Quarterback John Mateer is entering his second season with the Oklahoma Sooners. Last year, the signal-caller suffered a broken bone in his throwing hand. However, he made a quick recovery and still played in 12 of Oklahoma's 13 games in 2025.
Mateer has his ups and downs. He completed 247-of-397 passes for 2,885 yards, 14 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 129.4 passer rating. He was a real threat on the ground, though, racking up 431 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 149 carries.
While he's still playing under head coach Brent Venables, there are a handful of new faces. That includes tight end coach Jason Witten.
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While Witten doesn't coach Mateer's position, the quarterback has already benefited from having him around. During SEC Media Days on Monday, Mateer praised the former NFL star.
“You hang around guys like that, and they’re just gold, and they’re just giving you gold all the time,” Mateer said. “So I’m around him as much as I can, and luckily, he calls me and gives me that wisdom. You know, he wants to share his wisdom, and we’ve seen that in the offense, and that’s been great. He is a great dude. To get the great dude, and great wisdom, and great coach. There aren’t a whole lot of people like that, but he’s one of them.”
Witten spent 17 seasons in the NFL, playing for the Dallas Cowboys (2003 to 2017 and 2019) and Las Vegas Raiders (2020). During that time, he earned 11 Pro Bowl nods and accumulated 1,228 receptions for 13,046 yards and 74 touchdowns.
He gives Oklahoma an extremely experienced voice to the coaching staff, and Mateer is clearly embracing the opportunity to learn from him. As the Sooners prepare for the 2026 season, Witten's knowledge and leadership could be valuable to the quarterback's development.
