Dan Lanning Shares His Side of the Story on Transfer Quarterback Drew Mestemaker

The No. 3 Oregon Ducks are unlikely to recognize many faces on the Oklahoma State Cowboys from the 2025 meeting after the Oklahoma State program overhauled its coaching staff and roster, but according to Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, he has some history with the Ducks.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff landed a high-profile transfer in former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola, but according to Mestemaker while appearing on The Brandon Walker College Football Show, the Ducks were one of a few teams interested in landing his services out of the transfer portal before he ultimately landed with the Cowboys.

oregon ducks dan lanning oklahoma state cowboys drew mestemaker transfer portal recruiting agent dylan raiola — Sep 5, 2026; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning encourages players during warm ups before a game against the Boise State Broncos at Autzen Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dan Lanning on Drew Mestemaker

On Monday's press conference ahead of the week 2 matchup between Oregon and Oklahoma State, Lanning addressed the situation and offered his perspective.

“I was never talking to Drew. That doesn't mean that that people didn't communicate or were aware that he was in the portal. I'm sure any good player we’re aware of in the portal," said Lanning. “But I think it was pretty quick that he made the decision he was going to be going, following his coach there. I will say this: Drew's an unbelievable player. You see his arm strength show up.”

Lanning continued to praise Mestemaker for his arm strength as well as his production with North Texas a season ago. Mestemaker followed former North Texas coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State following the 2025 season, and the Cowboys were selected as a team that could surprise some in 2026 thanks to Morris and Mestemaker.

“He's a guy that can stand flat-footed and you know throw a 60-yard bomb. So, he's got a really strong arm. They have a really strong passing attack. There's a reason they're the number one scoring offense in the nation last year in North Texas. But that shows up, and he's obviously a guy that makes that tick for them," Lanning said.

Mestemaker averaged 312.8 yards per game in 2025, throwing 34 touchdowns compared to nine interceptions while completing 68.9 percent of his passes. Such efficiency made him one of the top targets available when the portal opened during the winter.

Drew Mestemaker on Oregon Recruitment

Lanning's story doesn't exactly shut down what Mestemaker said as someone on the Ducks recruiting staff may have reached out to the Oklahoma State quarterback in order to gauge his interest.

“I didn’t talk to a whole bunch of schools in the portal,” Mestemaker said⁠ via the Brandon Walker College Football Show. “But my agent, we kind of came down to a pretty tight little grouping there at the end. Really, the schools that were interested were like Oregon⁠. LSU⁠ was on there. Michigan⁠ was in our radar. Kind of those three, I guess. Maybe (Texas) Tech⁠ a little bit. I mean, at the end of the day, I kind of chose my decision pretty quickly.”

In fact, Oregon doing its due diligence on quarterbacks in the portal and checking in on Mestemaker would make sense. The Ducks surprised many by bringing in Raiola, but Lanning and company have built Oregon into an attractive destination for transfer quarterbacks.

The Ducks landed signal-callers Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore through the portal, and Raiola is expected to start for the team in 2027 after transferring into the program. However, Lanning and the Oregon staff have not completely abandoned recruiting high school quarterbacks, either. Backup quarterback Akili Smith Jr. committed to Oregon out of high school, and the Ducks currently hold a commitment from four-star quarterback Will Mencl in the class of 2027.

Oregon Ducks vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys

The exact dialogue between Mestemaker's camp and the Oregon staff may never come to light, but both the Cowboys quarterback and the Ducks have a chance to say the final word in the story.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Oregon is currently favored by 22.5 points over Oklahoma State, but crazier things have happened in college football. The Ducks were favored by three scores over Boise State before defeating the Broncos by one touchdown.

Oregon and Oklahoma State will kickoff on Sept. 12 at 9 a.m. PT.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google