Oklahoma quarterback and early Heisman Trophy front-runner John Mateer will miss about a month after suffering a broken bone in his right (throwing) hand in Saturday's win over Auburn, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.
The Sooners announced Mateer will undergo surgery, but did not disclose details of the injury or a timeline for return.
Mateer's injury came in the first quarter of the 24-17 win, the seventh-ranked Sooners' second victory over an AP Top 25 team this season.
Mateer is scheduled to undergo the surgery Wednesday in Los Angeles. Dr. Steven Shin will perform the surgery, sources told Thamel. Shin, considered one of the country's leading hand/wrist surgeons, has worked on Drew Brees, Stephen Curry and Mike Trout.
"After consulting with medical experts, it became clear that surgery is the best option for John and his short- and long-term future," coach Brent 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."
Mateer's injury is a massive blow to the Sooners, who are off to a 4-0 start with wins over Michigan and Auburn.
Mateer, who transferred in from Washington State during the offseason, has been the catalyst behind Oklahoma's stark turnaround after a 6-7 finish in 2024.
He has completed 67.4% of his passes for 1,215 and six touchdowns. He's also the Sooners' leading rusher with 190 yards and five more touchdowns. Mateer ranks second nationally with 351.3 yards of total offense per game.
Despite suffering the injury early against Auburn, he finished the game and passed for 271 yards.
With his hot start, Mateer had emerged as the favorite to win the Heisman at +750, according to ESPN BET Sportsbook. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza (+650) is the new favorite as of Tuesday.
Venables said sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. will start Oklahoma's next game against Kent State on Oct. 4 Hawkins started four games for the Sooners last season, passing for 783 yards and three touchdowns.
Oklahoma faces rival Texas on Oct. 11.
After a trip to South Carolina, the Sooners close out the regular season with five straight games against ranked opponents: No. 13 Ole Miss, at No. 15 Tennessee, at No. 18 Alabama, No. 20 Missouri and No. 4 LSU.