December 17 – PULLMAN – “Abraham Lucas, Washington State”.
Coug fans who watched Sunday Night Football on NBC on Sunday could at least celebrate Lucas, an NFL starter, declaring his alma mater purple and gray in his player introduction during the opening minutes of the Seahawks’ 30-13 loss to Seattle vs. Green Bay. Packers.
Those same WSU fans learned soon after that they would likely never hear Cougar quarterback John Mateer say “John Mateer, Washington State” on a future NFL broadcast as news of sophomore signal caller’s departure from WSU spread overnight.
A growing number of players who have turned professional in recent years could name two, three, even four or more colleges if given the time. Not to mention a cry in high school, middle school or elementary school, as has become common.
While it’s not possible to list multiple schools in what’s supposed to be a three-second clip, the fact that it’s even a conversation is a window into how much college football has changed , even in the last five years.
Former WSU quarterback Cam Ward, a 2024 Heisman Trophy finalist and likely first-round NFL draft pick, might say, “Cam Ward, Incarnate Word, Washington State, Miami,” during his player introduction.
Each school played a role in its development. Incarnate Word gave him his first chance, Wazzu provided him with a bigger stage and more money and Miami provided him with a chance at a national championship (key word “shot”), an improved NFL draft profile and a lot more money. All this on top of the skills, mentors and lessons he learned at each stop.
This could be the trajectory of another WSU quarterback.
Mateer – the third-year sophomore signal-caller who burst onto the scene with top-10 passing numbers and a dynamic running style that left defenders going for air or dropping into the zone. goals with him — entered the college football transfer portal Monday after spending the weekend with his family.
Mateer’s 330 total offensive yards per game were fifth in the nation and his 44 total touchdowns (29 passing, 15 rushing) led the nation during a season in which he led WSU to a record of 8-4 and key victories against Texas. Technology and Washington.
The Little Elm, Texas, native could head to Oklahoma, a Southeastern Conference school less than 200 miles from his home.
The move would reunite him with Ben Arbuckle, his offensive coordinator at WSU, who two weeks ago held the same position in Norman. Mateer’s quarterbacks coach, John Kuceyeski, followed Arbuckle from WSU to Oklahoma last week.
WSU coach Jake Dickert said the Cougar Collective put together a seven-figure name, image and likeness offer for Mateer.
Other schools reportedly exceeded what WSU could offer, with one unnamed school offering Mateer around $3 million.
“He had to make a big decision for his life,” Dickert said. “John will be the most sought-after player in the portal. I think he will be the best player in the country next year.
The most important thing for our program is that it proves, once again, that our process works. We offer Power Five to a group of kids who don’t have other offerings. We develop them into something really, really special.”
As for whether the NIL opportunities that the Cougar Collective has assembled for Mateer could be given to other players, Dickert gave a non-committal answer:
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“I don’t know,” Dickert said. “We’d love to check that out.”
It is likely that the full range of NIL support that has been raised for Mateer is not transferable, as the company’s return on investment, outside of helping WSU win games, would not be the same if she teamed up with almost any other player.
Mateer has the chance to be one of, if not the best in college football, to compete for the Heisman Trophy and thus be a widely recognizable name.
Other players on WSU’s roster and any incoming transfers would not have the brand and name recognition that Mateer already has, and thus would cause the companies and organizations that collectively gave him $1 million to lose a significant loss on their investment.
The challenge for WSU will be to convince enough potential donors/partners to put the egg before the chicken and pay for players to play at WSU, thereby building a winning team and creating value for their business.
Many things are true about this situation, but in summary it boils down to the following:
The smooth-talking Texan would have been an instant WSU legend had he returned, even for one more year. In addition to earning $1 million, Mateer would have been a beacon in a unique 2025 WSU season. A season similar to the one he had in 2024 would have propelled him further into the record books and cemented him in the hearts of the Cougar faithful.
There are more than a dozen active Cougs in the NFL who have made WSU their final stop. Dickert said players can achieve their professional football goals through WSU. It’s still true.
Mateer absolutely has the right to transfer. How could you ask a 20-year-old to turn down $3 million, the chance to play every week on ESPN against the best in college football and expand his professional football chances?
Did Mateer make the “right decision”. Yes.
Would it have been the “right decision” for him to stay? Yes too.
Mateer leaves Pullman with life-changing money and an extraordinary opportunity. Coug fans would do well, for their own sanity, to wish him well and take their grievances to the powers that be who have traded century-old traditions for the almighty dollar.
Players should get a piece of college football’s billion-dollar pie. The problem is that their share doesn’t come from the NCAA kitchen, but rather depends on the advice of fans and the deep pockets of boosters.
This opened the floodgates to unregulated free agency and decimated smaller programs like WSU as schools higher up the food chain use them like unpaid minor leagues.
Dickert went so far as to say “there are no rules” and that he believes teams would be behind if they didn’t recruit staff from other schools.
“You know, 10 years ago, this time of year, you’d put your feet up. At night, I’d drink a beer and celebrate the comeback of one of the best teams in state history from Washington next year,” Dickert said. “December has changed a lot, and not just for us.”
It’s the system’s fault, not the child’s.
Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2268, [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) @Sam_C_Taylor.
