WSU Cougars QB John Mateer to enter transfer portal, per reports

WSU Cougars quarterback John Mateer is expected to enter the transfer portal per multiple reports, with Cougars coach Jake Dickert saying Monday that Mateer told him the night before that he would enter the transfer portal, according to Sydney Berger of KXLY in Spokane.

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The news should come as no surprise, especially after the departure of WSU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to the SEC two weeks ago for the same job with Oklahoma, which amped up speculation that Mateer would follow to the Sooners.

Mateer took over the QB duties at Washington State this year following Cam Ward’s transfer to Miami, and the Texas native was a standout as a redshirt sophomore. He is 16th in the country with 3,139 passing yards and tied for fifth with 29 passing touchdowns, which is countered by just seven interceptions. Mateer is a dual threat, having also run for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024.

With an average of 330 yards of total offense per game, Mateer ranks fifth in the country, and his 44 total touchdowns is first.

Cougfan.com, which covers WSU athletics, reported Monday that an “unnamed SEC school” has offered Mateer an NIL deal worth roughly $3 million. Cougfan added that is “three times higher than the package WSU is believed to have presented Mateer.”

Dickert confirmed Monday that WSU had an NIL offer of over a $1 million for Mateer, per Berger.

Cougfan also reports that a screenshot of a message from Mateer to his Washington State teammates that made its way to social media is authentic. That message indicated that Mateer will not play in the Cougars’ Holiday Bowl matchup against the No. 22 Syracuse Orange on Friday, Dec. 27 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.

Mateer has been at WSU since 2022.

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