John Mateer says the work he put in this spring was 'productive'

The 2026 Red-White Spring Game is in the books for the Oklahoma Sooners, with Team Red, comprising mostly of starters, defeating Team White, comprising mostly of backups, 31-3 in Norman. In Sooner Nation's first chance to see Team 132 on the field, OU's starters looked the part on Saturday.

As Oklahoma winds down spring practice (they'll have two more sessions before finishing up), the spring game was a good benchmark to see where the Sooners are at, with less than five months until kickoff. That includes redshirt-senior starting quarterback John Mateer, who was solid on Saturday. He went 12-for-19 passing for 192 yards and a touchdown in the spring game, showing off the new throwing mechanics he's been working on this offseason.

While the games only get bigger from here for Mateer, he told the media after the game that he's learned a lot this spring.

"I think it's super productive," Mateer said. "I think that's the word I'd use. You know, a lot of things still to clean up, but that's what's so beautiful about this game is every play, even on the good plays, there's something to do better, and that's the biggest thing I've learned, and every play there's some to learn, no matter if it's good or if it's bad."

Mateer's quest for improvement was one of the big storylines of the spring, and he has not been shy about putting in the work to get better at "playing quarterback" this offseason. He's also not shying away from the pressure of being the starting quarterback at OU, as he enters Year 2 in that role.

"If I ever feel a certain way, it's like, 'alright, well I've dreamed about this my whole life.' It's a lot of fun," Mateer said after the spring game. "I know how much, I understand how much it means to people more. I think that's the biggest thing, just being in it for a year, and seeing all the people, but that's the biggest change."

Clearly, Mateer knows he'll be in the spotlight between now and the end of his OU career in a few months. For the rest of the spring, the summer, and well into the fall, his play will be talked about, scrutinized, and analyzed. Such is the life of being Oklahoma's starting quarterback. After a "productive" spring camp and a clean spring game, it's back to work for Mateer, as he looks to continue to take strides toward improvement in 2026.