Washington State QB John Mateer Enters Transfer Portal, Oklahoma a Likely Landing Spot

Joe Londergan | 6 Hours Ago

Nov 23, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) sets up to pass during the third quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Update: While Rivals.com originally reported that Mateer's entrance into the portal would come with a no-contact tag, that report has since been refuted by On3's Pete Nakos.

As many Washington State Cougars fans likely feared, star redshirt sophomore quarterback John Mateer has officially entered the transfer portal. That announcement came Monday from the Cougars' coaching staff.

"College football is in a different place than it was five years ago or ten years ago, however we remember it. John will be the most sought-after player in the portal. I think he's going to be the best player in the country next year. He informed us that he is, in fact going to hit the portal," WSU head coach Jake Dickert told reporters in Pullman.

"The biggest thing for our program is it proves once again our process is working. We're offering a bunch of kids that have no other power-five offers who are developing into something really, really special."

Rivals.com originally reported Mateer will enter the portal with a no-contact tag, though this was refuted by other outlets. This would indicate that Mateer has likely made up his mind on where he will go. Oklahoma hired away Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle two weeks ago, making the Sooners the frontrunner to land the Little Elm, Texas native.

Mateer totaled 3,139 passing yards and 826 rushing yards in 2024, the most rushing yards all-time by a Cougar quarterback in a single season. He also led the nation in in total touchdowns in the regular season with 44 (29 through the air, 15 on the ground).

"Obviously disappointed," Dickert noted. "It's a tough result. Really thankful for Cougs everywhere that poured into everything that it took to try to keep him here. At the end of the day, he wanted to play on a bigger stage and I think that was the main cause of most of this."

Zevi Eckhaus, a graduate transfer from Bryant University, is expected to start at quarterback for the Cougs against Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl on December 27.

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