Oklahoma quarterbacks coach says John Mateer is calmer in 2026

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The Oklahoma Sooners will be relying heavily on starting quarterback John Mateer being better this year than he was last year. It's been a talking point of the entire offseason, and with the games still a month away, there's still just a bit longer to go to see how much he's improved since December.

One coach who knows him very well has noticed a slight change in his demeanor from last year to this year. John Kuceyeski, who is Oklahoma's quarterbacks coach, has been working with offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle since their days at Western Kentucky in 2022. When Arbuckle moved to Washington State, Kuceyeski came with him. That's where the duo linked up with Mateer, who was the backup in 2023 before a breakout season as the starter in 2024.

All three moved to Norman in 2025, meaning that 2026 will be the fourth year together for the trio, the fifth year together for Arbuckle and Kuceyeski, and the third year all together with Mateer as the starter. Suffice it to say, Kuceyeski knows Mateer very well, and he thinks his quarterback has settled in more in 2026.

"More of a calmness going into that SEC play for the second year," Kuceyeski said via Colton Sulley of The Oklahoman. "Last year there was a lot of different things at play throughout the season, but it was new every week. Every week was a new defense, and maybe it was a new scheme he hasn't played against, so now it's kind of that calmness of falling into some comfortability with that."

Kuceyeski also highlighted that Mateer, who was already a major leader for last year's team, has grown into even more of a leader this season, which he also alludes to the strength of being back at OU for 2026.

"With that comes an increased leadership role, and he's kind of upped that in a whole different way," Kuceyeski said. "Because like last year, he's trying to learn the locker room, learn the respect of the locker room, and now those guys know him, they know what he stands for. Now he can kind of coach them up a little harder maybe than in Year 1, or is more relational. So, I think leadership style and just overall comfortability has definitely been the biggest difference for him."

Among all of the other work that he's done this offseason, the stability of being back in Norman and having Arbuckle and Kuceyeski coaching him up for another year should bode well for Mateer this season. His experience in Arbuckle's Air Raid offense should suit him well as the Sooners look to take another step forward on offense this year.

Kuceyeski has been around college football for longer than both Arbuckle and Mateer, and was even the offensive coordinator/tight ends coach and offensive play-caller at FCS Eastern Illinois from 2019 to 2021. Running a pro-style, ball-control offense, the Panthers struggled mightily, winning just three games in three years. Kuceyeski was let go following Year 3, and he had to start over. He linked up with Arbuckle and now has found himself coaching quarterbacks at "QBU".

Kuceyeski has seen a lot over the nearly two decades that he's been in the coaching world. He believes the Sooners have a calmer, more comfortable quarterback in 2026, one that is an even better leader than he was a year ago.

"The one thing about him is he's never gonna make an excuse", Kuceyeski said. "That's just the type of human he is."

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma quarterbacks coach says John Mateer is calmer in 2026

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