Washington State switch quarterback and 247Sports’ No. 1 out there switch portal prospect John Mateer has dedicated to Oklahoma, he introduced on social media Wednesday. Mateer provides the Sooners a right away starter for the 2025 season to switch former blue-chip quarterback Jackson Arnold, who transferred to Auburn final week.
Mateer excelled in his solely yr as starter at Washington State, finishing 64.6% of his passes for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns. He additionally set a quarterback program report with 15 scores on the bottom. He may have two years of eligibility remaining.
Regardless of shedding star quarterback Cameron Ward to Miami, Washington State’s offense improved with Mateer on the helm. Wazzu jumped from No. 38 to No. 11 in scoring offense in 2024, pushing previous 36.8 factors per sport due to a nation-leading 44 complete touchdowns from Mateer.
Oklahoma employed former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle in the same function earlier this month, making Mateer a the logical match to run his offense within the SEC.
Cash yr for Brent Venables
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables is ready to enter crucial offseason of his tenure after going 6-6 in his third season on the faculty in 2024. After star quarterback Dillon Gabriel departed Oklahoma final season, this system felt as if it had its quarterback of the current and future in Arnold. These plans by no means absolutely got here to fruition. Thanks partially to a rash of accidents to the reciever and offensive line rooms, the offense by no means clicked with Arnold on the helm. Oklahoma averaged simply 167.6 yards per sport by the air on the yr.
With Arnold transferring to Auburn, Mateer takes the reins of the Sooner offense. His familiarity with Arbuckle’s system ought to make him a straightforward plug-and-play starter as Oklahoma seems to rebuild on offense. The Sooners will want all of the firepower they’ll get as they navigate one of many nation’s hardest schedules with dates in opposition to Michigan, Alabama, South Carolina, Auburn, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and Missouri amongst others.
Oklahoma has Deion Burks returning amid a receiver corps that has in any other case been pillaged. However a more healthy room and some different additions may shortly change Oklahoma’s 2025 outlook after an atrocious offensive marketing campaign.
What sort of participant is Oklahoma getting?
Mateer was the most effective dual-threat quarterbacks within the nation this season. He rushed for 826 yards on 4.6 yards per carry and 15 touchdowns. Mateer’s finest efficiency as a runner got here in opposition to Texas Tech when he ran for 197 yards in a 37-16 win. He did loads of harm along with his arm as properly, posting 4 video games with at the very least 300 yards passing final season headlined by a 390-yard efficiency within the Cougars’ dramatic 54-52 double-overtime win over San Jose State.
Miami misses out on Mateer
Whereas Oklahoma appeared just like the logical vacation spot for Mateer due to his reference to Arbuckle, 247Sports reported that Miami was “aggressively” trying to get into the combo to land the No. 1 ranked participant within the switch portal to switch star quarterback Cam Ward.
Ward, who performed at Washington State with Mateer, is a projected first-round choose in quite a few CBS Sports activities mock drafts. With Mateer off the board, it is unclear if Miami will goal one other switch portal or roll with Emory Williams. Williams is former three-star quarterback from the 2023 recruiting who served as Ward’s backup this season.