Where does John Mateer rank in starting QB tier list by The Athletic?

Oklahoma Sooners redshirt-senior starting quarterback John Mateer enters his second year as OU's starter with something to prove in 2026. Upon arriving at Oklahoma from Washington State after the 2024 season, he was hailed as one of the best signal-callers in the country. This came after he led the FBS with 44 total touchdowns for the Cougars in '24.

Mateer got off to a sizzling start in 2025, and was the Heisman Trophy favorite for a short time. However, a thumb injury in the season's fourth game helped to derail his season. He rushed back from the surgery after missing just one game, but his play wasn't the same for the back half of the season.

Now, Mateer has returned for his final collegiate season, and OU has focused on building around him. While the Sooners have fully put their weight and belief behind him, Mateer still has much to prove to the rest of the country.

The Athletic's Antonio Morales and Sam Khan Jr. ranked each projected starting quarterback for 2026 in the FBS into seven tiers. In the ranking of all 138 players, the duo put Mateer in the second tier, ranked 16th overall.

Mateer was ranked fourth and in the top tier last season on this very list. Morales and Khan described the second tier as follows:

"They have produced and teams win because of them. They might be more circumstances-dependent than Tier 1, or there may be a shortcoming keeping them from there, but they are close to the elite group." - Antonio Morales and Sam Khan Jr., The Athletic.

According to the list, Mateer garnered praise from multiple sources, but also was given some things to work on.

"Mateer’s terrific start to 2025, which garnered early Heisman Trophy buzz, was disrupted by hand surgery. Though he missed just one game, the difference pre- and post-injury was noticeable.

'Everyone was like, ‘Where’d John Mateer go?’ I mean, he had screws in his hand,' an SEC front office staffer said. 'He’s pretty solid.'

Multiple people lauded his ability to run and make plays off schedule. 'He’s just so damn hard to get on the ground and get your hands on,' an FBS general manager said. But some want to see him be more consistent as a passer.

'He’s got to play within himself more,' an SEC assistant said. 'He tries to make all these wow, sidearm, feet-off-the-ground throws and it’s like, ‘Dude, the pocket’s clean. You don’t have to do that. Just throw the ball like a normal human.’ So if he does that, I think he’s one of the better guys.'" - Morales and Khan, The Athletic.

While Mateer came in relatively near the top of the list, there were plenty of other passers of interest to Sooner Nation that were featured as well.

• Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss earned the No. 1 ranking after his breakout season in 2025.
• Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker checked in at No. 6. He'll make the jump to the Power Four this year.
• Texas' Arch Manning came in at No. 7. He'll look to build on a strong finish to last season.
• USC's Jayden Maiava was ranked 9th. He'll look to bring Lincoln Riley another high-octane offense.
• Missouri's Austin Simmons was ranked 26th. He'll host the Sooners on Rivalry Week.
• Nebraska's Anthony Colandrea came in at No. 39. He's coming back to the Power Four level in 2026.
• UNLV's Jackson Arnold checked in at No. 64. He's on his third school in three years after his time at OU.
• West Virginia's Michael Hawkins Jr. was ranked 72nd. He'll likely be a Week 1 starter for the first time.
• Tulsa's Baylor Hayes checked in at No. 76. He'll look to help the program rise the ranks in '26.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Where does John Mateer rank in starting QB tier list by The Athletic?