The college football transfer portal continues to be a whirlwind of player movement, and Washington State quarterback John Mateer was one of the hottest names available. After a brief stint in the portal, Mateer has officially announced his commitment to play for the Oklahoma Sooners next season. The announcement came on Wednesday night, roughly 24 hours after he entered the transfer portal, signaling a rapid decision for a highly sought-after player. Mateer revealed his choice in true Oklahoma fashion, tweeting out his commitment with a “Boomer Sooner” hashtag.
Praise God! pic.twitter.com/p5cweJTQNJ
— John Mateer (@John_Mateer4) December 19, 2024
Speculation around Mateer’s future had been brewing since the end of the 2024 season. His impressive performance as a dual-threat quarterback for Washington State made him a prime target in the transfer portal. During the season, Mateer showcased his ability to impact the game both through the air and on the ground.
The redshirt sophomore’s statistics speak volumes about his productivity. He completed 224 of 347 passes for an impressive 3,139 yards and threw 29 touchdowns, while only allowing seven interceptions. Adding to his offensive prowess, Mateer was also the Cougars’ leading rusher, carrying the ball 178 times for 826 yards and scoring 15 rushing touchdowns.
John Mateer’s remarkable 44 total touchdowns led all of college football this season, surpassing even Heisman finalist and former Washington State QB Cam Ward, who had 41 touchdowns. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik was the only other player to reach the 40-touchdown mark, highlighting Mateer’s exceptional offensive output. Notably, Mateer demonstrated consistency throughout the season, achieving at least one passing and one rushing touchdown in 10 of Washington State’s 12 games.
Washington State coach Jake Dickert acknowledged Mateer’s talent and anticipated his high demand in the transfer portal. “John will be the most sought after player in the portal,” Dickert stated on Monday. “I think he’s going to be the best player in the country next year, and he informed us that he is, in fact, going to hit the portal.” Despite losing a player of Mateer’s caliber, Dickert emphasized the program’s ability to develop talent. “The biggest thing for our program is it proves once again our process is working. Our process is working. We’re offering a bunch of kids that have no other Power Five offers, we’re developing them into something really, really special.”
Here is WSU coach Jake Dickert on John Mateer entering the transfer portal pic.twitter.com/4j8p9nj0wU
— Greg Woods (@GregWWoods) December 16, 2024
Oklahoma emerged as an immediate frontrunner for Mateer’s commitment, and his quick decision to join the Sooners comes as little surprise. Oklahoma’s coaching staff recently underwent changes, with the firing of offensive coordinator Seth Littrell towards the end of the 2024 season. They subsequently hired Ben Arbuckle, who was previously the offensive coordinator at Washington State, after the regular season concluded. This connection likely played a significant role in Mateer’s move to Oklahoma. Furthermore, Oklahoma had an open quarterback spot after their Week 1 starter, Jackson Arnold, entered the transfer portal and committed to Auburn at the end of the season.
John Mateer will bring two years of eligibility with him to Oklahoma. He had limited playing time in previous seasons, appearing in only one game in 2021 and 11 games as a backup to Cam Ward in 2022. Ward served as Washington State’s starting quarterback for two seasons before transferring to Miami for the 2024 season, paving the way for Mateer to take the reins at Washington State and subsequently make his move to Oklahoma via the college QB transfer portal.
