John Mateer QB Oklahoma | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
John Mateer QB Oklahoma
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| PLAY STYLE: Dual Threat QB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 05/05/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.65 seconds (84%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| PLAY STYLE: Dual Threat QB | |
| Last Updated: 05/05/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| 40 time: 4.65 seconds (84%*) | |
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| Overall Rating: | 83.0 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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76% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Release Speed: |
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76% |
| Short Passing: |
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67% |
| Medium Passing: |
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77% |
| Long Passing: |
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83% |
| Rush/Scramble: |
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85% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
4th
Overall Rank:
#135
Position rank:
#9
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| College Games: 19 College Snaps: 879 | ||
ESPN RATING: 79/100
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247 RATING: 82/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.2 (85%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Michael Pratt - Tulane |
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80% |
| Dustin Crum - Kent State |
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74% |
| Malik Willis - Liberty |
|
73% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Hailing from Little Elm, Texas, John Mateer has followed an unconventional path to becoming Oklahoma's starting quarterback. A three-star recruit according to ESPN and 247Sports (two-star by Rivals), Mateer began his collegiate career at Washington State where he served as Cam Ward's backup for two seasons before earning the starting role in 2024. He produced solid numbers in his first season as a starter, completing 64.6% of his passes for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdowns against 7 interceptions while adding 826 rushing yards and 15 scores on the ground. Against San Jose State, he became the first player in Washington State history to record both 300+ passing yards and 100+ rushing yards in a single game.Mateer's development at Washington State followed a gradual progression – appearing in one game in 2022, seeing limited action across 11 games in 2023, then stepping into the starting role in 2024. His dual-threat capabilities were evident during his senior year at Little Elm High School, where he threw for 2,449 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing for 847 yards and 15 scores. This culminated in District 5-6A Offensive Player of the Year honors and unanimous All-District first-team selection. Throughout his high school career, Mateer accumulated 7,060 passing yards, 66 passing touchdowns, 1,223 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns.
Mateer's decision to follow offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to Oklahoma represents a pivotal move in his development. As a team captain at Washington State, he demonstrated leadership qualities and an ability to produce in Arbuckle's system. His 44 total touchdowns in 2024 led the nation, earning him recognition as a Manning Award Finalist and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Semifinalist. While Mateer's sample size as a starter remains limited to 12 games against primarily non-Power Five competition, his upcoming season in the more challenging SEC environment will provide a more complete picture of his capabilities against elite defensive talent.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Exhibits remarkable suddenness as a runner, forcing 55 missed tackles in 2024 with the rare ability to make defenders look silly in space while maintaining balance through contact.
- Demonstrates impressive arm talent with easy velocity on deep throws, particularly when rolling to his right, delivering the ball with significant zip without appearing to strain.
- Shows advanced processing speed pre-snap, quickly identifying leverage advantages and consistently exploiting matchups against linebackers with precision throws between the hashes.
- Displays patience in the pocket that belies his rushing ability, keeping eyes downfield through his progressions rather than defaulting to his legs at the first sign of pressure.
- Possesses exceptional short-area quickness with elite burst through running lanes, evidenced by his 38 carries of 10+ yards and ability to punish defenses who don't account for him.
- Throws with anticipation on intermediate routes, delivering passes before receivers make their breaks with enough touch to drop balls into tight windows against zone coverage.
- Maintains throwing mechanics under duress, rarely letting pressure compromise his platform or follow-through, resulting in accurate passes even when bodies are closing in.
- Demonstrates natural leadership qualities that command respect, elevating to team captain status despite limited starting experience and showing command of the offense.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Occasionally displays inconsistent ball placement on short throws, with passes sometimes arriving at the receiver's knees or behind them, limiting potential yards after catch.
- Shows concerning tendencies to hold the ball too long against disguised coverages, resulting in avoidable pressures and forcing him to rely on athleticism as a bailout.
- Struggles with consistency in progressions against complex defensive looks, sometimes locking onto his primary read and missing open receivers on backside concepts.
- Exhibits moments of overconfidence in his arm, attempting dangerous throws into closing windows that worked in college but will become interceptions against NFL defensive backs.
- Lacks ideal height at 6'1" leading to occasional batted passes at the line of scrimmage, particularly when throwing from traditional pocket setups rather than on the move.
Scouting Report: Summary
Mateer projects as a potential high-value quarterback prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft if his development continues on its current trajectory. The upcoming 2025 season at Oklahoma represents a critical evaluation period as he transitions to SEC competition. His rare combination of processing ability and athletic traits makes him particularly valuable in an era where quarterbacks are expected to create with their legs while still delivering from the pocket. NFL teams utilizing heavy play-action, RPO concepts, and designed quarterback runs will be watching closely to see if his dual-threat capabilities translate against elite defenses.The parallels between Mateer and Cam Ward are undeniable, as both quarterbacks developed under Ben Arbuckle at Washington State before making significant jumps in production. While Mateer doesn't yet possess Ward's polish and cannon-like arm as a pure pocket passer, his athleticism and running instincts give him a different dimension that creative NFL offensive coordinators will salivate over. His upcoming season in the SEC will be telling – if he maintains efficiency against elite competition while continuing to develop his short-game accuracy, NFL teams could view him as a potential high-round talent in 2026.
The team that eventually drafts Mateer will be getting a quarterback with genuine star potential who still has significant room to grow. His ability to create explosive plays both through the air and on the ground should translate to the NFL level, though he'll need a patient coaching staff willing to design an offense around his strengths rather than forcing him into a traditional dropback system. With proper development during his Oklahoma tenure and the right NFL landing spot, Mateer has the tools to become a dangerous dual-threat quarterback, capable of stressing defenses in multiple ways on every snap.
How other scouting services rate John Mateer (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
145.8
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
11.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.