Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer is set to miss multiple weeks after undergoing surgery on his throwing hand. Mateer suffered the injury during the first quarter of Oklahoma’s 24-17 over Auburn last week.
Mateer is expected to return during the 2025 season, but there is no timetable for his recovery. The Washington State transfer had the second-best odds to win Heisman Trophy after leading the Sooners to two ranked victories in their first four games.
According to ESPN, Mateer is expected to miss approximately one month with the injury. That timeline would mean he will miss the Red River Rivalry game against No. 10 Texas and likely a road trip to South Carolina. If he returns then, it will be for five straight games against AP Top 25 opponents, starting with a home game against No. 13 Ole Miss.
After Mateer’s injury, the program announced sophomore quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. will start games for the second consecutive season. Here’s what you need to know about Oklahoma’s quarterback situation.
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Back to Hawkins
Oklahoma quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. was thrust into the lineup last season after starter Jackson Arnold struggled. Hawkins was rated a three-star recruit and the No. 35 quarterback in the Class of 2024 out of Frisco, Texas, according to 247Sports. He fielded offers from a number of major programs, but decided to enroll only a couple hours away at Oklahoma.
Hawkins showed intriguing flashes during his freshman season, throwing for 783 yards, rushing for 204 yards and scoring four total touchdowns in seven appearances. However, Texas shut him down last year in Red River, holding him to 175 total yards in a 34-3 shellacking at the Cotton Bowl. Hawkins eventually played poorly enough against South Carolina that Arnold was reinserted into the lineup. Hawkins started his final game in the Armed Forces Bowl, a 21-20 loss against Navy.
Oklahoma invested heavily to bring offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle from Washington State. He will have his work cut out trying to put Hawkins in manageable positions.
Wild cards
Oklahoma anticipated needing to beef up its quarterback room after the disastrous 2024 season and added Mercer transfer Whitt Newbauer over the offseason. As a freshman, Newbauer threw for 1,398 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions at the FCS level. He handled himself well against Alabama, throwing for 140 yards and a touchdown while completing 68% of his passes.
Additionally, 2025 recruit Jett Niu joined the program as a three-star prospect after flipping from Oklahoma State late in the cycle. Niu was recruited by Arbuckle at Washington State before joining him in Norman.
Big shoes to fill
Mateer has been one of the most dynamic players in football to start the year, ranking No. 2 nationally in total offense with 351.3 yards per game. In fact, non-Mateer players at Oklahoma have mustered only 80 yards per game as running backs have combined for only 280 yards rushing in four games. Plenty will be put on the shoulders of Hawkins to save an OU offense that ranked only No. 50 nationally even with Mateer in the lineup.
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