Washington State quarterback officially in transfer portal per report

Washington State Cougars quarterback expected to enter the transfer portal per reports.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

According to multiple reports, Washington State quarterback John Mateer has entered the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. It was first reported by Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer of 247Sports/CBS Sports. Mateer will have two years of eligibility remaining. According to OUInsider’s Parker Thune and Brandon Drumm, Mateer is expected to have a “no contact” tag on his portal entry.

Monday afternoon, ESPN’s Max Olson provided an update to the story, reporting that Mateer is now officially in the transfer portal.

Mateer is considered the top player in the portal, according to 247Sports, after leading the NCAA with 44 total touchdowns in 2024. He had a fantastic season under the direction of new Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and offensive analyst John Kuceyeski.

In 2024, Mateer completed 64.6% of his passes for 3,139 yards and 29 passing touchdowns. He also ran for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Cougars.

Mateer is expected to play for Washington State in their bowl game on Dec. 27. But it’s unclear if this news will alter those plans.

The connection to Arbuckle and Kuceyeski should give the Sooners a leg up in Mateers’ recruitment, but teams like Miami will also be in hot pursuit.

The Oklahoma Sooners have had a lot of success with transfer portal quarterbacks over the last 10 years. Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and Dillon Gabriel all had great seasons for the Sooners after making the move to Norman.

Mateer’s familiarity with Arbuckles system would make for a smooth transition and be an important domino to fall for the Oklahoma Sooners in the transfer portal.

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Auburn named a potential landing spot for former USC quarterback Miller Moss

ESPN’s Max Olson believes Auburn has weapons that will allow Moss to succeed.

Auburn football has two young quarterbacks with bright futures in [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] and [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag]. However, following the departure of two-year starter [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], Auburn will need a “bridge year” to allow both quarterbacks to another season to develop.

Because of this, it is expected that head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] will look to fill the void by using the transfer portal. Several key names have declared their intention to enter the portal, including Washington State’s [autotag]John Mateer[/autotag] and Oklahoma’s [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]. Ahead of the portal’s official opening on Dec. 9, ESPN’s Max Olson feels that one portal addition could fit in well at Auburn.

Olson suggests Auburn would be a great fit for former USC quarterback [autotag]Miller Moss[/autotag]. Moss, who has one season of eligibility remaining, passed for over 2,500 yards as a junior in Los Angeles last season and could find success by throwing to Auburn’s many targets at wide receiver.

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze knows he needs to go get a transfer QB who can take the Tigers to the next level in 2025. Auburn has a ton of promising young talent to build around, especially at wide receiver, with standout true freshmen Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons and Perry Thompson. Their presence makes Auburn an appealing destination for QBs like Moss, who have one year left and are looking to put up big numbers next season.

Outside of Auburn’s targets, Moss fits the mold by having starting experience and one season of eligibility. Moss took over the starting quarterback role for Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams this season, where he passed for at least 200 yards and one touchdown in nine games played. However, following a tough stretch of games that included a loss to Washington, where he threw three interceptions, USC head coach Lincoln Riley pulled Moss in favor of Jayden Maiava for the final three games.

Moss is looking for a home he deems a “better fit.”

“There comes a point where there’s a time to move on to new opportunities,” Moss said in an interview with ESPN. “And I’m hoping to better myself as a person and a player.”

In four seasons at USC, Moss has completed 65.9% of his passes for 3,469 yards and 27 touchdowns with just ten interceptions. The winter transfer portal window officially opens on Monday, Dec. 9, and will close on Dec. 28.

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Oklahoma’s Ben Arbuckle has impressive quarterback track record

Oklahoma’s new offensive coordinator is something of a QB whisperer.

The search for the next Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator is over. Coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] hired Ben Arbuckle away from the Washington State Cougars to call plays and coach quarterbacks in Norman.

Though Arbuckle is just 29 years old, he has already called plays for three seasons. He cut his teeth under new Florida Atlantic coach and previous Texas Tech offensive coordinator Zach Kittley. He may be young, but he has earned a reputation as a quarterback whisperer in a very short time.

After Sooners fans suffered through a 2024 season of watching a broken offense and quarterbacks who weren’t handled or coached correctly, Arbuckle is a sight for sore eyes. Whether it’s [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] or a [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] quarterback who starts for the Sooners next year, they’ll have Arbuckle as his primary teacher.

But who has Arbuckle coached prior to landing in Norman? Here is each QB he’s tutored at the college level.

Bailey Zappe

Houston Baptist (FCS), 2018-2019; Western Kentucky, 2021

Arbuckle’s coaching career started as a quality control coach at FCS Houston Baptist in 2018 and 2019. It was there that he worked with Bailey Zappe, and was instrumental in the young QB’s development.

Zappe threw 58 touchdowns to just 28 interceptions over those two seasons. After a year in the high school ranks in Texas, Arbuckle found his way back to Zappe in 2021 at Western Kentucky. Arbuckle was an offensive quality control coach, and Zappe was once again the starter under center. They worked closely together again.

Zappe broke Football Bowl Subdivision records that season, throwing 62 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions and almost 6,000 yards. He was drafted by the New England Patriots after the year, starting a few games for them over a couple of seasons.

That performance earned the OC, Kittley, the same job at Texas Tech. Arbuckle was chosen to succeed Kittley in 2022.

Austin Reed

Western Kentucky, 2022

In his first stint calling plays. Arbuckle worked with WKU’s Austin Reed. A 40-to-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2022 speaks for itself, but Reed also threw for 4,744 yards for one of the best offenses in college football. His yardage total led the nation.

Arbuckle left Tyson Helton’s staff to take the same job under Jake Dickert at Washington State. Reed stayed with the Hilltoppers, but saw his stats dip in 2023 without Arbuckle. He signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent and is in the midst of his rookie season.

Cam Ward

Washington State, 2023

In his first of two seasons in Pullman, Arbuckle mentored Cam Ward, a former Incarnate Word transfer. Ward threw for over 3,700 yards, 25 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, all improvements over his previous season with the Cougars.

Ward’s 2023 campaign made him a high-profile player and the new quarterback of the Miami Hurricanes after he transferred to South Florida for 2024. He’s been arguably the best quarterback in the country, leading Miami to a 10-2 regular season. He’ll likely be a Heisman Trophy finalist and a high pick in April’s NFL Draft.

After Ward transferred, Arbuckle needed another QB for the 2024 season.

John Mateer

Washington State, 2024

Arbuckle found his guy in unheralded three-star prospect John Mateer. Mateer has been a revelation for the Cougars this year. He has thrown for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He added 15 scores on the ground to lead the Football Bowl Subdivision with 44 total touchdowns.

The interesting part of this equation is Mateer is a candidate to enter the portal this offseason. OU and Arbuckle are a distinct possibility for a landing spot if he does. Other schools will certainly vie for his services as well, making Arbuckle’s next QB protégée still up in the air for 2025.

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