From walk-on at North Texas to promising NFL Draft prospect: What early season says about QB Drew Mestemaker — SkimNews
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- Drew Mestemaker transferred from North Texas to Oklahoma State alongside 53 incoming transfers (15 former Mean Green teammates) and went from walk-on to a top 2027 NFL Draft QB prospect in two starts.
- Mestemaker opened his Oklahoma State career with a rough Tulsa game, struggling to push the ball downfield, before exploding for 426 total yards against No. 6 Oregon and outplaying Oregon QB Dante Moore by a wide margin.
- Ryan Wilson had Mestemaker as QB9 in August, but his proprietary FRED model scored him behind only Julian Sayin and Jayden Maiava — well ahead of Dante Moore and Arch Manning.
- Mestemaker was pressured on 32.3% of his dropbacks through two games (roughly once every three dropbacks), showing visible discomfort against Tulsa but markedly better pocket presence against Oregon.
- Mestemaker's arm looked stronger against Oregon, with intermediate throws on time and Josh Allen-like running, though Wilson noted he still panics when his first read disappears and misses easy throws when his feet aren't set.
- CBS Sports' Mike Renner has Mestemaker as the No. 9 overall prospect in the 2027 class, while the author slots him as top-50, Tier 2 behind Arch Manning, Dante Moore and LaNorris Sellers.
- Oklahoma State faces No. 22 Houston and then No. 13 Texas Tech in Lubbock on Nov. 14 — the stiffest remaining tests for a quarterback whose draft stock has flipped from 2028 question to 2027 possibility in two games.
Why it matters: Before the season, scouts framed Mestemaker as a likely 2028 prospect who needed another year of development; two starts later, his FRED model scores behind only Sayin and Maiava, and Wilson now treats a 2027 first-round conversation as legitimate rather than speculative. With 32.3% pressure rates exposing footwork flaws and remaining ranked games at Houston and Texas Tech, the 20-year-old walk-on's draft trajectory hinges on whether the Oregon tape was a breakout or a ceiling.
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