When John Mateer entered his name in the transfer portal following the 2024 season, he instantly became the most sought-after player available in college football, and for good reason.
During his first season as a starter, Mateer racked up nearly 4,000 yards of offense and 44 touchdowns for the Washington State Cougars.
So, when Oklahoma hired Wazzu offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski, it seemed like Mateer would inevitably end up playing for the Sooners in 2025 and beyond. Ultimately, that’s what ended up happening, but it sounds like it might’ve been a lot more complicated than it sounds.
According to 247Sports’ Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz, the process of landing Mateer was “anything but” quick and tidy.
Mateer’s name is among the sport’s elite statistical performers, and as that persisted late into the 2024 season, it became pretty clear that he’d be the biggest name in the transfer portal – that is if he entered.
“It was crazy,” Mateer’s high school coach, Kendrick Brown, told 247Sports. “I think the message was that he was the top quarterback in the portal. There were a lot of schools really doing a fact check to see if he was interested in leaving.”
Among a host of other factors – including phone calls with guys like Tom Brady and Baker Mayfield – one of the biggest things that Mateer had to weigh during his time in the portal was his NIL value.
According to 247Sports, one source said that Bill Belichick and North Carolina were offering Mateer “the largest deal in NIL history,” but he ultimately landed with Oklahoma, as the Sooners formulated plans of hiring both Mateer’s coordinator and position coach won the day, and the crown jewel of this portal cycle.
