Breaking Down Oklahoma State Star’s Meteoric Rise in Quarterback Ranking

The Oklahoma State Cowboys brought in plenty of great talent in the transfer portal. But the ranking for this player is special.

Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Throughout the offseason much of the focus around Oklahoma State football has been on the transfers that landed in Stillwater.

There are nearly 90 of them. But one has drawn the most attention — quarterback Drew Mestemaker. To many outsiders the redshirt sophomore who can change the program at OSU, one that has won four games in two seasons and went 1-11 last year.

A great season from Mestemaker has short-term implications on turning the program around this season and long-term implications on what the program can do without him once he leaves, which could be as early as next spring if he chooses to head to the NFL. But just how highly is he seen by others?

The Athletic (subscription required) ranked every projected starter at quarterback in FBS in a recent article. The site even ranked those quarterbacks across seven different tiers. The site’s assessment of Mestemaker wasn’t a huge surprise. But what that ranking aligns to shows just how program-changing his talent could be.

Assessing Drew Mestemaker’s Tier Status

Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This is how The Athletic explained what makes a Tier 1 quarterback in its eyes.

“The best of the best. They have a strong combination of proven production and elite traits and are among the Heisman Trophy frontrunners. Coaches want to build their teams around them.”

That makes Mestemaker a gem in any coach’s eyes, especially OSU boss Eric Morris, who took in Mestemaker in as a walk-on in 2024 at North Texas and allowed his Air Raid offense to make him a star last season.

Tier 1 is small, just eight players. Mestemaker ranked No. 6. Ahead of him was No. 1 Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss, No. 2 Dante Moore of Oregon, No. 3 CJ Carr of Notre Dame, No. 4 Darian Mensah of Miami and No. 5 Julian Sayin of Ohio State. Behind him were No. 7 Arch Manning of Texas and No. 8 Sam Leavitt of LSU.

That’s it. The best of the best. The eight elite quarterbacks in college football this season. It’s enough to make Cowboys fans buy the hype.

Had The Athletic done this last season Mestemaker probably would have fallen in Tier 7 for “unproven FBS quarterbacks,” which is what he was at North Texas last season.

The Athletic also spoke to Big 12 personnel people, assistant coaches and scouts about Mestemaker. The personnel person called him “the best in the league.” The assistant coach said he’s “probably the face of the league.”

Earlier this month at Big 12 media days, commissioner Brett Yormark called the Big 12 the “conference of quarterbacks.” To some, the newcomer is the best one the league has to offer, and he hasn’t taken a snap in Stillwater yet.

It’s shows just how impressive his season was at North Texas and how much stock others are putting in him following his head coach to Oklahoma State. That stock only goes up if the Tier 1 quarterback helps the program win more games than the last two seasons combined — and then some.