On Saturday afternoon, all eyes will be on Dallas, Texas, for the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma. While the game may have lost some national spotlight after the Longhorns’ 29-21 loss to Florida, the rivalry remains huge for both fan bases.
No. 6 Oklahoma is still very much in the College Football Playoff and SEC title hunt. Leading up to this matchup, speculation has swirled around the status of Sooner quarterback John Mateer. The Oklahoma signal-caller had hand surgery on Sept. 25, last playing in the Sooners’ 24-17 win over Auburn on Sept. 20.
There’s a chance Mateer could at least attempt to play in Saturday’s game. Here’s the latest on his injury and his status for the matchup against Texas.
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John Mateer injury update vs. Texas
The speculation began on Tuesday, as ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that Mateer was "pushing to return" for Saturday's game vs. Texas. Here's more from Thamel's reporting:
There's a belief that Mateer's return less than three weeks after hand surgery is possible, according to sources, as he has reacted well to the operation. It's unclear when a decision on Mateer being available to play will be made, as Oklahoma coach Brent Venables has said publicly that it's uncertain when he will return.
Mateer is recovering from surgery on a broken bone in his right (throwing) hand that took place nearly two weeks ago. Mateer playing against Texas in Saturday's Allstate Red River Rivalry would dovetail with the most optimistic return timelines, as he would be 17 days out of surgery.
Thamel's reporting suggests that Mateer could see the field as early as Saturday. But Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables appeared to throw cold water on the situation at media availability.
“I don’t know anything about this injury," Venables said at Tuesday's press conference. "When (the doctor and trainers) tell me he’s ready, that’s when I’ll know."
Venables added that Mateer has been practicing with the team, but has yet to see first-team reps.
“He’s done zero good-on-good work. … I think if you’re going to play, you’ve got to do some good-on-good," Venables continued.
Mateer's offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, suggested that his quarterback pushing to play is more a product of his competitive nature more than anything.
“John’s a very process (oriented) guy. He’s going to follow the directions given by the doctor,” Arbuckle said Tuesday. “And if there’s any sort of gray area, he may lean toward more of the darker shade of the gray whenever it comes to the recovery process and that’s just because he’s a competitor. That’s just kind of how he’s wired.
“John knows his body. I think he understands ultimately what’s best for the team. But he doesn’t want to put himself in a compromising position, either. So, whenever he’s turning toward that darker shade of gray, he always has his body in mind also. … And so, of course, he’s going to try to get himself ready as quick as he can. But ultimately, I don’t think anybody wants to put him in a compromising position personally.”
We’ll have to wait and see how it all shakes out. For now, it sounds like Mateer is showing why he’s considered a gamer, wanting to suit up for one of Oklahoma’s biggest rivalry games.
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Who is Mateer's backup quarterback?
While Mateer has been recovering from surgery, the Sooners have turned to backup Michael Hawkins Jr. During Oklahoma’s 44-0 win against Kent State, Hawkins completed 14-of-24 passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns, adding 33 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown as well.
As a true freshman last season, Hawkins saw action against Texas in this same rivalry game. In the Sooners’ 34-3 loss, he threw for 148 yards with no touchdowns and was sacked six times.
Saturday’s game promises to be competitive. Texas is listed as a slight 1.5-point favorite. Aside from Texas’ 34-3 and 49-0 victories in 2024 and 2022, the last nine meetings in Dallas have been decided by just one score.
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