Oklahoma QB John Mateer (hand) upgraded to probable vs. Texas

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer is listed as probable for the Sooners’ rivalry game against Texas, according to the SEC availability report released Thursday evening.

Mateer, whom the Sooners listed as questionable Wednesday, is continuing to recover from having hand surgery after the team’s win over Auburn last month.

Earlier this week, Oklahoma coach Brent Venables was non-committal on Mateer’s status. Venables said during his Monday radio show and during his Tuesday news conference that he was unsure when Mateer would return. Venables noted Tuesday that Mateer was not yet a full participant in practice, but the coach was coy when asked about Mateer’s status Wednesday during the weekly SEC coaches teleconference.

Mateer missed the Sooners’ 44-0 win over Kent State last week. Last month, a team source told The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman the initial hope was that Mateer would return in time for Oklahoma’s road trip to South Carolina on Oct. 18. But there has been heavy speculation recently that Mateer would push to return this weekend.

Before the Kent State game, Mateer dressed out for warmups with a brace on his right hand.

Sophomore Michael Hawkins started in Mateer’s place against Kent State, with Whitt Newbauer backing him up. Hawkins threw for 162 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 33 yards and a score.

When asked Thursday about the impact Mateer would have if he played, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said the quarterback elevates the Sooners.

“He’s instilled a lot of belief in that organization when he takes the field … just his presence alone,” Sarkisian said. “On top of the skill set, his ability to run the ball, his competitive spirit, his ability to throw the ball out of the pocket, his comfort level with Coach Arbuckle from their time at Washington State, there’s added things to that … but one thing he does is instill belief for their team.”

Mateer helped fuel the Sooners’ first four wins by throwing for 1,215 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 190 yards and five more scores in September. Before his injury knocked him out of the lineup, he had emerged as the betting favorite for the Heisman Trophy.

The No. 6 Sooners (5-0) will face Arch Manning and the Longhorns (3-2) at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.