Oklahoma quarterback and early Heisman frontrunner John Mateer will undergo surgery to address a right-hand injury he suffered in the first quarter of last week’s victory over Auburn, the school announced on Tuesday.
OU head coach Brent Venables says the expectation is that Mateer will be able to return to action sometime this season.
“After consulting with medical experts, it became clear that surgery is the best option for John and his short- and long-term future,” Venables said. “He’s extremely disappointed he will miss some game action but is eager to correct the issue and move forward. As he is with everything, we know he will be aggressive with his rehabilitation and work to return to the field as quickly as possible.”
Mateer, a redshirt junior, has been a revelation for the Sooners’ offense since transferring in from Washington State this offseason to join former WSU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle in Norman. Through No. 7 Oklahoma’s 4-0 start, including wins over Michigan and Auburn, Mateer has thrown for 1,215 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 190 yards and four scores.
Over his last 16 games across the 2024-25 seasons, Mateer has thrown for 4,354 yards, rushed for 1,016 and accounted for 55 touchdowns (35 passing, 20 rushing). He entered this week with the best odds to win the Heisman Trophy (+700), according to BetMGM.
In Mateer’s absence, Oklahoma announced that sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. will be the team’s starting QB for the time being. Hawkins started four games and appeared in seven last year as a true freshman, throwing for 783 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions and rushing for 204 yards and a score.
“We have all the confidence in the world in Michael and are excited for his opportunity to lead our offense while John recovers,” Venables said. “He had some big moments for us last season as a true freshman and has just gotten better and better. I’m proud of the work Michael’s put in and the progress he’s made, and know he will attack this opportunity to help lead our football team.”
The Sooners are off this week and return to action next week vs. Kent State (1-3) before taking on rival Texas on Oct. 11 in the Red River Rivalry in Dallas.
