What is John Mateer hoping to improve upon in 2026?

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer is one of the most important players in the SEC heading into the 2026 season. The Sooners have a good roster around him. As we saw in 2025, it's good enough to take Oklahoma to the College Football Playoff, even without Mateer playing his best.

But if Mateer is at his best throughout the season, he could take them much further than just making the playoff. Oklahoma's starting quarterback shared with those in attendance at SEC media days that he knows he has to improve.

"It starts with me," Mateer said. "I've raised my intensity." Mateer regularly pointed the finger back to himself when asked about how the team can take the next step. But what specifically has Mateer been looking to improve?

"The biggest one has been the completion percentage, moving the ball forward, staying ahead of the chains" Mateer said. "That's one of them. It's the accuracy, the timing, the decision-making, that's how that happens."

Mateer completed just 62.2% of his passes last season, the lowest in his four-year career between Washington State and Oklahoma. According to Pro Football Focus, on intermediate throws 10-19 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, he completed just 54.2% of his passes. Beyond 20 yards down the field, that number drops to 33.3%.

Oklahoma had a hard time extending drives last year, which is why they had to rely so much on the leg of kicker Tate Sandell or explosive plays to score points. If Mateer can improve to 65% or better, that's going to give the Sooners a better opportunity to move the ball into touchdown range. That's 11 more completions over the course of the season. Which may not sound like a lot, but that could mean one more first down a game or a throw into the end zone that's a touchdown instead of an interception.

Some of his issues completing passes had to do with the thumb injury and subsequent surgery. Some of it was the raised level of competition. Another part of it had to do with the team being fairly one-dimensional. Defenses could sit back and play coverage against Oklahoma because that was the only real way for them to consistently move the football.

Mateer can be better, and in year two with the Sooners, year four with offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, and now with a season under his belt in the SEC, improved talent around him, and a better running game, he will be.

The Sooners have one of the best quarterbacks in college football leading them into the 2026 season. And if he takes the step that is expected this year, Oklahoma will be a better team than the one we saw last year.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: What is John Mateer hoping to improve upon in 2026?