Washington State quarterback John Mateer has officially entered the transfer portal, sources told ESPN, and Cougars coach Jake Dickert confirmed the decision in speaking with reporters Monday.
The redshirt sophomore immediately becomes one of the top players in the portal. Mateer has started 12 games in his career and has two more seasons of eligibility.
"John will be the most sought-after player in the portal," Dickert said. "I think he's going to be the best player in the country next year. He informed us that he is, in fact, going to hit the portal."
After backing up Cam Ward for two years, Mateer took over as the Cougars' starter in 2024 and enjoyed a breakout season, throwing for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns on 65% passing. He also ranked sixth among FBS starters with 827 rushing yards and scored 15 rushing touchdowns for the Cougars.
The 6-foot-1, 219-pound quarterback from Little Elm, Texas, had a top-10 QBR (71.4) among Group of 5 starters in his first season as a starter and led the Cougars to an 8-1 start and a No. 18 ranking from the College Football Playoff committee before closing on a three-game losing streak.
Oklahoma hired Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on Dec. 2. The Sooners are expected to be the front-runner in Mateer's recruitment after their starting quarterback, Jackson Arnold, transferred to Auburn.
"I talked to him last night. It was a private conversation," Dickert said. "He told me how he felt about us and how much he appreciated our program. I'm obviously disappointed. It's a tough result. Really thankful for Cougs everywhere that poured into everything that it took to try to keep him here. But at the end of the day, he wanted to play on a bigger stage and I think that was the main cause of most of this."
In the two weeks since the regular season ended, Dickert and school leadership worked to negotiate a deal with Mateer to re-sign him for 2025.
Schools will be able to directly pay student-athletes next year after the $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement is granted final approval. Division I schools will be allowed to share at least $20.5 million in revenue with athletes.
"We've done an amazing job of putting together a package for John that I think is fair, and he knows his value here," Dickert told reporters last week. "He knows how much he's loved, and I think it really means something for him to be here."
Mateer, a former three-star recruit, joined the program in 2022 and redshirted during his first season. He appeared in 12 games off the bench as Ward's backup last season. Ward transferred to Miami for his final season of eligibility and earned ACC Player of the Year honors and a fourth-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting after leading the Hurricanes to a 10-win season.
Washington State will close out its season in the Holiday Bowl against No. 21 Syracuse on Dec. 27. Dickert said backup Zevi Eckhaus, a former FCS transfer from Bryant, will take over for Mateer as the Cougars' starter for the game.