Western Carolina transfer OL Derek Simmons commits to Oklahoma

Former Western Carolina offensive lineman Derek Simmons committed to Oklahoma out of the transfer portal, he announced on Thursday. He will have one year of eligibility remaining.

A class of 2020 recruit, Simmons began his career at Tusculum University before stops at Abilene Christian and then Western Carolina. The Florida native chose the Sooners over a number of Power 4 opportunities.

“Let’s Ride!!!!” Simmons said, along with some red and white emojis, on his post, before adding “Boomer Sooner” for good measure.

Simmons was unrated as a prospect in the 2020 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

Oklahoma landed a big quarterback commitment

Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer has committed to Oklahoma, he announced.

Mateer played his high school football at Little Elm in Texas. While there, he became a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the 107th-ranked quarterback and the 1,678th-ranked player overall in that recruiting cycle.

Mateer spent three seasons with Washington State. That included a freshman season in 2022 where he played in one game and used a redshirt. That, in turn, leaves him with two more seasons of eligibility.

In 2024, Mateer was given his opportunity to shine with Washington State. Over the course of 12 games, he completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. On top of that, he was a dual threat, rushing for 826 yards and 15 more touchdowns.

That success came in a season where Washington State was one of two teams remaining in the Pac-12, making for a difficult situation. Still, the Cougars were able to go 8-4 and earn a trip to the Holiday Bowl.

For Oklahoma’s part, the Sooners are coming off their first season in the SEC and it was a difficult one. The Sooners went just 6-6, falling below preseason expectations. That was a regular season that saw Oklahoma make multiple changes at quarterback and a change at offensive coordinator. Eventually, the Sooners would go on to hire Ben Arbuckle as the team’s next offensive coordinator. He previously held that same role at Washington State.