Report: Bill Belichick, UNC made run at John Mateer before Baker Mayfield 'helped seal the deal'

One of Oklahoma’s top targets in the transfer portal, John Mateer committed to the Sooners on Wednesday. OU fought off Miami for the former Washington State star – but another surprising team made a late charge, and a former Heisman Trophy winner helped save the day.

Bill Belichick and North Carolina made a late push for Mateer, one of the top prospects to hit the open market this cycle, according to Oklahoma radio voice Toby Rowland. The new UNC head coach has been active in the transfer space and made a run at one of the top players available, even as Oklahoma and Miami were also continuing their pursuits.

Ultimately, a call from Baker Mayfield “helped seal the deal” and bring Mateer to Norman, Rowland said. That means he will continue to work with offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who’s also coming in from Pullman.

Sources tell me that in addition to Miami, North Carolina and Bill Belichick got involved late in the John Mateer sweepstakes. Baker Mayfield, however, helped seal the deal by calling Mateer and making the final case for OU. Soon thereafter Mateer made it official.

— Toby Rowland (@TRowOU) December 19, 2024

Oklahoma was a strong favorite to land Mateer, especially after bringing in Arbuckle to replace Seth Littrell as its new offensive coordinator. He is the top quarterback to enter the transfer portal so far this cycle and the No. 2 overall player in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings. But Miami was also in the mix, On3’s Pete Nakos reported, and it turns out Bill Belichick had North Carolina in the conversation, as well.

John Mateer announced his commitment to Oklahoma Wednesday night via social media. When he did, he also shared an NIL deal with the OU-focused NIL collective, 1Oklahoma. Mateer collaborated on his commitment video on Instagram with the collective as they begin their partnership.

On the field in 2024, Mateer shined at Washington State as he led the Cougars to an 8-4 record. He threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns while rushing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. One of the top quarterbacks in the country, he ranked fifth in the nation with 330.4 total yards per game.

Mateer’s commitment was a pivotal one for Brent Venables and Oklahoma. The Sooners struggled mightily on offense in 2024 as both Jackson Arnold and Michael Hawkins saw time at quarterback. OU ranked 15th out of 16 teams in the SEC with 322.6 yards of offense per game and 24.3 points on average, which led to a change at offensive coordinator.