Brent Venables has his next quarterback — and it so happens to be the top-ranked quarterback in the transfer portal.
Former Washington State quarterback John Mateer, the No. 1 ranked player in the transfer portal according to 247Sports, announced his commitment to Oklahoma on X (formerly Twitter.
“Praise God!! #BoomerSooner, ” wrote Mateer, who chose Oklahoma over Miami.
Mateer will replace former Oklahoma starting quarterback Jackson Arnold, who transferred to Auburn, and join a quarterback room that will return sophomore Michael Hawkins Jr. and incoming freshman quarterback Jett Niu.
As previously reported by The Oklahoman, the 6-foot-4 quarterback’s decision to join the Sooners reunites him with his Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who was named Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator on Dec. 3, and quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski.
Because of Arbuckle and Kuceyeski joining Venables staff in Norman, it was believed by many within college football that if Mateer were to enter the transfer portal, he would likely follow the two to the SEC from the Pac-12.
The Texas native had a breakout season in his first campaign leading Washington State’s offense. In his first full season as the Cougars starting quarterback, Mateer threw for over 3,100 yards and 29 touchdowns. He was named a top 10 finalist for the Manning Award on Dec. 5.
“John will be the most sought-after player in the portal,” former Washington State coach Jake Dickert told reporters Monday on Mateer. “I think he’s going to be the best player in the country next year.”
Here’s what you need to know about Mateer’s transfer portal rankings and stats at Washington State:
John Mateer 247Sports ranking
- As prospect: Three-star recruit | No. 119 ranked quarterback | No. 235 ranked prospect in Texas
- As transfer: Four-star recruit | No. 1 ranked transfer | No. 1 ranked transfer quarterback
Mateer, who was listed as a four-star recruit, was ranked as the No. 1 overall player and No. 1 ranked quarterback in the transfer portal according to 247Sports.
His rankings out of high school at Little Elm High School in Little Elm, Texas were slightly lower. He was listed as a three-star recruit and the No. 119 ranked quarterback in the 2022 recruiting class according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.
John Mateer stats
Mateer put up career-high numbers this past season for the Cougars, as he threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of Mateer’s stats in three seasons at Washington State:
- 2022: 2 of 2 (100%) passing for 32 yards and a touchdown; four carries for 58 rushing yards
- 2023: 13 of 17 (76.5%) passing for 235 yards with two touchdowns and an interception; 21 carries for 93 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns
- 2024: 224 of 347 (64.6%) passing for 3,139 yards with two touchdowns and an interception; 178 carries for 826 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns
- Career: 239 of 366 (65.3%) passing for 3,406 yards with 31 touchdowns and seven interceptions; 178 carries for 826 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns