Oklahoma's John Mateer reveals what's impressed him about UTEP

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The Oklahoma Sooners kick off their 2026 college football season on Friday in Norman against the University of Texas at El Paso Miners. This is the first time fans get to see the team against another team since last year's College Football Playoff loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Quarterback John Mateer is returning behind center for his final season. He is coming off an inconsistent 2025 season. He threw for 2,885 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Mateer played much of the season with a broken thumb; however, this year he's healthy and ready to make an impact.

Mateer said in an interview with reporters that he's excited for the season to get underway, but they can't overlook the Miners.

"I expect to see a good opponent," Mateer said via SoonerScoop. "They do a lot of different things, and they play hard. They've got a lot of guys coming back, and we're excited."

There is little doubt Oklahoma is expected to win Friday night. The Sooners are ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll and return several key defensive players who made at least six starts last season, while Mateer and leading receiver Isaiah Sategna are also back.

That makes the opener less about whether Oklahoma should win and more about how the Sooners look doing it. Mateer's health, the offense's efficiency, and the defense's ability to maintain its elite standard will all be worth watching before the schedule becomes significantly more demanding.

For Mateer, the UTEP game represents the beginning of his final opportunity to change the narrative surrounding his Oklahoma career. The Miners deserve Oklahoma's attention, but the real objective is bigger: start clean, establish confidence, and build toward the stretch of the schedule that will ultimately determine whether the Sooners can return to the playoff and make a deeper run this time.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma's John Mateer reveals what's impressed him about UTEP

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