Oklahoma State Transfer Quarterback Commits to SEC Contender

Oklahoma State’s transfer quarterback has found his next school.

On Tuesday, Maealiuaki Smith committed to Ole Miss, according to a report from Pete Nakos of On3. Smith played only one season with the Cowboys and maintained his redshirt after appearing in only four games as a freshman.

As Smith moves to the SEC, he will have all four years of eligibility to work with as he looks to make an impact in the nation’s premier college football conference. He is the second Cowboy to head to Ole Miss this offseason, joining wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling.

Smith saw action for the Cowboys in the final four games last season, completing 44 of his 74 passes for 489 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. While he isn’t necessarily known for being a dual-threat quarterback, Smith also added a rushing touchdown.

His best performance came in late November against Texas Tech. In OSU’s final home game, Smith threw for 316 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while keeping the Cowboys in the game until the final minutes in the team’s best offensive performance of conference play.

The plan was always for Smith to take a backseat in 2024, but injuries and poor play from others allowed him the chance to showcase his skills. Although it seemed like he was in line to be the OSU quarterback of the future, that will not be the case.

Toward the end of last season, it appeared that Smith could have an advantage in the quarterback battle at OSU in 2025. With his Texas Tech performance being the best and only full game of any returning quarterback, Smith had an opportunity to carry that momentum into next season.

However, the Cowboys still were set to bring back Garret Rangel and Zane Flores, who were above Smith in the depth chart throughout 2024, and they also added TCU transfer Hauss Hejny. With Rangel also departing, the Cowboys are left with only Flores and Hejny to compete for the starting job.

Considering how he performed in a tough situation as a true freshman, Smith should have no problem finding success throughout the rest of his college career.