Which Oklahoma State Players Are Living Up to Their NIL Expectations?
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys are just a few days away from starting the serious work to get ready for the 2026 football season.
New head coach Eric Morris has been waiting for this since he was hired in December. Through rebuilding the roster, going through spring workouts and handling the media obligations toward talking season, this is what he’s been looking forward to the most — well, except for games, of course.
But to play well you must practice well. Many of these players came to OSU with the hope of leverage their name, image and likeness (NIL) to make money, along with the revenue share that can be given to student-athletes. Some, obviously, are getting more than others.
Here we explore three players that have already lived up to their NIL valuation going into fall workouts. It's important to note that valuation isn't the same as how much a player is making, but it gives a sense of how the market perceives the player.
QB Drew Mestemaker
The quarterback is usually the biggest moneymaker from an NIL perspective. While no one knows what Mestemaker is bringing in through his various agreements, On3 (subscription required) gives him a valuation of $3.5 million, which is No. 26 among its Top 100 college athletes. Given how much positive publicity he’s provided to the Cowboys this spring and summer, it’s hard to argue he’s not worth that value.
He set that valuation up with a tremendous 2025 at North Texas where he led FBS in in passing yards (4,379), passing yards per game (312.8), total offense (4,468) and yards per pass attempt (9.46). His head coach last season will be his head coach this season, as he followed Morris from Denton to Stillwater. Smart move.
DE Jaleel Johnson
Of all the returning Cowboys, Johnson has become that group’s de facto spokesperson. He was the lone holdover that represented the Cowboys at Big 12 media days last month and he handled the job with aplomb. He gave reporters one of the best quotes of the day — “I feel like I transferred without transferring.”
Johnson isn’t along On3’s Top 100 NIL valuations, but per The NIL Standard he has a valuation of $771,533. Given that this is his last year and he hasn’t been a heavy contributor the past four years, that seems high. But given how much he’s meant to Morris’ transition as head coach — Morris has spoken volumes about him — it’s hard to craft an argument that Johnson hasn’t lived up to that value this summer.
WR Wyatt Young
He’s seen as Mestemaker’s top target and for good reason — he filled that role last season at North Texas. He led the Mean Green with 70 catches for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns as he led the team in every receiving category. By importing him to Oklahoma State along with Mestemaker, the Cowboys already have one of the best passing combos in the Big 12.
Young hasn’t hurt his value in the least after a great spring and a solid summer during which he’s been pegged as one of the highest-rated returning wide receivers in the Big 12. Per The NIL Standard he has a valuation of $848,125. He’s not among On3’s Top 100 and it’s hard for wide receivers to break into that Top 100.
Between his play last season and he’s quickly made himself accessible to the locals and to his teammates, he’s proven he’s worth the NIL value.
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Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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