Oklahoma Sooners’ John Mateer predicted to have Cam Ward-like rise after Titans made Miami star No. 1 pick | Sporting News

Not long after Cam Ward took a detour on his professional career to head to Coral Gables and become the starting quarterback for the Miami Hurricanes last year, the buzz started.

Ward was believed to be a game-changersomething Canes fans hadnt seen in decades.

Ward lived up to every bit of the hype and then some.

He became a Heisman Trophy finalist, broke long-standing Miami records while helping teammates do the same, and ultimately became the No.

1 overall pick in this years NFL Draft to the Tennessee Titans after being projected as a fifth-rounder the year before.

So when ESPNs Paul Finebaum asked On3s J.D.

PicKell who this years version of Ward might be, PicKell pointed to Oklahoma transfer quarterback John Mateer.

This time last year, Paul, if you talk to people close to Miami, they were beating their chest saying, Yeah, Cam Wards a dude...

Cam Ward is going to be a dog this year.

They werent tippy-toeing around it, PicKell said.

They werent saying maybe hell be good.

Theyre saying the same kind of thing right now around John Mateer in Norman, Oklahoma.

So, Im not saying hes going to win the Heisman Trophy.

Im not saying hes going to be the first overall pick.

But the way they speak about John Mateer, the confidence they speak about John Mateer with...

Im very, very excited to watch him continue what he did in Pullman, Washington.

PicKell has been high on Mateer since shortly after he joined Oklahoma through the winter transfer portal.

When spring practices began, PicKell emphasized the early buzz around the Sooners new quarterback .

Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp Everyone in Norman is like, Yeah, hes a dude, man.

Hes an absolute baller.

Were going to be in good shape with him pulling the trigger.

Everything else, well see how it translates, but we feel good about John Mateer, he said.

Mateer is now tasked with revamping a Sooners offense that ranked just 97th nationally last season, scoring 24.8 points per game behind now-Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold.

As for the Ward comparisons, Mateer actually backed up Ward at Washington State for two seasons.

But when he took over as starter last year, he posted monster numbers3,965 total yards and 44 total touchdownswhich quickly made him one of the most sought-after quarterbacks in the portal this past winter.

If Mateer hopes to follow Wards path to the NFL, ESPNs Dan Orlovsky believes the opportunity is there.

He listed 11 quarterbacksincluding Mateeras potential standouts for the 2026 NFL Draft: Arch Manning, Drew Allar, LaNorris Sellers, Garrett Nussmeier, Nico Iamaleava, Cade Klubnik, Sam Leavitt, John Mateer, Carson Beck, Dante Moore and Malachi Nelson.

Unlike Ward, that's a much more talented class that Mateer will have to contend with should he declare in next year's class..

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