Could Oklahoma's John Mateer become the latest transfer QB to end up as the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft?

When most people think of Washington State football, one of three things likely comes to mind: former head coach Mike Leach, the Ol'Crimson flag on "College GameDay," or -- if you're a little older -- infamous draft bust Ryan Leaf.

One thing is for certain: you aren't thinking about the 2023 version of the Cougars that went 5-7. Yet in the not so distant future, that team may be the answer to a unique trivia question.

You see the quarterback room of that 2023 team featured the most recent No. 1 overall pick in Cameron Ward before he transferred to Miami. His backup on that team -- John Mateer -- took over as the starter for the Cougars in 2024. Mateer threw for 3,136 yards with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions while running for 1,008 yards (per NFL statkeeping) and 15 scores last season in relative obscurity against a cupcake schedule for Washington State after the collapse of the Pac-12.

Something tells me after this weekend, that man won't be obscure anymore. That's because Mateer transferred to Oklahoma, which will face off against Michigan under the lights in Norman for a top-25 matchup.

If you haven't figured out where I'm going with the trivia question by now, it's which schools have had multiple No. 1 overall NFL draft picks on their roster at the same time? 

While you may find it absurd that Washington State could join the ranks of 2017 Oklahoma (Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray), 1986 Miami (Fla.) (Vinny Testaverde and Russell Maryland), 1984-1985 Auburn (Bo Jackson and Aundray Bruce), and 1967 USC (Ron Yary and O.J. Simpson) as the only teams in the Super Bowl era to pull off such a feat, 1) they're already halfway there, and 2) it's not so far-fetched when you talk to those in the know. 

That's because the new Oklahoma quarterback is drawing some very lofty comps from his new school. A member of the Sooners coaching staff described him to CBS senior reporter Matt Zenitz as "a spitting image of Baker Mayfield." Mayfield, you'll remember, was himself a Heisman winner and No. 1 overall pick for the Sooners. 

You could take that quote to mean a lot of different things, but I'm here to tell you that physically, Mateer is more gifted than Mayfield or even Ward. Mateer has a similar squatty build to both Mayfield and Ward with comparable arm talent, but is a much better runner and a twitchier mover in the pocket than either. His closest physical comp in recent memory is another No. 1 overall pick in Caleb Williams. You might call it hyperbole, but just watch how the ball explodes from his hand:

And how nimble he is in the open field:

What made me most confident in including Mateer in the top 10 of my preseason draft board, though, was the way coaches on the Oklahoma staff have raved about how he's taken over the locker room. It's the same sort of stories we heard from Ward a year ago. It's no surprise Mateer came out his very first game in a Sooners uniform and looked like he already had rapport with his receivers, going for nearly 400 yards passing.

That all being said, there are big areas of improvement for Mateer that we'll need to see as the season wears on. The biggest of which is how he fares against better competition. His games against Texas Tech and Washington last season -- the two best teams on Washington State's schedule -- were arguably his two worst outputs of the season. They also happened to be two of his first three games ever as a starter.

A big reason I'm excited about Mateer's development is because we already saw it over the course of his first year as a starter. The bouts of inaccuracy and head-scratching throws, which were frequent early on in the year, dwindled down the stretch. In fact, his final three games of 2024 were his three highest-graded of the season, according to PFF. While that carried over into Week 1 against Illinois State, we'll need to see it carry over against SEC competition before NFL evaluators buy in.

I'm not here to tell you for certain whether or not that will happen this season. I am here to say, though, that with two years of eligibility left and freakish raw talent at Mateer's disposal, I would be surprised if it doesn't happen sometime in Norman. In a class loaded with high-end toolsy prospects, Mateer can go toe-to-toe with anyone.

Think Mateer will have a massive 2025 season and make a meteoric rise to being the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft? Head on over to DraftKings Sportsbook, where Mateer is being offered at 30-1 odds ($10 to win $300).

John Mateer NFL Draft profile

John Mateer

OKLA • QB • #10

6-1, 224 | 21 years old | Redshirt junior

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NFL comparison: Baker Mayfield

Both Mateer and Mayfield are on the shorter side, but don't mistake that for meaning they don't have big arms. They can hit any spot on the field with zip. They both are gamers as well, always looking for opportunities outside of structure to make plays. Mateer may even be a little better athlete between the two, while Mayfield was more accurate in his time at Oklahoma.

Accolades

• 2025 (vs. Illinois State): Set school record for most pass yards (392) in Oklahoma debut
• 2024 (at Washington State): Set single-season school records for rush yards (826) and rush touchdowns (15) by a QB
• 2024 (at Washington State): Only QB in FBS with 20-plus pass touchdowns and 10-plus rush touchdowns

Strengths

• High-end arm talent paired with an ultra quick release.
• Twitchy mover. Tough to pin down in the pocket.
• Good feel for pressure. Escaped from a lot of sticky situations.

Weaknesses

• Inconsistent accuracy. Will rush throws.
• Frenetic play style often leads to timing issues past first read.
• Over aggressive downfield. A lot of pickable throws on tape.

2026 NFL mock draft: Preseason edition includes 5 QBs taken in first round, including a big surprise at No. 1

Mike Renner

John Mateer college stats

John Mateer 247Sports profile

High school: Little Elm (Little Elm, Texas)
Class: 2022
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (82)

• QB: 124 | Texas: 248

Check out John Mateer's full 247Sports profile, here.