Oklahoma Sooners QB John Mateer to play CFP without wrap on hand from thumb injury
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The Oklahoma Sooners’ preparation for the College Football Playoff included encouraging news regarding quarterback John Mateer. The Sooners used the extended break between the end of the regular season and the CFP to focus on recovery and game planning for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and all eyes have been on Mateer.
The 21-year-old injured his throwing hand early in the season and underwent surgery following Oklahoma’s Sept. 20 game against Auburn. Since returning just 17 days after the procedure, he had worn KT tape around the base of his thumb and wrist in every practice and game. That changed during a media viewing of practice on Monday, when Mateer threw without any tape for the first time in more than two months.
“If you asked him, he still has some soreness, so he’s not pain-free,” Sooners head coach Brent Venables said during a pre-CFP Zoom session on Wednesday. “From a stability standpoint, I think he’s better than he’s been, gripping the ball and things like that. So, that’s why he doesn’t have it on.”
In 11 games this season, Mateer has thrown for 2,578 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while completing 62.1 percent of his passes. His efficiency slipped a notch from his 64.6 percent completion rate a year ago and from his early-season form in 2025. Before the injury, Mateer completed 67.3 percent of his throws for 1,215 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has also remained a significant factor in the run game, contributing 416 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 130 carries.
Oklahoma’s offense will need improvement in the CFP rematch with Alabama. Although the Sooners won 23-21 in Tuscaloosa earlier this season, they managed only 212 total yards, the program’s lowest output in a win since 2001. Eli Bowen’s 87-yard interception return for a touchdown, Jaydan Hardy forcing a fumble on special teams to set up a short field, and Taylor Wein stripping the quarterback to create points all helped secure the victory. Even while gaining only 212 yards to the Crimson Tide’s 406, the Sooners won the turnover margin 3-0.
Mateer said the additional practice time since the regular season ended has helped restore confidence and sharpen mechanics.
“Practice brings confidence, I’ve believed that my whole life,” Mateer said on Monday. “Just being able to do it, get back to where I was, it’s still a battle. It happened, and I’m always battling for it, being really detailed in the way I throw it every time the ball comes out of my hand.”
Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and the quarterback have both acknowledged that more consistent execution will be required against Alabama.
Friday’s CFP game will be the third meeting between Oklahoma and Alabama in 13 months and carries major stakes, with the winner advancing to face No. 1 seed Indiana in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. The Crimson Tide enters with a 10-3 record and six national titles since 2009, but the Sooners have prevailed in five of the past six meetings. Venables has stressed that the rematch will likely come down to the wire, with careful ball handling and offensive balance being crucial for Oklahoma in their quest for their first CFP victory.
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