Oklahoma 26, South Carolina 7
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Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer got the 2025 season off to an impressive start, leading the Sooners to some big wins and showcasing his special skill set with a strong arm and mobility. Mateer injured the thumb on his throwing hand and was expected to be out for a month. Mateer rushed back from thumb surgery and played only 17 days later last week against Texas. Mateer really struggled against the Longhorns, throwing three terrible interceptions and taking some bad sacks. Mateer needed a bad bounce-back performance against the Gamecocks.
On the opening drive of the game, Mateer looked good, throwing some accurate strikes with good reads in the short to intermediate part of the field, and that helped set up a rushing score for the Sooners. Mateer mirrored that drive to set up another rushing score.
In the third quarter, Mateer made some nice throws, including a perfect strike on a third down that was dropped by his receiver. Mateer led a field goal drive midway through the third, and was fortunate that a diving Jalen Kilgore came up short for an interception when he snuck underneath a throwing lane to the slot receiver. That drive settled for a field goal, and late in the third quarter, Mateer did a pump fake to draw coverage and then lofted in a 20-yard touchdown pass. On the next drive, Mateer used his legs to run for a critical first down, pushing through a defender to reach the ball for the conversion. Mateer finished completing 18-of-26 passes for 150 yards with a touchdown and zero interceptions.
For the NFL, Mateer looks like a starter who could be a playmaking passer. Mateer is an accurate passer with good ball placement overall. He has a few throws get away from him each game, but Mateer has impressive precision as a passer. Mateer needs to improve his field vision, especially with zone coverage, as that weakness has led to some interceptions this season. Mateer is very mobile in the pocket and can hurt defenses on the ground. As a passer, Mateer is similar to Baker Mayfield, but Mateer is a better athlete and more dangerous with his feet. If Mateer plays well to close out the season, he could be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but Mateer may opt to go back to Oklahoma next season.
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South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers entered the 2025 season as one of the top quarterback prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft. However, Sellers has been inconsistent this season and has not shown strides in his development after a strong finish to the 2024 season. Sellers needs to show improvement in consistency down the stretch to ensure he is a first-round pick if he enters the 2026 NFL Draft.
Sellers started out the game leading a nice drive, throwing a bullet on an 11-yard hitch to Nyck Harbor, and moving deep into Oklahoma territory before a fourth-down run was stopped to kill the drive inside the five. After that opening possession, the Gamecocks’ offensive line was getting whipped up front and allowing Sellers
Late in the second quarter, Sellers converted a fourth-and-2 by using his speed to run to the perimeter for the yardage. A couple of plays later, Sellers was incredible in the pocket, dodging and juking a few defenders to avoid a sack. To end the drive, Sellers had three Sooners about to hit him, but he kept his eyes on the end zone and threw a pretty pass flat-footed to the back of the end zone for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Sellers bounced off two tackles to avoid a sack and keep his team out of a negative play. The very next play, he broke another sack in the pocket and then took off on a 10-yard run. However, the Gamecocks’ drives were stalling and not producing points as Oklahoma dominated the line of scrimmage. Sellers was under constant pressure, and the Sooners were hurrying him quickly. Sellers was 17-of-25 for 124 yards with a touchdown.
For the NFL, Sellers has the physical talent to be a starter. He is a big quarterback with a powerful arm and the ability to punish defenses deep down the field. Sellers is a dangerous runner who can extend plays, and his escapability in the pocket is tremendous. However, Sellers is inconsistent with his accuracy and pocket passing. He has issues with field vision and holding the ball too long. In many ways, Sellers is similar to Anthony Richardson coming out of Florida. While he has a great skill set, Sellers is going to be a project who needs development for the NFL. Team sources think Sellers should go back to school next year to improve and develop his accuracy before going to the pros.
