Drew Mestemaker is turning a hot start into a real Heisman conversation.
After Oklahoma State’s 41-24 road win over West Virginia on Saturday, the Cowboys quarterback saw his odds move from 66/1 to 33/1. That leap not only put him on the national radar, it also gave him the best Heisman odds of any player in the Big 12.
Mestemaker did his part in Morgantown, finishing 20-of-27 for a season-high 389 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Oklahoma State shook off an early deficit and then took control, pulling away from West Virginia as the game went on.
The performance fit the broader story of Oklahoma State’s season under first-year head coach Eric Morris, a year that entered with plenty of uncertainty and has started to look a lot different.
Mestemaker arrived with Morris from North Texas after putting up massive numbers in 2025, when he led the nation with 4,379 passing yards and threw 34 touchdowns. He also won the Burlsworth Trophy, awarded to the nation’s top player who began his career as a walk-on.
That background is now carrying into a bigger stage in Stillwater.
The latest Heisman board reflected the surge. Jeremiah Smith moved from 8/1 to 3/1 and became the new favorite.
Kamario Taylor jumped from 11/1 to 5/1, while Jaden Baugh went from off the board to 12/1. Several quarterbacks slid the other way, including Trinidad Chambliss, Arch Manning and TCU quarterback Josh Hoover.
Mestemaker is one of only two Big 12 players on the board, alongside BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier at 75/1.
He still has a lot to prove before the Heisman race gets truly serious, but he now has something that can’t be ignored: a signature road performance in conference play and an Oklahoma State team that suddenly looks like it can matter in the Big 12 race. If those trends keep rolling, Mestemaker’s name is going to stay in the mix.
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Now comes the part that could tell us a lot more about where this team really stands. UCF is heading into a brutal stretch against one ranked opponent after another, and the next few weeks will show whether this defensive turnaround is built to last or just a strong run against a softer part of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma States Bye Week Just Made One Lineup Battle Feel Bigger
Oklahoma States win over West Virginia did more than keep the Cowboys moving toward Big 12 contention. It also offered a cleaner look at the offensive front, with all five starting linemen on the field for every snap for the first time this season. With Joseph Hanson back at right guard and other key pieces logging major minutes, the staff got a rare chance to see what the group can look like when it stays intact.
The timing matters because the Cowboys now have a bye week to sort through the details before the schedule picks back up, including a matchup with UCF. There was also a notable defensive moment in the win, with Phillips starting at free safety and helping swing momentum with an interception, another reminder that the team is beginning to settle into a more complete version of itself just as the next stretch arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Finally Has The Big 12 Breakthrough Fans Needed
A long-awaited reset finally arrived for Oklahoma State with a win over West Virginia, a result that did more than just get the Cowboys back in the conference win column. It also snapped a stretch that had dragged on since November 2023, giving the program its first Big 12 victory in nearly a year and a half and its first league road win in that same span.
Eric Morris made clear how much it meant inside the building, especially for defensive end and captain Jaleel Johnson, who has lived through the entire skid and stayed with the team through it all. The Cowboys are back in the AP Top 25, too, which only sharpens the stakes as they try to turn one breakthrough into something more lasting in Big 12 play. [Read more 🡒]