Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer has some explaining to do. He either used his Venmo account to pay his former Washington State teammate for “sports gambling” or he is at the center of an elaborate prank that led to a significant college football scandal.
It is currently unclear as to whether this specific profile actually belongs to Mateer but the optics do not look great.
If he was gambling on college football, his payment history traces back to a gut-wrenching loss for the UCLA Bruins against their biggest rival, USC. The Trojans stopped a would-be game-winning drive with less than 90 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter which prompted Gus Johnson to lose his mind.
Was John Mateer gambling on sports via Venmo?
We do not know the true answer to that question at this time. However, it certainly appears as though Mateer made a very big mistake as a true freshman in 2022.
UPDATE: John Mateer issued a statement to deny any gambling at any point. He claims it was an inside joke.
Screenshots of a Venmo profile under the name ‘John Mateer’ started going viral on social media. Three specific transactions were called into question.
‘Richard Roaten’ allegedly paid Mateer for “Ultra sports gambling fifa World Cup” on Nov. 23, 2022. Mateer allegedly paid Roaten for “Sports gambling” and “Sports Gambling (UCLA vs USC)” just three days prior.
Roaten’s profile photo features a player wearing the No. 59 jersey at Washington State, which can be traced back to an offensive lineman listed on the roster as ‘Landon Roaten.’ Mateer’s profile photo features a player wearing the No. 10 jersey at Washington State, which was the quarterback.
The Venmo history has since been wiped by both involved parties.
It is unclear as to whether these accounts are actually attached to either player but they are both “friends” with an account that claims to be Cougars running back Djouvensky Schlenbaker. Their usernames also match the name on the account.
What happened on Nov. 20, 2022?
John Mateer and Landon ‘Richard’ Roaten were true freshman at the time. They both used their redshirts that season to retain an additional year of eligibility.
If we are to believe the Venmo transaction history, the former bet on UCLA to beat USC during their rivalry college football game on Nov. 19, 2022. He had to pay out his loss the next day.
The Trojans held a three-point lead with 92 seconds left to play but the Bruins were driving.
Korey Foreman subbed into the game for USC in replace of Tuli Tuipulotu on the edge. He dropped back into coverage on the next play to intercept UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson to seal the win.
That interception is how a Venmo user under the name of ‘John Mateer’ lost an undisclosed amount of money on “sports betting” to an account under the name of ‘Richard Roaten.’ Both accounts appear to be attached to former Washington State football players.