklahoma was exposing Mateer too much. And the reason is that they didn’t get anything out of their backs. Okay? When the quarterback complements the run game and you can be effective using your backs and your quarterback, then you’ve got something. Last year, Oklahoma was unable to do it.”
This exposure manifested in a 62.2% completion rate that dipped in losses and a turnover count (11 interceptions) that spiked when defenses realized they didn’t need to respect the Oklahoma running backs.
Klatt concluded, “So, their biggest question is, can you run it with your backs and take pressure off Mateer? If they’re able to do that, we think that they’re going to be able to play great defense. They did it a year ago with Venables calling the defense. If they can run it with their backs, now all of a sudden, Mateer becomes the player he was early in the season last year.”
So, the Sooners spent the offseason aggressively in the portal and on the recruiting trail, specifically targeting the backfield and the trenches. Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has been tasked with rebuilding a unit that struggled to create push. The 2026 roster sees a shift toward more veteran SEC-ready size to ensure Mateer isn’t constantly running for his life or being forced into 15+ carries a game.
Last year, Oklahoma was unable to run the game. This year, it doesn’t have a choice. To save Mateer’s potential, and perhaps the Sooners’ championship window, the run game must be the priority.
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Currently, the PFSN CFB Playoff Meter predicts Oklahoma has a 49% chance to make the playoffs.