After Colorado DB/WR Travis Hunter edged out Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty for the 2024 [autotag]Heisman Trophy[/autotag], some already have their eyes on the next recipient of the award.
The Oklahoma Sooners are certainly no strangers to the coveted trophy, as seven OU players have won the Heisman. Running backs [autotag]Billy Vessels[/autotag], [autotag]Steve Owens[/autotag] and [autotag]Billy Sims[/autotag] all won in the 20th century, while quarterbacks [autotag]Jason White[/autotag], [autotag]Sam Bradford[/autotag], [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] are OU’s 21st century winners. Players like [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag], [autotag]Adrian Peterson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag] have also finished as runner-ups for the prestigious award.
But looking ahead, could the 2025 winner of the Heisman Trophy be wearing a Sooner uniform?
The answer could be found via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. In fact, USA TODAY Sports already has a list of potential Heisman candidates for 2025, identifying a total of 11 players.
One of those players was former Washington State QB John Mateer. He has entered the transfer portal and will be one of the top quarterbacks available. He’s expected to be at the top of Oklahoma’s wish list at the position.
That’s because Oklahoma’s new offensive coordinator [autotag]Ben Arbuckle[/autotag] coached Mateer to an excellent season in Pullman in 2024. With Arbuckle now in Norman, the Sooners could have an inside track to landing the native Texan.
Mateer’s former offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle recently took the same job at Oklahoma and would be an obvious potential landing spot if he decides to enter the transfer portal, although he may very well be a Heisman contender regardless of what school he plays for next year. – Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Sports
Mateer signing with OU would be massive for the program. The Sooners struggled at the quarterback position all year long, and he would be an upgrade at the position.
Furthermore, he already knows Arbuckle’s offense, so there would be much less of a learning curve for him under center.
Mateer is expected to have plenty of other suitors, so the Sooners will have to pay up if they want to bring him to Norman.
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