According to multiple sources, there was always a chance that Oklahoma star quarterback John Mateer could play against Texas, but it would've apparently been a "long shot". He had surgery to repair a broken bone in his throwing hand, and it seems like that would take more than just a couple of weeks to heal.
Unfortunately for the Longhorns, Mateer has other plans according to Jason Suchomel of OrangeBloods.com:
"We had sourcing reach out to us on Monday night, indicating the same thing, per someone close to Mateer. Oklahoma will issue a formal injury report on Wednesday night and we likely won’t hear final word on this until Friday night or maybe even just before kickoff, but OB sources – combined with national reports – have us expecting Mateer to be in action on Saturday afternoon. An Oklahoma source we connected with this week also said Mateer is expecting to play."
Having Mateer back and functional for the Red River Rivalry game could be scary for a Texas defense that's failed to pressure the quarterback as of late. The last thing that Longhorns DC Pete Kwiatkowski wants to happen is an operable John Mateer sitting back in the pocket and making accurate throws all game long. Though Texas' defensive backs have been playing pretty well, it'll put more stress on them if Mateer doesn't have pressure in his face at a solid clip.
Sack avoidance + laser throw (great catch too) from John Mateer. Love watching this kid play pic.twitter.com/SJgXW3N3eG
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 8, 2025
Backup QB Michael Hawkins is an excellent athlete and can hurt defenses with his legs, but his arm talent is nowhere near the likes of Mateer at this point. Before getting hurt, Mateer was actually getting some Heisman love from the voters and if he ends up playing this weekend, Texas will have to find ways to pressure him on a consistent basis.
With how big of a rivalry game this is for both teams, the entirety of the college football world will be tuning in to see whether or not Mateer actually suits up for this one. The overall vibe is that he will unless he suffers a setback between now and Saturday.