Cam Ward’s escapades down in southern Florida are well documented. He’s been a revelation for the Mario Cristobal-led Miami Hurricanes since his transfer prior to the 2024 season. A Heisman finalist and a consensus lottery pick off the NFL draft board. It’s fair to say Cam’s decision to trade Washington State for the Canes transpired rather well. So when this figurative trail has already been blazed, why not tread right back across it? That’s what John Mateer seems to be weighing up.

Quarterback Mateer entered the transfer portal at the beginning of the week and soared right to the top of the ascendancy. Ironically, after leaving Washington State, he’s ranked as the No. 1 overall player traversing the transfer portal. John Mateer deputized behind Cam Ward for the Cougars before bursting through this season after getting his shot as a starter. Now, he’s got an opportunity to succeed Cam once again, with Miami reportedly pursuing him. However, this pre-existing route is not quite as linear as you’d expect.

According to On3’s recruitment and portal experts Steve Wiltfong and Pete Nakos, Mateer is strongly trending towards the Oklahoma Sooners. This is because OU hired his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, from Washington State. Albeit there is one facet that indicates John Mateer to Oklahoma is not a foregone conclusion just yet. 

Wiltfong leveraged his insight on the On3 Recruits’ YouTube channel. Speaking on behalf of himself and his colleague Nakos, he said, “Well, we feel strongly about Oklahoma’s position here for Mateer. Now, we were a little surprised that there wasn’t a ‘Do Not Tag’ label when he entered the portal, which allows other programs to communicate with him.” This keeps the door open for the Canes to swoop in. “If he were to entertain another school, [Pete] Nakos points to a place like Miami. The Hurricanes certainly have the firepower to get involved and could point towards the success that Cam Ward had this year,” Wiltfong stated.

When explicitly asked, “Would [Miami] be willing to come over the top with the, you know, dollar amount that maybe Mateer couldn’t turn down?” Steve Wiltfong didn’t seem to think that was on the cards. He replied, “I don’t know if there’s a mafia-style offer for Mateer in his recruitment process…A lot of people thought that if you hire his offensive coordinator…you would ultimately land Mateer. It seems to be lining up that way.” With sheer NIL remuneration seemingly not enough, Miami will need to lean on the Cam Ward comparison. Alas, seems like Mario Cristobal will have to wait longer for his get-back at Brent Venables.

Brent Venables instigated a potential Cold War with Mario Cristobal

Both Cristobal and Venables took over the helm of their respective programs in 2022. At the conclusion of Year 1, both programs sat at 6-7. However, not all records are created equal. Context and nuance are often disregarded. Brent Venables perceived this to be the case amidst the media. In an attempt to make his own proverbial candle seem brighter, Venables blew Cristobal’s, seemingly unprovoked.

Brent Venables fired some subliminal shots at Cristobal, saying, “6-7, none of it’s any good. But had we gotten blown out by Middle Tennessee, had we gotten beat by Florida State 45-3, the conversation’s probably a little different.” The only common opponent those two teams beat was Miami. Not very subtle. The Sooners actually came into the season with much higher expectations than the Canes. 

Mario Cristobal hasn’t retaliated since this transpired in July 2023, and this situation has remained dormant. He appears to have an opportunity now, albeit by proxy. Cam Ward leaves behind difficult shoes to fill. However, John Mateer has already walked them once, with pomp.

Mateer garnered 29 touchdowns through the air this season. This is more than Cam Ward mustered in either of his seasons with the Cougars. Mario Cristobal and the Canes will hope to inflict another late comeback, something they’re accustomed to on the field, and on the recruitment front.