Why I’m Buying Early Hype Around Oklahoma State Football QB Drew Mestemaker

The quarterback job is one of the few jobs at Oklahoma State that is sewn up. There are good reasons why that’s the case.

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

As we get closer to college football season beginning, the hype surrounding Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker only grows.

Earlier this week the staff at The Athletic (subscription required) did a mock Heisman draft as an exercise to select who could win the trophy. Mestemaker was a second-round pick. It wouldn't surprise me if he was a “first-round pick” by season’s end.

For a fan base grasping for good vibes, it's easy to buy in to Mestemaker. Oklahoma State hasn't had good quarterback play in a couple of years. And in major college football good quarterback play is a must.

It's also right to be skeptical of what he could do at this level. After all, he did it at North Texas. And while he’ll play under the same coaches and have some of the same players around him, one never knows how talent will translate at the power conference level.

But as the Cowboys prepare for the second full week of camp, this is why I'm buying into the hype around Mestemaker.

Why I’m Buying the Hype

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

I can distill it down to three reasons. The first is watching tape and watching him in action. I'm buying what Morris is selling about Mestemaker’s throwing motion. It's quick, it's repeatable and it's clean. I've covered pro Football and I've covered college football, so I've watched a lot of quarterbacks throw. There really isn't much wasted motion.

He also makes quick decisions. I would argue his decisions aren't necessarily pre-baked. Having watched tape it's clear there are situations in which Mestemaker has progressions he works through but does it so quickly that it doesn't seem like it.

He throws a great football and he's not easily fooled, two traits that come in handy against defenses that have had a year or preparation — and tape — to gear up to defend him.

The second is the offense. The Air Raid is the most quarterback friendly offense in college football. You need a talented quarterback to make it work. When it's working it's hard to slow down. The pace at which he ran the offense at North Texas last year was at times dizzying. The talent that followed him and Morris to Oklahoma State means the transition will be shorter.

The offense doesn't just help Mestemaker it also helps the non-North Texas transfers like wide receivers Chris Barnes and Justin Bowick. They are going to have a part in making Mestemaker look good.

Throw in a stout running game with Caleb Hawkins — and based on last this this is one of the best run games I’ve seen in an Air Raid offense — and you have an offense tailor-made to what Mestemaker does best and one that he can leverage to make a real impact on Oklahoma State this season.

The third reason is that Mestemaker doesn't have to have a massive to be successful. What I mean by that is he doesn't need to lead FBS in passing yards like he did a year ago. That would be nice, but it's not necessary. Many Air Raid quarterbacks put up big numbers but don’t necessarily impact on winning and losing. Mestemaker does impact winning and losing and he doesn’t have to have 400 passing yards per game to do it.

In fact, I would boldly predict that he probably won't hit 4,000 yards passing this year. The defenses he will face are better — especially at cornerback. And as I noted earlier, there is a year of tape to break down. But Mestemaker doesn't have to hit 100% of the numbers he hit last year to help Oklahoma State succeed. Even if he only throws for 75% of the 4,379 yards in 2025, that will mark the best quarterback play the Cowboys have had in three seasons and at minimum put them in position for a winning season.

That's maybe the biggest reason I'm buying the hype. He doesn't need to have an off the charts season for the Cowboys to have a good season. He just needs to be himself. And he’ll do that in an offense tailor made for what he does best. The numbers will just come to him and OSU. It's an enviable position that very few quarterbacks get in college football. Mestemaker is uniquely suited for the job.