Earlier this week, new Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer went on the defensive after screenshots of a pair of past Venmo transactions from 2022 made the rounds on X/Twitter, both of which were captioned as “sports gambling.” Mateer, who transferred to Norman from Washington State this offseason, released a statement Tuesday explaining away any perceived gambling malfeasance as nothing more than “inside jokes between me and my friends.”

“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” Mateer said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “My previous Venmo descriptions did not accurately portray the transactions in question but were instead inside jokes between me and my friends.

“I have never bet on sports. I understand the seriousness of the matter, but recognize that, taken out of context, those Venmo descriptions suggest otherwise. I can assure my teammates, coaches, and officials at the NCAA that I have no engaged in any sports gambling.”

ESPN insider Pete Thamel followed up with Oklahoma sources on Wednesday evening and shared his expectations with what’s next regarding what some are calling “Venmogate,” suggesting it’s much ado about nothing and the worst is likely behind both Mateer and the Sooners.

“So I checked in on this last night and everything was fairly quiet. … Ultimately, Oklahoma or the NCAA, if they were to get into this, would have to find something,” Thamel said on Thursday’s The Pat McAfee Show on YouTube. “My hunch at this juncture is this kind of fizzles out and two months from now we’re going to be like, ‘Hey, remember that day when John Mateer did that dumb thing on Venmo,’ and we’re going to move on. That’s my understanding (regarding where) it’s trending right now.

“A lot of modern gambling … is pretty trackable through your phone, so I think … the due diligence shouldn’t be particularly difficult.”

Oklahoma releases statement addressing John Mateer’s status after sports betting allegations

Shortly after Mateer released his statement Tuesday, the Oklahoma athletic department released its own statement revealing the program has no knowledge of “any NCAA investigation and has no reason to believe there is one pending” regarding Mateer’s alleged Venmo transcations. Sooner Scoop previously reported that the Sooners were aware of the alleged screenshot and was looking into the matter with Mateer.

“OU Athletics provides ongoing education to its student-athletes, coaches, and staff on matters releated to sports gambling,” the Oklahoma statement read, according to SoonerScoop’s George Stoia III. “The department utilizes ProhiBet, which is an industry-standard service offering comprehensive moniotring of sports gambling activities. OU takes any allegations of gambling seriously and works closely with the NCAA in any situations of concern. OU Athletics is unaware off any NCAA investigation and has no reason to believe there is one pending.”

Mateer was Oklahoma’s prized offseason transfer addition, following former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to Norman after combining for 3,965 total yards and 44 total touchdowns last season with the Cougars. Mateer is a true dual-threat QB that is expected to infuse energy into the Sooners’ beleagured offense that ranked 14th and 15th in the SEC in total and scoring offense, respectively, last season.

Mateer has drawn comparisons to famed Sooners QB Baker Mayfield given his unflinching swagger and personality, a comparison the former Cougars star has embraced in Norman.