Mateer was one of the high-profile transfers of the 2024 offseason, and now he is leading the national contender Sooners
Why did John Mateer transfer to Oklahoma from Washington State? Explaining Sooners QB's 2024 portal decision originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
When John Mateer entered the transfer portal in the 2024 college football offseason, he became one of the most impactful players available in the country and the prize quarterback of the entire cycle.
The transfer market shifted immediately with the announcement, as Mateer — a dynamic dual-threat quarterback who played for Washington State — was instantly ranked the No. 1 overall player in the portal by multiple scouting services.
Mateer’s value was derived from a spectacular 2024 season at Washington State, where he led the nation with 44 total touchdowns while putting up over 3,100 passing yards and over 800 rushing yards. The Little Elm, Texas native ultimately committed to the .
The move instantly reset Oklahoma's expectations heading into the 2025 season, and the Sooners are a national title contender. Mateer follows in the footsteps of previous highly successful OU transfers like Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts.
Let's revisit his decision to join the Sooners.
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Why did John Mateer transfer from Washington State to Oklahoma?
When John Mateer entered the transfer portal in the 2024 college football offseason, he became one of the most coveted players available in the country.
A primary factor was his relationship with Ben Arbuckle, who had been Mateer's offensive coordinator during his breakout 2024 season at Washington State. Arbuckle was hired as Oklahoma's new offensive coordinator just weeks before Mateer entered the portal. Mateer followed his coach to Norman, ensuring he could continue playing in a system where he led the nation with 44 total touchdowns. Washington State head coach Jake Dickert acknowledged that Mateer "wanted to play on a bigger stage," despite the Cougars putting together a significant offer to retain him.
Mateer is a native of Little Elm, Texas, making the short, three-hour drive to Norman significantly closer for family than Pullman, Washington. More importantly, Oklahoma's NIL collective was able to offer Mateer a multi-million dollar package, reported to be around the $3 million mark for his remaining eligibility, easily outstripping what Washington State could provide.
.@MartySmithESPN sits down with John Mateer to discuss his journey to becoming QB1 for @OU_Football 🔥 pic.twitter.com/TUGSRveMzX
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 6, 2025
"I mean it's Oklahoma," Mateer said to ESPN's Marty Smith. "It's freaking Oklahoma. It's a blue blood, there's so many good quarterbacks who came through here."
Mateer joins an Oklahoma transfer quarterback lineage that includes Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts, all of who excelled in Norman before going to the NFL. He commented on those three years.
"When those were the guys, if you want to be better at quarterback you watched the Oklahoma Sooners," Mateer said. "To wear the jersey is just unbelievable."
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John Mateer Washington State stats
John Mateer played for Washington State from 2022 to 2024 before transferring to Oklahoma.
The overwhelming majority of this production came during his breakout 2024 season, where he set Washington State single-season records for quarterback rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, showing the versatility that made him a top transfer quarterback prospect.
Below are Mateer's statistics during his time at Washington State:
| Season | Games Played (GP) | Passing Yards | Passing TDs | Rushing Yards | Rushing TDs |
| 2022 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 58 | 0 |
| 2023 | 11 | 235 | 2 | 92 | 3 |
| 2024 | 12 | 3,139 | 29 | 826 | 15 |
| Career | 24 | 3,406 | 32 | 976 | 18 |
Across his 24 games played, Mateer accounted for 4,382 total yards of offense, which included 3,406 passing yards and 976 rushing yards.
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John Mateer recruiting
Despite the low national profile, John Mateer became a four-year starter at Little Elm HIgh School setting school records with over 7,060 career passing yards and 88 total touchdowns. However, major collegiate programs largely ignored him.
His first Power Five offer came late in the cycle from Washington State, and he had initially committed to FCS program Central Arkansas, only to decommit and sign with the Cougars after Washington State's late push. Mateer later admitted that the lack of recruiting attention fueled his desire to prove himself at the FBS level.
This initial snub fueled Mateer's competitive drive and became central to his college story.
After his breakout 2024 season at Washington State, where he led the nation in total touchdowns, Mateer dramatically flipped the script. The once unheralded recruit who struggled for Power Five interest became the No. 1 overall player in the 2024 transfer portal, ultimately choosing Oklahoma and receiving a multi-million dollar NIL deal, proving that his high school production was a true indicator of his elite potential.
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