College football's leading passer linked to three major college football programs

The NCAA transfer portal is officially open for the thousands of college football players looking to compete at new schools in 2026. The portal will remain open until Jan. 16.

The portal will be responsible for a major quarterback shuffle in the 2026 college football season. Quarterbacks such as Beau Pribula, Rocco Becht, Josh Hoover and Dylan Raiola are all searching for new schools to play for.

In addition to Power Four quarterback movement, there is a number of quarterbacks looking to transfer from the Group of Five into the Power Four in order to widen their exposure.

One of the number transferring out of Group of Five schools is North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker. He will have three seasons of college eligibility left at his second school.

The 6-foot-4, 211-pounder arrived at North Texas as a walk-on in 2024. He appeared in three games during the regular season, finishing 4-of-5 passing for 69 yards.

Mestemaker made his first start in the Servpro First Responder Bowl against Texas State on Jan. 3, 2025. He completed 26 of 41 passes for 393 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing for 55 yards and a touchdown.

North Texas Mean Green quarterback Drew Mestemaker (17) stands in the pocket against the South Florida Bulls | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

North Texas started Mestemaker in all 14 games of its 2025 season. He passed for an FBS-High 4,379 yards, 34 touchdowns and nine interceptions while guiding the Mean Green to a 12-2 record, AAC Championship appearance and New Mexico Bowl victory against San Diego State. He set an AAC record for pass yards in a single game with 608 in a win over Charlotte.

Mestemaker received the honors of AAC Offensive Player of the Year and All-AAC First Team offense for his achievements in 2025. He was also awarded the Burlsworth Trophy, an award given to the best player in college football to begin his career as a walk-on.

With the portal open, Mestemaker is expected to receive attention from multiple schools due to his prolific 2025 campaign. Pete Nakos of On3 reported three potential destinations for Mestemaker in the portal.

Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State is the most sensible linkage for Mestemaker in the transfer portal. Former North Texas head coach Eric Morris accepted the head coaching vacancy left by Mike Gundy in Stillwater on Nov. 25, 2025.

Additionally, former Mean Green offensive coordinator Sean Brophy followed Morris from Denton to Stillwater. No players have officially decided to follow Morris to Oklahoma State, but there will likely be several more in addition to Mestemaker drawing interest from the Cowboys.

Indiana

Fernando Mendoza at the conclusion of the Rose Bowl. — Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Curt Cignetti's phenomenal start at Indiana is in large part due to his success in finding the right quarterbacks in the portal. Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke helped guide the Hoosiers to a College Football Playoff appearance in 2024. Fernando Mendoza transferred in from California and has a Big Ten Championship, Heisman Trophy and Rose Bowl victory to his name.

There is always the possibility that Mendoza passes the baton to his younger brother, Alberto Mendoza. Regardless, the Hoosiers will need depth at quarterback in 2026.

Miami

The Hurricanes have been successful with transfer quarterbacks under Mario Cristobal. Washington State transfer Cam Ward became the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft following his 2024 campaign with Miami. Georgia transfer Carson Beck has the Hurricanes in the 2025 College Football Playoff semifinals.

Given the potential state of the Hurricanes' quarterback room in 2026, a bridge could be useful between Beck and the other quarterbacks on the roster. Mestemaker's production should have Miami interested in him.