Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer is pushing to return for Saturday’s game against Texas, sources tell ESPN.
There is a belief that Mateer’s return less than three weeks after hand surgery is possible, sources say, as he has responded well to the operation. It’s unclear when a decision on whether Mateer is available to play will be made, as Oklahoma coach Brent Venables has said publicly he’s unsure whether he’ll return.
Mateer is recovering from surgery on a broken bone in his right hand (throwing) that took place almost two weeks ago. Mateer playing against Texas in Saturday’s Allstate Red River rivalry would fit with the most optimistic return timeline, as he would be 17 days away from surgery.
Venables said Tuesday that Mateer was going through “his normal protocol” but stressed that the quarterback had “not done any good surface work.”
“I don’t know anything about the injury,” Venables said. “When they tell me he’s available, I’ll let you know.”
Mateer was injured in the first quarter of Oklahoma’s 24-17 win over Auburn on September 20. He played the rest of the game and finished 24 of 36 for 271 yards.
Mateer underwent surgery on September 24, as he flew to Los Angeles to get the surgery from hand/wrist surgeon Dr. Steven Shin. The timeline was supposed to be in the neighborhood of a month.
At the time of the injury, Mateer had established himself as the Heisman Trophy favorite and one of the best players in the sport. He completed 67.4% of passes, throwing for 1,215 yards and six touchdowns.
Mateer is also a force in the Sooners’ running game, as he rushed for 190 yards and five touchdowns. He remains second in the nation with 351.3 yards per game of total offense, trailing only Arkansas’ Taylen Green.
Mateer has only missed one game since his injury was announced, as Oklahoma had a bye and then played Kent State last week.
Michael Hawkins Jr. started at quarterback for Oklahoma against Kent State, leading the Sooners to a 44-0 victory. He passed for 162 yards and ran for 33 in the victory, completing 14 of 24 attempts and throwing three touchdowns.
ESPN’s Eli Lederman contributed to this report.
