There’s a new No. 1-ranked player in the transfer portal.
Washington State quarterback John Mateer is entering the transfer portal, Cougars coach Jake Dickert confirmed Monday. He’s the No. 1-ranked player available, according to 247Sports’ rankings.
‘College football is in a different spot than it was five years ago, 10 years ago,’ Dickert told reporters. ‘John will be the most sought-after player in the portal, I think he’s gonna be the best player in the country next year. He informed us he is in fact going to hit the portal.’
Mateer, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, led the country in total touchdowns in his first season as the Cougars’ starter, passing for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdowns to seven interceptions, while also rushing for 826 yards with 15 additional scores. The redshirt sophomore replaced Cam Ward, who finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting this season after transferring from Washington State to Miami.
‘He’s always been that player,’ Ward said of Mateer in a recent interview. ‘He was my backup. When I would see him in scrimmages, just the plays that he would make in the pocket, outside the pocket. John’s about to have another good year next year when he comes back.
‘I’m excited for him, he sat behind me for two years and me and John (were) just locked in, locked in for life. And I can just tell the biggest thing he got better at over the course of the season was staying in the pocket and winning from the pocket even more down the stretch. He’s accurate with the football. I think he’ll end up being one of the best quarterbacks in the country next year.’
The 6-foot-1 quarterback had a meteoric rise to college success, as he was barely a 3-star recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, ranked the No. 1766 player overall and No. 119 quarterback, according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings. The Little Elm, Texas, native had one Power Four offer, which was from Washington State during its time in the Pac-12.
Mateer is the latest quarterback aiming to make a move to the higher levels of college football, a consistent theme in the age of the transfer portal. He will be a hot commodity on the market, especially for quarterback-needy teams.
While it’s unclear where Mateer might be headed, Oklahoma seems to be a clear suitor for Mateer, as the Sooners hired former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle for the same job after the regular season. Oklahoma also reportedly brought quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski from Washington State, as well, to be a senior offensive analyst.
Miami could be another option, as Mateer formerly backed up Ward, who found tremendous success for the Hurricanes and blossomed into a projected first-round pick in his final collegiate season.