One of the best a part of this Saturday Scouting collection up to now is that it has allowed me to observe gamers who come throughout my timeline. And this week, I grew to become enthralled with Drew Mestemaker. The previous North Texas redshirt sophomore simply transferred to Oklahoma State, and he’s firmly on the radar of draft evaluators as a possible a part of an especially hyped 2027 quarterback draft class.
Mestemaker led the FBS in passing yards (4,379) whereas tying for second in passing touchdowns (34) whereas working within the comparatively weak American Athletic Convention. Now as he strikes into the Massive 12, he’ll face a better degree of competitors that may both push his replenish as a first-round quarterback or present that he was merely a medium-sized fish in a small pond that struggles to degree up.
I watched two video games of his 2025 season – week 4 in opposition to Navy and the Convention Championship recreation in opposition to Tulane.
Drew Mestemaker Profile
Peak: 6-3 (Oklahoma State web site)Weight: 211 kilos (North Texas web site)
His top is from the Oklahoma State web site. In addition they checklist the next accomplishments for him:
2025 Burlsworth Trophy Winner2025 NCAA FBS Statistical Champion (Passing Yards, Passing Yards Per Recreation, Whole Offense, Yards per Cross Try)2025 American Convention Offensive Participant of the Year2025 Freshman All-America Staff (FWAA)2025 All-American Convention First Team2025 Manning Award Finalist (1 of 10)2025 Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Yr Award Finalist (1 of 5)2025 Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Finalist (1 of 5)2025 Davey O’Brien Award Semifinalist (1 of 20)2025 Walter Camp Award Semifinalist (1 of 20)
Government Abstract
Drew Mestemaker is a quick-trigger pocket passer who put up among the finest quarterback seasons in FBS final 12 months. His tape largely meets the manufacturing profile partly as a result of degree of competitors he confronted. Mestemaker led the FBS in passing yards as a redshirt freshman walk-on, then turned that into Participant of the Yr {hardware} and a high-major switch. The query on him is whether or not the traits and manufacturing will translate in opposition to a better degree of competitors.
His superpower reveals up within the intermediate center a part of the sector, which is the place one of the best quarterbacks separate themselves from the pack. He assaults that zone greater than 87 p.c of qualifying starters and wins it at a 96th-percentile grade, driving digs and posts on a line with actual velocity. Mestemaker pairs that with a quick launch throughout the quick and intermediate area, real full-field development capability, and a second-reaction recreation that manipulates middle-of-field defenders with the specter of a north-south scramble earlier than punishing them excessive. These are translatable, hard-to-teach traits, they usually present up in opposition to the higher protection within the pattern.
He’s not with out flaws along with query marks, however a lot of these are coachable. He over-lofts the deep ball and floats it with hold time, an issue that traces to lower-half and core energy entry quite than arm power. He will get unfastened together with his platform when flushed laterally, and a few occasions a recreation he trusts his arm right into a window he has not earned. The body is gentle at 211 kilos, and the transfer to the Massive 12 in 2026 goes to floor whether or not he’s a for-real prospect or not. The arm, the processing, and the manufacturing are all intriguing. However the lack of actual competitors makes his present eval a crapshoot at greatest.
2025 Manufacturing
Passing
With a low common depth of goal and excessive adjusted completion share, Mestemaker was an especially environment friendly quarterback in 2025. That often describes a quarterback who performs throughout the construction of the system and stays in rhythm. His secondary metrics present a good-not-great profile as his turnover-worthy play, massive time throw and pressure-to-sack numbers had been all above common however not world-beating. And his common time to throw was one of many quickest in FBS.
Speeding
The radar chart tells all of it. Mestemaker isn’t a twin menace who will increase act as a power multiplier within the run recreation. However his 7.7 yards per keep on scrambles and 5 speeding touchdowns present a quarterback who can hammer a protection in the event that they utterly ignore him as a floor menace.
Strengths
Attacking the Intermediate-Center of the Subject
I need to begin with Drew Mestemaker’s superpower. Probably the most harmful a part of the sector is the intermediate center. From 10-20 yards past the road of scrimmage in between the numbers is the place most site visitors and rotation are occurring. When quarterbacks assault that space of the sector they must be conscious of gamers coming from all angles. And it’s this space of the sector the place Mestemaker thrives. His 16.5% goal share is within the 87th percentile.
He isn’t shy about attacking that space and when he does, he is among the greatest passers in school soccer.
North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker – Picture by: Reuters Join
He drives the ball to the intermediate with energy and anticipation. Mestemaker loves to seek out the publish or dig to this space. He’s affected person with the route idea, ready for clear-outs, outs and crosses to clear the realm for late-developing overs to open up and his fast launch and faster processor take full benefit.
And in contrast to most quarterbacks, who keep away from the center of the sector when they’re working on second-reaction or scramble drills, Mestemaker likes to assault it. One in every of his go-to strikes when he’s pushed off his spot within the pocket, he’ll velocity up his legs shifting ahead to the road of scrimmage, both in a drop-stick-climb or as a real scramble. This forces center of the sector defenders to respect him as a runner, drawing them ahead earlier than he throws over their heads.
Fast Set off
He works nicely in rhythm and on time, with a repeatable drop, backfoot stick and launch. He can climb the pocket and ship with anticipation. All of this led to one of many quickest occasions to throws amongst all school quarterbacks. And this isn’t a results of simply throwing shorter extra usually. He’s constantly one of many quickest throwers when controlling for focused space of the sector with the notable exception of throws past 20 yards.
Off-Platform and On-the-Transfer Arm + Second Response Creation
He isn’t a pure scrambler, however he has the foot velocity, unfastened hips and elastic arm to make performs exterior of the pocket on the run. His pure arm power performs up in these settings, particularly when he’s working in direction of the road of scrimmage on his escapes. One of the best factor about Mestemaker is he understands easy methods to get essentially the most out of the play when he has to interrupt the pocket. When construction breaks, he doesn’t bail to the checkdown. He holds middle-of-field defenders with the specter of his legs, then throws over them to the intermediate degree.
Full-field Progressions
He works complete the entire area far more usually and comfortably than the standard school quarterback. That is particularly thrilling for a 19-year-old redshirt freshman. For pretty much as good as he already is on this space, enchancment may be anticipated which provides him an actual NFL projection at one of the vital necessary quarterback abilities.
North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker – Picture by: Reuters Join
Pre-Snap Blitz Recognition + Pocket Motion
He identifies second-level strain and beats it by throwing behind the blitz to the proper outlet on time. He is aware of the place his hots are, how route constructions can beat strain packages and he isn’t afraid to punish when the strain is late. Within the pocket he subtly pivots, steps up, climbs into house and resets to throw. And most significantly his eyes keep downfield whereas climbing.
Clear ball safety
He genuinely makes good selections with the ball the overwhelming majority of the time. Due to his plus processing he finds the open man as a rule resulting in fewer alternatives for turnovers.
Weaknesses
Deep-ball Over-Lofting
Mestemaker tends to drift the deep shot with an excessive amount of air and hold time, which lets defenders re-enter the play. His deep adjusted completion drops to 45 p.c as he goes from one of many extra correct passers below 20 air yards to merely a bit above common when he goes deep. This traces to a power-access downside, he arms it and overarches his again quite than driving by means of his hips and core, so it’s a trainable repair tied to his mechanics.
Mechanical Inconsistencies
He tends of over-opening his hips on quick throws to the left and goes arm-heavy with a back-arch on deep-right sideline balls. These are all fixable.
Struggles to Give Up on Performs Resulting in Extra Negatives
Mestemaker was clearly taking part in at a degree of competitors that he was at one of the best in opposition to Navy. That modified when he confronted Tulane. When a superior participant constantly faces competitors that doesn’t match his degree of play, he can develop dangerous habits. That occurred with Mestemaker when he selected to bail from the pocket. He may drift and retreat backwards main to larger negatives and deeper sacks.
Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker – Picture by: Reuters Join
Inside Stunt and Twist Recognition
Whereas his blitz identification is plus, he may get confused by line video games with stunters and loopers resulting in poor selections and deep sacks.
Tight-Window Arm-Belief
There are a few throws a recreation the place he forces a throw right into a window he has not earned. These are usually deep sideline arcs the place his receiver hasn’t separated, or the occasional center of the sector dig the place his anticipation is a bit too early. That is in keeping with a good-not-elite 67th-percentile turnover-worthy-play price.
Body and Competitors
He’s gentle for the place at 211 kilos. However he has room to develop his body and add some mass. His two worst statistical video games of the season got here in opposition to the one ranked defenses he confronted. The 2026 Massive 12 slate is an actual take a look at of his capability to raise.
Questions Nonetheless To Reply
I didn’t see Mestemaker make any safety changes. It’s doable he was and I missed it, however I wouldn’t be shocked whether it is an under-developed a part of his skillset. North Texas’ offense was an RPO, shotgun heavy system. He might want to learn to go below middle and use conventional play motion in some unspecified time in the future.
Scheme Matches
As of proper now Drew Mestemaker’s greatest match is a shotgun-spread system that lets him learn out the protection pre-snap and work to the intermediate portion of the sector. He has strong footwork and athletic capability so I’ve little doubt he’ll have the ability to choose up the below middle, play-action recreation that’s required to win on the NFL degree sooner or later.
Combining these stylistic options, I feel he would match greatest in a Ben Johnson or Liam Coen system as each assault the realm of the sector Mestemaker does his greatest work.
