David Pollack Predicts Elite Big 12 QB Will Be the No. 1 Pick in 2027 NFL Draft

The former ESPN analyst also sided with Oklahoma State over defending Big 12 champion Texas Tech, pointing to a passer who walked on at North Texas in 2024.

College football analyst David Pollack | See Ball Get Ball/YT

Former ESPN College GameDay analyst David Pollack put a former walk-on at the top of the 2027 NFL Draft, predicting Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker will be the first player selected next April.

Pollack made the call on the Brandon Walker College Football Show while backing Oklahoma State over defending Big 12 champion Texas Tech. “If Drew Mestemaker’s last name was Manning, he would already be projected as the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft this year,” Pollack said.

David Pollack doubts Texas Tech offense

“If Drew Mestemaker’s last name was Manning, he would already be projected as the #1 pick in the NFL Draft this year”

David Pollack is all in on Drew Mestemaker and Oklahoma State pic.twitter.com/sTr0gw43Ta

— Brandon Walker College Football Show (@BFWshow) October 9, 2026

Barstool Sports host Brandon Walker asked if Texas Tech would finish as the Big 12’s best team. Pollack, who called the league “the most competitive conference, top to bottom,” sided with the Cowboys instead, a contrast with Josh Pate’s suggestion that the entire Big 12 may be overrated.

“I do not believe what I’m seeing from Texas Tech. I can’t buy into this inconsistency on offense,” Pollack said. “Give me the Cowboys, bro. I know they lost to Tulsa. I get it.”

Oklahoma State fell 24-10 to Tulsa in the opener as Mestemaker went 29 of 49 for 241 yards with two interceptions. “If you watched the game, they had four fourth-down conversions that they missed. They turned the ball over several times,” Pollack said.

Mestemaker has thrown for 1,030 yards and 10 touchdowns in three wins since. He totaled 317 passing yards and 109 rushing yards in a 39-31 upset of then-No. 6 Oregon that snapped Oklahoma State’s 21-game losing streak against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents, then threw for 389 yards and three scores in a 41-24 win at West Virginia.

“I see so much greatness in that kid,” Pollack said.

How high is Mestemaker’s draft stock?

Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Drew Mestemaker (17) looks to pass during the second half against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Austin native didn’t start at quarterback for Vandegrift High School and walked on at North Texas in 2024. He led the nation with 4,379 passing yards in 2025 before following coach Eric Morris to Stillwater, and 2027 is his first year of draft eligibility.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Mestemaker fourth among 2027 quarterback prospects in August, behind Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, Oregon’s Dante Moore and Texas’ Arch Manning. Brugler put Fernando Mendoza in the same spot before the 2025 season, and the Las Vegas Raiders drafted Mendoza No. 1 overall in April.

Brugler’s top-50 big board lists Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith first and Manning third. Pollack declared Smith the best player in college football earlier this week, yet he still projects the 6-foot-3 Cowboys passer to come off the board first.

Oklahoma State’s next Big 12 test

UCF at Oklahoma State kicks off at noon ET Saturday on ESPN2 as the Cowboys (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) return from a bye. Morris took over a program that went 1-11 in 2025, and Texas Tech visits Stillwater on Nov. 14 in the matchup that will test Pollack’s Big 12 pick head-to-head.