Four Schools Could Have Changed Drew Mestemaker’s Path to Oklahoma State

At Big 12 Media Days, Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris talked about Drew Mestemaker’s time in the transfer portal.

At the time, Morris had taken the job at Oklahoma State and his North Texas quarterback, Mestemaker, was wrapping up a 12-2 season with the Mean Green and trying to determine what to do next. After his incredible season he was expected to hit the transfer portal and he did.

Morris said he gave Mestemaker his space. But, as he wrapped up his tour of schools and headed back to his home in Austin, the pair did speak. Morris had one ask before they hung up.

“Don’t break my heart,” he said.

Mestemaker didn’t. He transferred to Oklahoma State. But under different circumstances he could have left Morris heartbroken and game-planning against his protégé this season.

Drew Mestemaker’s Big Four

During an appearance on the Brandon Walker College Football Show Mestemaker talked about his journey to OSU. But he also responded to a question about the path not taken. As it turns out, there were other power conference schools that were interested in signing him. Walker asked him which ones?

Mestemaker said that his agent helped him sort through a large group of pursuing football programs but that outside of OSU there were four they focused on — Oregon, LSU, Michigan and Texas Tech. But, given his relationship with Morris and their success at UNT in 2025, the choice was simple.

“At the end I kind of made my decision pretty quickly,” he said.

But had he chosen either Oregon or Texas Tech, Morris would be facing his former player. The Cowboys host the Ducks on Sept. 12. Had Mestemaker gone that route, he would be sitting behind Heisman Trophy candidate Dante Moore, who passed on the NFL for one more season of college football.

Had he chosen Texas Tech, he would have visited Stillwater on Nov. 14. That's an intriguing thought exercise. Had Mestemaker chosen the Red Raiders, they may not have lured Brendan Sorsby from Cincinnati. Mestemaker might be fighting it out with Will Hammond for the starting job in Lubbock. Plus, Texas Tech’s summer would have been far less tumultuous.

But all things considered, he ended up where he should have ended up — with the coach who believed in a walk-on that didn’t start a single high school varsity game at quarterback and tutored him into one of the best passers in the country.

Mestemaker may leave for the NFL soon, but he has work to do with Morris first.

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