Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer plans to undergo surgery on his right throwing hand on Wednesday to repair an injury suffered in Saturday’s win over Auburn, the program announced on Tuesday.
Sooners coach Brent Venables provided no timetable for his return but said Mateer, a redshirt junior, is expected to miss “some game action” and “return to action sometime this season.” A program source told The Athletic the hope is Mateer can get back by Oct. 18 for the South Carolina game — a week after the Sooners play rival Texas — but Oklahoma won’t have a better sense of his possible return date until after the surgery.
“After consulting with medical experts, it became clear that surgery is the best option for John and his short- and long-term future,” Venables said. “He’s extremely disappointed he will miss some game action but is eager to correct the issue and move forward. As he is with everything, we know he will be aggressive with his rehabilitation and work to return to the field as quickly as possible.”
Sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr., who played in seven games and started four last season, is expected to start for the No. 7 Sooners (4-0, 1-0 SEC) in their next game on Oct. 4 against Kent State. Hawkins was 1-3 in starts last season and was benched for Jackson Arnold, who he initially replaced. Arnold transferred to Auburn after the season