At long last, the seismic development that always felt likely — if not inevitable — has come to fruition.

Sources tell OUInsider that Washington State quarterback John Mateer has informed head coach Jake Dickert of his intention to transfer from the program. When Mateer's portal entry becomes official, it's expected to include a no-contact tag, as OUInsider members were previously informed.

All signs would thus appear to point to Norman for Mateer, a native of the Dallas-Fort Worth area whose name has long been connected to Oklahoma in the rumor mill. Buzz began to mount several weeks ago that he could follow his former offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to Norman. Arbuckle, a 29-year-old wunderkind of the coaching world who spent the last two seasons as Washington State's offensive coordinator, accepted the vacant OC position at Oklahoma in early December.

Naturally, the Oklahoma fanbase's collective focus shifted to Mateer once Arbuckle was confirmed as the OC hire. The 6-foot-1, 219-pound redshirt sophomore threw for 3,139 yards, rushed for 826 and led the FBS in total touchdowns (44) during the 2024 season. It marked his first year as an FBS starter, as he took the reins upon Cam Ward's decision to transfer to Miami.

A former two-star recruit out of Little Elm HS in Little Elm, Texas, Mateer has two years of eligibility left. Should he indeed wind up at Oklahoma, he'd be thrust into a competition with rising sophomore Michael Hawkins for the starting job. Hawkins made three starts as a true freshman in 2024, and is in line to start the Sooners' Dec. 27 bowl matchup with Navy.

It had become obvious in recent days that the program was preparing to add an experienced quarterback to the room, especially when incumbent starter Jackson Arnold elected to transfer to Auburn and freshman project Brendan Zurbrugg also hit the portal. But after Friday's practice, Hawkins reaffirmed his desire to stick around in Norman and compete with whoever the Sooners brought in, whether Mateer or someone else.

"I love competition," said Hawkins. "I feel like that's how it should be. I don't think that it should be no other way. So, I'm all about competition. I think we need another guy here. I'm ready... I'm gonna be at Oklahoma. This is where I want to be. I want to play at Oklahoma, be the quarterback at Oklahoma."

Provided that Mateer lands with the Sooners as expected, he and Hawkins will be joined in the QB room by incoming freshman Jett Niu, a three-star prospect who flipped from Oklahoma State to Oklahoma on signing day Dec. 4.

It's not yet clear when Mateer's name will officially appear in the transfer portal. The hope for the Sooner faithful would be that a commitment from the prized quarterback will start an avalanche, as Oklahoma is in need of reinforcements at several positions. Thus far, the program's only addition via the portal is former Kennesaw State punter Jacob Ulrich.

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