A return of our Summer Scouting Series here at Steelers Depot. We highlight 2026 NFL Draft hopefuls who are generating buzz prior to the start of the 2025 CFB season at positions that the Pittsburgh Steelers may have interest in several months from now, once the pre-draft process really gets underway.
JOHN MATEER, QB, OKLAHOMA (R-JUNIOR) — 6-1, 224 POUNDS
THE GOOD
— Solid, filled-out frame for his size
— Has good play speed and explosiveness
— Threat with his legs as a runner
— Capable of escaping the pocket and making throws on the run
— Can make off-platform throws from various arm angles
— Good velocity and zip on his throws
— Ball arrives fast and on time to his intended target
— Can drop the ball in the bucket down the field and along the sideline
— Willing to attack the middle of the field as a passer
— Has active feet in the pocket and plays with a solid base
THE BAD
— A tad shorter than you desire from an NFL starting quarterback
— Can rely too much on his arm talent and get lazy with his footwork
— Will loft throws into coverage, putting the ball in harm’s way
— Needs to do a better job going through his progressions
— Played against subpar competition last season at Washington State
— Needs to show he can make more throws consistently from the pocket
BIO
— Redshirt junior prospect from Little Elm, Texas
— Born April 28, 2004
— Three-star recruit, according to Rivals
— Organizational leadership major
— 2022: Completed both of his pass attempts with a 27-yard touchdown pass and rushed four times for 58 yards as a reserve
— 2023: Completed 13-of-17 passes for 235 yards, two touchdowns and one interception and rushed 20 times for 61 yards and three touchdowns as a reserve
— 2024: Completed 224-of-347 passes (64.6%) for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns with seven interceptions and rushed 178 times for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns in 12 starts
— Transferred to Oklahoma ahead of the 2025 season
— Pac-12 Conference Offensive Top Performer (2024), Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll (2023)
TAPE BREAKDOWN
John Mateer sat behind Cam Ward his first two seasons at Washington State. After Ward transferred to Miami (FL) — and ultimately became the first pick of the 2025 NFL Draft — Mateer got his time to shine. Mateer put together a strong 2024 season at Washington State, completing 64.6% of his passes for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns with seven interceptions while rushing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Following the season, Mateer entered the transfer portal. He committed to Oklahoma, hoping to become the next great Sooners quarterback to succeed after transferring schools.
When you pop in the tape on Mateer, you see a slightly undersized, yet exciting quarterback who flashes on the screen. His ability to throw off-platform with various arm angles jumps out at you. He makes plays in a similar way that the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen do, effortlessly throwing sidearming passes on the move, like in the clips below against Washington.
Mateer attacks the middle of the field well as a passer, using his ability to make throws at different angles to work passes around defenders and thread the needle like he does in this clip below against Utah State. After dropping back, he works his pass around the defensive lineman in the pocket and gets the ball to his receiver in the end zone, a great anticipatory throw and catch.
Mateer provides a fair amount of zip on the ball, getting the ball quickly to his intended target. Watch Mateer hum these two touchdown passes against New Mexico. He attacks the middle of the field, throwing a dart to his receiver and fitting the ball through the coverage for the score.
Mateer has the throw power and velocity for the fastball. He also has the touch to drop the ball into the bucket in the end zone or along the sideline like we see in this clip below against New Mexico. He steps into his throw, placing it in the corner of the end zone over the shoulder of his receiver for the touchdown.
While a capable passer, Mateer is notably dangerous for what he can do with his legs at the quarterback position. He set the school record for rushing yards and touchdowns by a quarterback last season and his tape shows that skill set to pick up chunks of yards both as a scrambler and designed quarterback runs from the pocket.
Mateer is quick and agile as a runner, making him a legit threat to take it to the house if left unaccounted for. Watch in the first clip how Mateer takes the QB draw up the middle and takes off in the second level. He nearly makes it to the end zone before being wrestled out of bounds at the goal line. In the second clip, watch Mateer house two touchdowns on the ground in the Apple Cup against Washington, evading multiple defenders on both plays to make it into the end zone.
Mateer has plenty of upside, but he needs to hone in the fundamentals to become a reliable starter in the NFL. He can get lazy with his footwork and rely too much on his arm, airmailing passes over his receiver’s head and putting the ball in harm’s way. In this clip below, Mateer lofts a deep ball that the safety runs under it for the easy interception after he fails to step into his pass.
CONCLUSION
John Mateer is an intriguing prospect with the arm talent and athleticism that is enticing in this modern age of football. He has the dual-threat skill set to beat opposing defenses on the ground and through the air. However, he needs to prove he can do it against heightened competition in the SEC as well as clean up some of his sloppy tendencies to prove he is worthy of being one of the top quarterback prospects in this draft class.
There are aspects of Mateer’s game that are very similar to Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray coming out of college. But he also shares some of the same tendencies as Johnny Manziel, making him a polarizing prospect to watch throughout the 2025 college football season.
Projection: Day 2
Games Watched: at New Mexico (2024), vs Wyoming (2024), at Washington (2024), vs Utah State (2024)
