High-profile athletes are often targets of social media ridicule over past posts, and Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer may be at the center of one of the latest internet controversies.
On Monday night, Mateer’s name trended on X after alleged screenshots surfaced of his old Venmo transactions, per Deadspin's Bryan Aguada.
The posts, now deleted, appeared to show Mateer paying a “Richard Roaten” for “Sports Gambling” back in November 2022, including one labeled “UCLA vs. USC.”
These alleged payments date back to Mateer’s freshman year at Washington State, where he appeared in just one game, completing two passes for 32 yards and a touchdown.
On Venmo, users can choose whether transactions are public or private and can write any description they want when sending money. That means Mateer’s transaction titles could have been an inside joke — not an admission of actual gambling.
“Those Venmo receipts definitely aren’t actually him sports gambling, but just in general, it is very funny that Venmo transactions are public. There’s really zero good reason for it. Let us have our bizarre collection of inside joke emojis in peace,” CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah posted.
The NCAA prohibits their athletes from wagering on NCAA-sanctioned events, so if the matter is investigated and found legitimate, Mateer could face severe punishment.
That would be a major blow to No. 18 Oklahoma, which enters the 2025 season with high expectations.
“Oklahoma is in line for a big season and John Mateer is the reason,” ESPN’s Paul Finebaum said.
Mateer was one of the top ranked transfer portal quarterbacks. If the Sooners were to lose him, they would have an even tougher time navigating one of the tougher schedules in college football.
UPDATE
In a social media post later on Tuesday, Mateer said that all allegations against him were "false" and that they were "inside jokes between me and friends."
— John Mateer (@John_Mateer4) August 12, 2025