John Mateer put up Heisman Trophy-worthy numbers this season, but the Washington State quarterback didn’t get near the publicity he deserves.
Maybe that’s because of the generational talent carrying the ball for College Football Playoff-bound Boise State. Maybe it’s because of the unicorn that has starred on both sides of the ball at Colorado, or because Washington State ended the season with three straight losses.
Whatever the reason, Mateer racked up the quietest 3,965 yards and 44 touchdowns in history while leading the Cougars to No. 21 in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season and their first bowl game in two years. He scored more touchdowns this season than any Washington State quarterback since 2019.
He scored five touchdowns in a game five times this season, including a season-high six TDs against Portland State. Mateer rushed for 197 yards and a touchdown in a win over Texas Tech and 307 total yards and three touchdowns in the Cougars’ upset of in-state rival Washington.
Mateer totaled at least two touchdowns in 11 of Washington State’s 12 games this year. He has thrown 29 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions and leads the Cougars with 826 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
But he isn’t joining Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, and Miami’s Cam Ward as a Heisman Trophy finalist despite accounting for more touchdowns than all of them this season.
That begs the question, can Washington State offer him enough support to make a real run at the Heisman, or is it time for Mateer to move on to a bigger, more established program? He could follow former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to Oklahoma.
Trying To Keep Mateer
Mateer will likely have no shortage of suitors if he does enter the transfer portal, which officially opened on Monday, and he could probably make himself some money.
Former Washington State defensive back Paul Sorenson said last week on the ‘Old Crimson podcast that Mateer has already received a $1 million offer from an undisclosed program.
Those numbers might only go up, especially when it comes to paying for the services of a proven dual-threat quarterback, but there has been an effort made by local businesses in Pullman, Washington, to keep Mateer in scarlet and gray.
He currently has Name, Image, and Likeness deals worth an estimated $400,000, but those numbers pale in comparison to what many teams in Power Four conferences can offer him.
Washington State head coach Jake Dickert said the program is putting together a package in an effort to keep Mateer.
That needs to be job No. 1 for the Cougars’ coaches this season. Mateer is only a redshirt sophomore, so he has a chance to lead Washington State into the rebuilt Pac-12 in 2026, and he’d likely be one of the conference’s most exciting players.
That might only happen if the coaches get him to buy into helping to lead the program into the future and businesses in Pullman continue to open their checkbooks and make staying worthwhile.
