The Sooners' quarterback struggled last week against Texas and must get things right before the team hits the road at South Carolina this week.

The Sooners invested heavily in Mateer over the offseason when he transferred from Washington State, making him one of the most highly-paid players in the country, according to 247Sports. Early on, the Little Elm, Texas, native has lived up to the hype. Heading into Week 7, Mateer ranked No. 2 nationally in total offense per game.

However, Mateer returned to action just 17 days after his hand surgery, performed by Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles. He was cleared by Oklahoma's medical team on Thursday. It was a heroic effort to return for Red River, as it was expected that Mateer would miss 2-4 games instead of just one, but he played poorly against Texas.

For John Mateer, Week 7 of the college football season was fairly painful. Not only did Mateer, in his return from a broken bone in his throwing hand, struggle on the field, but his NIL valuation took a significant hit because of the loss. Suffice it to say, it was a painful experience all around for Mateer.

Mateer has to be better for Oklahoma to bounce back offensively and get back on the right track. Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

The Oklahoma Sooners felt confident heading into their Red River matchup against the Texas Longhorns, riding high on an elite defense and the news that quarterback John Mateer would return from injury and play against Texas.

If there is a positive for the Oklahoma Sooners to take out of the loss to Texas, it’s the status of their quarterback. John Mateer played for all four quarters and came out of the game healthy. A positive sign on him not suffering any setbacks and playing Saturday vs.

Oklahoma had plenty of reasons for optimism going into Saturday’s Red River Rivalry. But even with the return of John Mateer and facing a scuffling Tex