Jackson Arnold transfer portal decision all but guarantees Oklahoma’s next QB

Jackson Arnold is in the portal, so Oklahoma is without its starting quarterback for next season. At the moment, it looks like the Sooners will turn to Michael Hawkins to lead the offense next year. That is, unless Washington State quarterback John Mateer enters the portal as well. If that happens (it feels more like when that happens, but nothing is official yet) then Oklahoma is the most logical landing spot for the Cougars quarterback, who accounted for 44 total touchdowns in his first season as starter for the Cougs.

Mateer would be following an old friend to Norman, as Washington State's former offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, was recently hired for the same position at Oklahoma. Arbuckle isn't a household name yet, but his track record speaks for itself, and his success with Mateer at Wazzu could be enough to lure the quarterback to follow his former OC.

Mateer would bring spark to Oklahoma offense

What started off as a season with hope slowly disintegrated into a season that barely got the Sooners to bowl eligibility, finishing at 6-6. There were some nice moments, like a dominant win over Alabama, but for the most part, a sluggish offense held this team back.

Michael Hawkins provides some upside and it's not as though this offense's struggles can be squarely blamed on the quarterback play from last year. The offensive line was bullied by opposing SEC front seven's, so whether it was Hawkins or Arnold, time was hard to come by.

Still, Mateer is dynamic enough by himself to make up for some deficiencies around him, and his chemistry with Ben Arbuckle could revamp this offense in 2025. Together at WSU, they led one of the most exciting offenses in college football.

Plus, Washington State will be in conference purgatory again next season, and Mateer may well want to play on a team on more solid ground. If he enters the transfer portal soon, OU makes a whole lot of sense.