Oklahoma quarterback releases statement amid gambling allegations

The Buckeyes will face three other teams ranked in the preseason: Michigan, No. 2 Penn State and No. 12 Illinois.

Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer has been at the center of college football discourse since some of his previous Venmo transactions were brought to light Monday.

The transactions were labeled in a way that made it seem as though Mateer was involved in sports gambling, and it led to Oklahoma looking into the situation.

Mateer responded to the allegations on Tuesday.

“The allegations that I once participated in sports gambling are false,” Mateer wrote. “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 not engaged in any sports gambling.”

Oklahoma also commented on the matter.

“OU Athletics provides ongoing education to its student-athletes, coaches, and staff on matters related to sports gambling,” OU’s statement read. “The department utilizes ProhiBet, which is an industry-standard service offering comprehensive monitoring 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 of any NCAA investigation and has no reason to believe there is one pending.”