Meet Drew Mestemaker, the walk-on QB following Fernando Mendoza’s path

In the sports world, we are fascinated with the idea of “the next.”

For our purposes here, let’s keep the idea focused on quarterbacks in the NFL Draft. Over the years the football world has been obsessed with the “next Tom Brady,” the “next Dak Prescott,” the “next Patrick Mahomes,” and more.

You can probably now add the “next Fernando Mendoza” to that list.

Mendoza went from a two-star recruit who almost signed with Yale, to become a Heisman Trophy winner at Indiana — where he led the Hoosiers to the national title — and the first-overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.

So as a result, many around college football are wondering who could follow a similar path.

Meet Drew Mestemaker.

Mestemaker’s journey to the 2026 college football season is anything but linear. At Vandegrift High School in Austin, Texas, Mestemaker served as the team’s backup quarterback during his junior year behind Brayden Buchanan, who would go on to play college baseball at Baylor. In limited action during the 2022 high school season, he completed 12-of-13 passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns.

He remained the backup as a senior, behind Deuce Adams, completing 10-of-17 passes for 136 yards and a pair of touchdowns during his limited time on offense. It was on defense and special teams where Mestemaker truly shined, as he was named a Second-Team All-District player as a punter, averaging nearly 35 yards per punt, including pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line six times.

While Mendoza entertained an offer from Yale before committing to California, Mestemaker was without a scholarship offer coming out of high school, enrolling at North Texas as a walk-on.

That is where his journey as a quarterback took a turn.

Head coach Eric Morris, who was pitched on Mestemaker by a friend who assured the coach that the quarterback was going to be “special,” admitted he did not know what to expect from the incoming freshman, given the lack of film available, and conceded that the coaching staff was not expecting him to put it all together.

“We saw the raw talent there. Big, strong, athletic, could make all the throws. Obviously that was on air and there’s no videotape of him, but he makes decisions and processes information in a hurry—which is one of his biggest strengths, in my opinion,” said Morris about an in-person workout with Mestemaker. “We didn’t know if he was going to be able to put it all together. Quite frankly, we weren’t expecting him to. He kind of just brought him into camp as a project and a camp arm.”

Mestemaker began his first college football camp buried on the depth chart, listed fifth among the Mean Green passers. But by the time camp ended, he had been bumped up the pecking order, slotted in as the team’s backup behind starter Chandler Morris.

He saw limited action during the regular season, completing 4-of-5 passes for 69 yards, but when Morris entered the transfer portal ahead of North Texas’ bowl game, he got the chance to start.

His first start since he was a freshman in high school.

On a Friday night against Texas State, with a national audience watching as bowl season wound down ahead of the College Football Playoff semifinals, Mestemaker completed 26-of-41 passes for 393 yards and a pair of touchdowns, along with two interceptions. But it was his 70-yard touchdown run that got all of social media buzzing that Friday night:

Partly for the run, and partly for what happened after:

Puke and rally.

While the Mean Green ultimately lost that game by a final score of 30-28, Mestemaker’s performance that night gave him a shot at winning the starting gig the following fall.

Which he did.

Mestemaker entered camp the subsequent season locked in a battle with incoming Miami transfer Reese Poffenbarger and freshman Chris Jimerson Jr., but midway through August he was named the starting quarterback for the season opener against Lamar.

“What we were looking for was a body of work,” Morris said at a kickoff event with fans days after naming Mestemaker the starter. “Consistency is a huge deal at quarterback, being able to protect the football and get in and out of checks. We probably put more on the quarterback than most systems and allow them to have some freedom at the line of scrimmage.

“I don’t think it was so much of what Reese and Chris weren’t able to do. It was more of Drew improving and improving fast.”

Morris went on to highlight his “progression” at that event.

“He was almost 83% in all of our team segments and protected the football,” Morris added. “The ball really seemed to move when he was out there. I am really excited about his progression.

“He’s a neat kid who deserves everything he’s been given at this point. He will continue to show the world how good he really is.”

He lived up to those expectations last year.

Mestemaker led North Texas to the AAC title game against Tulane, and while the Mean Green lost that contest, they earned a spot in the New Mexico Bowl against San Diego State. In that game he threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns, leading North Texas to a 49-47 win. That secured the first 12-win season in program history, and capped off a year that saw Mestemaker named the conference Offensive Player of the Year. He also secured First-Team All-AAC honors, and he won the Burlsworth Award, given to the most outstanding player in the nation who began their career as a walk-on.

The award, named after Brandon Burlsworth, was a true honor for the quarterback.

“I am incredibly honored to receive the Burlsworth Trophy,” Mestemaker said. “Brandon’s legacy exemplifies the heart and determination of so many walk-ons. The work ethic, the character, and showing up every single day as the ultimate teammate. To be mentioned in connection with his name is something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.”

A few weeks later, Denton was in his rear-view mirror.

Mestemaker announced his decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal at the end of December, more than a month after Morris was hired to take over at Oklahoma State. He was one of several North Texas players to enter the portal after Morris’ announcement, and one of the top quarterback options available.

But one landing spot stood out above all.

Oklahoma State.

Mestemaker made it official just days later, committing to the Cowboys and citing the presence of Morris — as well as a few other coaches who made the move to Oklahoma State — as reasons why.

“I think just the relationships that I’ve built there with Coach Morris, Coach [Sean] Brophy and that whole staff, offense and defense,” Mestemaker told ESPN. “I think Coach Morris is the best playcaller in the nation. The insight he has, and the way he sees offense, and the way he makes me at quarterback comfortable in everything we are running.

“I feel like sets me up for success in everything that he calls.”

Mestemaker also cited his “trust” in Morris.

“To be the starting point of it all, and the one that’s locked in first,” Mestemaker said, “I hope getting that out there will help more name [players] realize how special this staff really is.

“If I didn’t 100% trust these guys with my career, I’d take longer to see what’s out there and test out the waters.”

However, there is a lot of work to be done.

Morris and Mestemaker inherit a program that went 1-11 a season ago, and has not won a Big 12 game since beating BYU in November of 2023. But despite that recent history, some believe the Cowboys can turn things around quickly. Mestemaker is one of 18 players who followed Morris to Stillwater, and those additions give Oklahoma State significant talent to work with. Players to watch include running back Caleb Hawkins, who set a FBS record for touchdowns by a freshman with 29 a season ago, and wide receiver Wyatt Young, who caught 70 passes for 1,264 yards and ten touchdowns a year ago playing with Mestemaker.

Still, it is the quarterback who will lead them.

And the talent is there, as you can see on plays like these. Take this touchdown pass against Rice, as he opens to the left to read the in-cut from the single receiver, before getting his eyes to the three-receiver concept on the right:

Mestemaker comes off the single receiver, wary of the cornerback lurking from an off alignment. Working to the three-receiver concept, and even with some pressure in the pocket, Mestemaker delivers a strike on the wheel route for the touchdown.

Consider this touchdown against UTSA:

Morris highlighted his decision making, and this is a perfect example. Coming out of a play-action fake Mestemaker opens his eyes to the right, but that is when he sees the safety to that side of the field crash downhill in response to the run action. That tells the QB he can fit in the post route working from the other side of the formation, as the safety to that side of the field will not have help on the route.

Quick decision, easy throw, and the Mean Green get to celebrate.

And if you want a little play-making ability, check out this throw on the move against Washington State:

There is a lot of work to do in Stillwater, and Oklahoma State putting together a dream season would be something of a surprise.

As it was for Mendoza and Indiana a year ago.