Mel Kiper Jr. has already planted Drew Mestemaker near the top of his 2027 NFL Draft board, and the Oklahoma State quarterback is giving him plenty to like.
In his midseason rankings, Kiper placed Mestemaker at No. 2 among his favorite 25 prospects for the class. It’s not a mock draft, Kiper noted, but the Cowboys sophomore still landed in elite company in October, behind only Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith at No. 1 and ahead of Notre Dame corner Leonard Moore at No.
- Mestemaker is the highest-ranked quarterback on the list, slotting above Miami’s Darian Mensah at No.
The appeal starts with production and keeps going from there. Oklahoma State is 4-1, and Mestemaker has been a major reason the Cowboys have steadied themselves after a stunning 24-10 loss at Tulsa to open the year. They answered that setback by beating top-10 Oregon in Week 2 and have now won four straight as they head to Houston.
Kiper pointed to the full package when explaining why Mestemaker has climbed so quickly.
“His toolbox is also pretty incredible,” Kiper said. “I love the way he scans the field and bides his time in the pocket.
Mestemaker has the big arm to make all of the throws, with 30 completions going for 20-plus yards this season (third in the FBS). But he also has the mobility to pick up nice chunks of yardage on the ground.
Mestemaker shows linebacker-esque toughness and plays with a competitive edge. He doesn’t turn 21 years old until January, and he has just 20 career starts to his name.
So, there’s a lot of untapped potential.”
That potential was on display again in Oklahoma State’s 42-28 win over UCF. Down 14-7 early, Mestemaker helped pull the Cowboys back, finishing with 304 passing yards, two touchdowns and a 94.3 QBR. Oklahoma State also got a boost from special teams when Evan Jackson returned a fumble 28 yards for a touchdown.
The win kept the No. 18 Cowboys in the top 25 and sent them into one of their toughest checks yet: a road game at No.
20 Houston. The Cougars are a 4.5-point favorite for what looks like Oklahoma State’s biggest test since the Oregon game.
Houston is coming off a 35-16 win at Kansas State, where Conner Weigman threw for 242 yards and four touchdowns and tight end Patrick Overmeyer caught all four of his targets to set an FBS record at the position.
Five games into his first season of Big 12 football, Mestemaker looks every bit the rising name Kiper sees on paper. Now the question is whether that climb holds once Oklahoma State gets deeper into conference play and runs into a strong Houston offense on Saturday.
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