Will he stay or will he go?
WSU quarterback John Mateer has been practicing with what remains of this teammates ahead of the Cougs’ Holiday Bowl appearance on Dec. 27. But we’ll find out Monday if he’ll continue to step foot on the practice field.
That’s because Mateer will spend the weekend mulling over his future with his family. On one hand, I think practicing with your teammates and preparing for a bowl game without a full commitment to the team is a tad odd, but on the other hand, college football in 2024 is not your older sibling’s college football. Mateer will and should do what’s best for him, and I can’t blame him for anything.
WSU apparently has an offer on the table, one head coach Jake Dickert deemed “fair”:
“We’ve done an amazing job of putting together a package for John that I think is fair, and he knows his value here,” Dickert said. “He knows how much he’s loved. I think it really means something for him to be here. I don’t take that for granted. I also take a step back and wanna mentor him, wanna help him, wanna navigate him through this. The talks have been really, really positive, and we’ll continue to navigate that as they go.”
While “fair” may be true, it might also be not quite enough. WSU has a lot going against it when it comes to Mateer’s future:
- Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle left for Oklahoma
- Quarterbacks coach John Kuceyeski, who was tabbed to call plays at the Holiday Bowl, has also now reportedly left for Oklahoma
- Oh, did I mention Oklahoma is in need of a quarterback?
- Cam Ward parlayed his WSU success to a payday at Miami and an invite to tonight’s Heisman Trophy presentation, giving Mateer somewhat of a blueprint of how things may turn out
- WSU just can’t compete with the Power 4
We’ll see what happens after a weekend at Camp Mateer. Will he return for another season, or will he become the 19th player to enter the portal (and eighth starter)? Place your bets.