By the end of the week, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer may find himself a preseason All-SEC selection. For now, he'll have to settle - ahem - for being right next to the Heisman Trophy favorite.

A day after On3's Andy Staples rated Mateer the fifth best quarterback in the SEC, ESPN college football analyst Jordan Rodgers did one better for the Washington State transfer. Rodgers slotted Mateer fourth, one spot ahead of Texas quarterback, and odds-on Heisman Trophy favorite, Arch Manning.

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Rodgers took heat, as he is wont to encounter, for Manning's placement, jokingly calling Manning "hot garbage." Regardless, Mateer has found himself consistently in the prognosticator crowd's top five.

"I have John Mateer one spot ahead of Arch," Rodgers said. "I love this kid."

Mateer led all of FBS last year in total touchdowns with the Cougars, throwing for 27 and running for 15. When his offensive coordinator at Washington State, Ben Arbuckle, left Pullman to take the same job at Oklahoma, Mateer followed him out the door. Along with California-Berkeley transfer Jaydn Ott at running back, the new-look Sooners offense has those crystal-ball lookers believing the Sooners will improve and could challenge for a College Football Playoff berth if things go just right.

SEC media will vote on the league's preseason all-conference teams and projected order of finish later this week at the conclusion of media days.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Arch Manning ranked behind John Mateer by ESPN's Jordan Rodgers