As many Washington State Cougars fans had feared, star redshirt sophomore quarterback has officially entered the transfer portal, with the announcement made by the Cougars’ coaching staff on Monday.
“College football has changed a lot in the past five or ten years. John will be one of the most highly sought-after players in the portal, and I believe he will be the best player in the country next year. He has informed us of his decision to enter the portal,” WSU head coach Jake Dickert shared with reporters in Pullman.
Dickert also highlighted that the situation reflects the effectiveness of their program’s process: “What this shows is that our program is working. We’re bringing in players who may not have other Power Five offers but are developing into something truly special.”
Rivals.com initially reported that Mateer would enter the portal with a no-contact designation, though this was later contradicted by other sources. This suggests that Mateer may already have an idea of his next destination. Two weeks ago, Oklahoma hired Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, which makes the Sooners a likely landing spot for the Little Elm, Texas native.
In the 2024 season, Mateer amassed 3,139 passing yards and 826 rushing yards, setting a record for the most rushing yards by a Cougar quarterback in a single season. He also led the nation in total touchdowns during the regular season with 44 (29 passing and 15 rushing).
“Obviously, we’re disappointed,” Dickert admitted. “It’s a tough situation. We’re grateful to the Cougs who gave everything to try to keep him here. Ultimately, he wanted to play on a bigger stage, and that was the main factor in his decision.”
Zevi Eckhaus, a graduate transfer from Bryant University, is expected to start at quarterback for the Cougars in the Holiday Bowl against Syracuse on December 27.
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