New Cowboy Head Coach Eric Morris Can Develop Quarterbacks
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys have been searching for a victory on the football field since week one. They may have finally got that win in the form of new head coach Eric Morris. Morris will likely finish out the season at North Texas before he officially touches down in Stillwater. Cowboy Nation was on the edge of their seats as the news dropped that Pokes had finally found their man.
The Achilles heel for the Cowboys team this season has been their struggles at the quarterback position. Following a hot first-half start in game one from freshman sensation Hauss Hejny, the wheels fell off when Hejny went down with an ankle injury. Oklahoma State struggled to put any points on the board the remainder of the season, and Stillwater was in need of a savior.
Coach Morris takes the reins. Welcome to Cowboy Country 🤠
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) November 25, 2025
🔗: https://t.co/RQKWpvgWo0#GoPokes | #okstate pic.twitter.com/DwDozhqlLr
Enter Coach Eric Morris...
The proof is in the pudding when it comes to Morris and the quarterback position. He has proven in his career to have an uncanny ability to spot, bring in, and develop talent. Numerous quarterbacks on the Morris tree are playing their games on Sunday night.
Morris helped recruit and coach Patrick Mahomes during his time at Texas Tech. He was part of one of the most potent offenses in college history when they led the league in total yardage and scoring in 2015. Mahomes has done alright for himself in the NFL, where he has won three Super Bowl titles, two NFL MVP awards, and three Super Bowl MVP awards.
Patrick Mahomes, Cam Ward, Drew Mestemaker -- new #okstate coach Eric Morris is a quarterback guru.
— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) November 25, 2025
Here are some of elite quarterbacks that have worked under the Cowboys' new coach. https://t.co/qd30wB7Qbu
Morris also identified and developed Baker Mayfield while at Texas Tech. Mayfield went on to win a Heisman Trophy while at Oklahoma and was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2018 draft by the Cleveland Browns. He broke the rookie passing touchdown record in his first year in the league.
He also recruited Cam Ward to Incarnate Word, where he had a highly successful college career, and later followed Morris to Washington State. Ward was taken No. 1 overall in the 2025 draft by the Tennessee Titans. Ward thought so highly of his former coach that he invited Morris to sit next to him on draft day.
Morris recruited John Mateer to Washington State, where he put together an impressive resume. Mateer was the hottest ticket in the 2024-25 transfer portal and later landed with the Oklahoma Sooners. He now has Oklahoma on the cusp of a playoff berth.
— 𝙋𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙡 𝙍𝙞𝙘𝙠 (@PistolRick) November 26, 2025
His latest quarterback find may be one of his most impressive yet. Morris took a shot on Drew Mestemaker, who had zero stars out of high school. Mestemaker currently leads the nation in passing yards with 3,359. He has thrown for 26 touchdowns to only four interceptions. He completes 70 percent of his passes and has a quarterback rating of 172.0.
Eric Morris is a Cowboy, and one has to believe his first order of business will be to develop the next great OSU quarterback. Could we see a 'Cam Ward type' situation in Stillwater? Could Mestemaker follow his head coach north? Only time will tell, but for now, we are officially back!
Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.