When Oklahoma football landed John Mateer in the transfer portal, it was about as great of a grab as it gets. However, as the Heisman Trophy conversation begins, his name might be in the mix.

Ari Wasserman explained on On3 Sports how Mateer could be in a position for the award.

“There is a legitimate chance that this is the guy holding up the Heisman at the end of the year,” Wasserman said.

Those are some bold words considering that Mateer hasn't played a single snap with Oklahoma football. However, there is legitimate reason to put him in the conversation.

For starters, Mateer had an incredible junior year. In a disbanded Pac 12 conference, his production likely would've been the same anywhere he went.

He had 3,139 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions. He also averaged 14 yards per completion on the season.

Although the Sooners aren't an offensively-focused team, bringing in Mateer fixes that. As a result, plenty of recruits have been interested in playing with Mateer in Norman this season.

Still, they will have their work cut out for them in a tightly contested SEC conference.

John Mateer could win Heisman Trophy with Oklahoma football

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The pieces seem to be in place for Mateer to excel on the offensive side. However, one of the more important elements is what head coach Brent Venables is doing.

He is taking full control of defensive playcalling duties. While it doesn't pertain to the top-rated quarterback, as they say, defense wins championships.

When Venables controlled the defense, Oklahoma football went to the Alamo Bowl and had a 10-win season. It also gave quarterback Dillon Gabriel time to thrive.

He didn't have to play from behind, and could be a game-manager. Mateer can show his flash, but won't have to do it every game. Eventually, it becomes predictable and defenses figure it out.

Still, an early season prediction has never hurt anyone. It might give the program more confidence that they made the right decision with bringing Mateer to campus.

At the end of the day, it might be a matter of time until he secures the award. If Oklahoma football has a dominant year, then it's likely he can be in contention. His statistics from Washington State can likely translate over with the right offensive scheme.

Furthermore, Mateer turned down $1 million NIL offer from Washington Sttae. It's clear that winning games and securing a spot in the College Football Playoff will likely be the bigger perrogative.