Top QB Drew Mestemaker Commits to Oklahoma State

The Mean Green went on to win out the regular season, decisively winning each of their final six matchups by an average of 29 points. North Texas scored an average of 45.1 points per game, making them the top scoring offense in the nation. The trio of Mestemaker, Hawkins and Young were the main reason behind this, with Mestemaker most notably having the most passing yards and passing yards per game in the country.

North Texas came close to completing a huge comeback in the American Conference Championship game. This victory would have sent them to the College Football Playoff, however, it was not to be. The Mean Green would have to settle for the New Mexico Bowl, which they would win 49-47 over the San Diego State Aztecs.

This type of meteoric rise was basically unheard of in college football. Most quarterbacks need some time to develop and mature, yet a guy who did not start a game in high school and was thrown into the starting job after a transfer became one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. Mestemaker was named as a Shaun Alexander Award finalist and Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist.

The Story of Eric Morris and Oklahoma State

The new era of college football has Group of 5 programs in a state of flux. If you perform to a level above expectations, you can expect your program to be picked apart in the transfer portal and coaching carousel. Unless you find ample funding through private equity or donations, this is almost a guarantee.

To the misfortune of the Mean Green, their historic season meant that this situation was almost a certainty. Oklahoma State had a horrible season, going winless in the Big 12 Conference and finishing at 1-11. Speculations that longtime head coach Mike Gundy was considering retirement were confirmed to be more than speculation early in the season. It seemed like Gundy was on his way out as early as the beginning of the season last year.

After the program’s first home loss to the Tulsa Golden Hurricane since 1951, it was clear what had to be done. The Cowboys fired Gundy on Sept. 23, ending a 20-year era. Interim coach Doug Meacham took over and finished out the season, going completely winless.

This led the Cowboys on a search for a new coach. What better option than a Group of 5 head coach that had just finished up a historic season with their current program and resided just a four-hour drive away?

Morris had strong Big 12 roots, being both a player and coach for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. He was quickly rising through the ranks of coaching, with his first head coaching gig coming with the Incarnate Word Cardinals in 2018.

He then spent a one-year stint with the Washington State Cougars after the 2021 season as their offensive coordinator before landing his first FBS head coaching job with North Texas. Morris has managed a 46-34 record as a head coach, with this past year being his most successful season to this point.

The Cowboys’ pursuit of Morris was short and didn’t require a whole lot of negotiation. Morris signed a five-year, $3.8 million per year deal with annual $100,000 raises on Nov. 25, just three days after the regular season ended.

Where You Go, I’ll Follow

Morris’s head coaching career has been chalked full of quarterback success stories. Cam Ward, John Mateer, the aforementioned Chandler Morris and most notably, Patrick Mahomes highlight the list of quarterbacks that were under Morris’s wing at one point or another. Mestemaker is no exception, with his first year being his breakout year, thanks to the talent around him and the coaching ability of Morris and his staff.

It only makes sense, then, that Mestemaker followed Morris to his new job. This was not a surprising move by any means. When Morris first announced he was heading to Oklahoma State, the first question everyone asked was if Mestemaker would follow. Those speculations were confirmed with this move, to no one’s real surprise.

This move certainly makes waves and is the most notable transfer move to this point. What will really move the needle, though, for the Cowboys and in the transfer portal world is if Hawkins and Young follow suit. According to 247Sports, the consensus is that this will be the case. Should it be so, then the Cowboys get a massive boost. A young, talented QB/RB/WR core that a team can build around comes around once in a blue moon and could change the fortunes of a once proud program.

For now, Mestemaker’s move is certainly noteworthy in its own right and could lead to other North Texas players following their revered coach and quarterback. Going from the nation’s No. 114-ranked offense and averaging just 174 yards passing per game to one of the nation’s top passing games is a huge boost. The Cowboys’ faithful have every right to feel good about this move and should be more than excited about the near future.

For North Texas, though, it’s got them feeling green with envy.