Miami Whiffs out of the John Mateer Sweepstakes, Now Focuses Their Attention Home
Throughout the discourse around the Miami Hurricanes football program and all of its moving pieces entering the portal, one thing is clear is that Mario Cristobal and his staff work in the dark and when it is time to bring something to the light they get it done.
This time, they can't get the commitment of the No. 1 player in the portal in now Oklahoma commit John Mateer.
Mateer was among the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation last season. He passed for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns while throwing just seven interceptions. Additionally, he was the Cougar's leading rusher, accumulating 826 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns.
A Little Elm High School graduate outside of Dallas, TX, Mateer stands 6'1 and weighs 220 pounds. He ranked as a three-star recruit and the 124th quarterback nationwide in the 2022 class. Now, he is currently ranked as the top overall player in the transfer portal.
Missing out on the potential star quarterback does not hurt Miami as much as people would have thought. First, they have Emory Williams who has patiently waited for his opportunity to show that he could take the reigns from Ward and guide the Hurricanes to the same success.
Williams does not have to be the knight in shining armor that Ward was. All he has to do is be great with his decision-making (which he already is) and be careful with the ball. The talent around him can make up for things he might lack with a stout running game a receiving core that is built for the future.
If you look next to him, it will be the newest Cane Luke Nickel who just set the Georgia State Football Championship game on fire.
Canes Quarterback Commit Dominates in Georgia State Championship
The 4-Star signal caller threw for over 400 yards and four touchdowns, all while completing 95 percent of his passes. This regular season alone, Nickel threw for a whopping 3,335 yards and forty touchdowns with over 60 percent completion and just seven interceptions.
This will be a rebuilding year for the Canes. Nothing drastic and they still will be a threat to challenge for the ACC Title. Only time will tell with the early enrollment period starting soon and the transfer portal players beginning to find new homes.
The Canes now look home to search for their new quarterback as time ticks away with other protal players looking for a potenial home in Coral Gables.
