CBS Sports’ recent look at the top 150 college football players entering the 2026 season didn’t stop at ranking talent. It went a step further and asked NFL scouts, college general managers and personnel executives to identify the most overrated names in the top 10.
The result put a spotlight on a few of the sport’s biggest names, with Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker and Texas quarterback Arch Manning drawing the most criticism.
Mestemaker wound up at the top of the list for a couple of reasons: the jump in competition and the price Oklahoma State paid to bring him in. One high-ranking ACC personnel executive didn’t hide where he stood.
“Feel like most would point to Arch here but I go with Drew,” says a high-ranking ACC personnel executive. “Think the rest of the list is proven and really legit talents.
In my mind, Drew is the one and only unproven player at the Power Four level. (I) like some of the traits and he has ability, but I’m rolling with him because I think he is overpaid and (Oklahoma State) won’t even make a bowl game.”
A Big Ten general manager also questioned where Mestemaker fits among the top quarterbacks.
Says a Big Ten general manager: “I’m not sure I’d put (Drew) above (Jayden) Maiava or (Julian) Sayin in terms of pure talent. I don’t think you can put him above (John) Mateer, either.
That’s crazy now that I think about it. No way.
He’s the second-best quarterback in that state.”
Mestemaker arrives after a massive year at North Texas, where he threw for 4,379 yards, 34 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. He and head coach Eric Morris both left for Oklahoma State in the offseason, after helping the Mean Green win 12 games for the first time in program history.
Now the challenge changes dramatically. Moving from an American Conference schedule to the Big 12 is no small leap, and Mestemaker will have to handle it while trying to justify his $7 million in NIL money.
Manning, meanwhile, is the other headline name in the conversation, and not because his inclusion is surprising. One anonymous NFL evaluator told CBS Sports that Manning wasn’t even a top 10 quarterback, much less a top 10 player. When asked to name 10 better quarterbacks, he couldn’t.
The criticism around Manning centers on his mechanics and uneven play. He finished with 3,163 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but not every outing lived up to the hype.
His four-touchdown performance in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan only added to the scrutiny, especially with the Manning name attached. For him, escaping the overrated label likely means delivering a huge Heisman-winning season.
Quarterbacks dominated the votes overall, with Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss and Oregon’s Dante Moore also mentioned.
But the list wasn’t limited to passers. Miami receiver Malachi Toney and Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy were viewed by some evaluators as overrated, even though both put together big seasons.
Toney topped 1,200 receiving yards and finished with 122 yards and a touchdown in the CFP championship loss to Indiana. Lacy rushed for more than 1,500 yards and scored 24 touchdowns as Ole Miss reached the CFP semifinal against Miami.
Then there’s Jordan Seaton. The LSU offensive tackle spent his first two college seasons at Colorado under Deion Sanders, earning freshman All-American honors before being named second team All-Big 12 as a sophomore. If LSU struggles to keep Sam Leavitt upright this season, Seaton figures to be one of the players people point to.
In Other News...
Oklahoma States Center Battle Could Shape How Smoothly This Offense Starts
Oklahoma State is trying to get its front five sorted out before the pace of the season picks up, and head coach Eric Morris said he wants to have the top eight offensive linemen identified by the end of Saturdays scrimmage. The center spot has become the most closely watched part of that evaluation, with Tyler Mercer and Jakobe Sanders competing for the job as the Cowboys keep looking for the best combination up front.
Mercer has an edge in the battle, and Morris has made it clear he likes what Mercer brings from a performance and fit standpoint. Mercers prior work in Morris offense at North Texas also matters here, giving the staff a built-in comfort level as it tries to settle the middle of the line and avoid a late summer scramble. For Oklahoma State, getting that decision right could go a long way toward making the offense feel cleaner from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Drew Mestemaker Brings Oklahoma State A Ceiling Fans Can Feel
Drew Mestemakers rise has already turned enough heads that some national analysts are talking about him as a 2026 Heisman candidate, and The Athletic even slotted the North Texas quarterback 12th overall in its fantasy draft of contenders. For Oklahoma State, that kind of buzz matters because Eric Morris is now in Stillwater, along with much of the staff that helped guide Mestemaker through a highly productive 2025 season.
The connection gives the Cowboys a built-in reason to keep an eye on what comes next, and it adds a layer of intrigue to any conversation about how quickly Mestemaker could fit in if the path leads him to Oklahoma State. There is real upside in the reunion, but the bigger question is how much of that offensive comfort can travel with him when the stakes rise and the spotlight gets brighter. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Is Earning More Respect Than Fans Might Realize
Oklahoma State may not have cracked the preseason Top 25, but the Cowboys are not exactly being overlooked either. After a 1-11 season and a coaching change, the roster has been rebuilt around new head coach Eric Morris and a wave of transfers, and the early outside view is that the program has made a real jump heading into the fall.
The respect has shown up in smaller ways, from votes in some preseason polls to a No. 44 spot in CBS Sports preseason Top 138. CBS also slotted the Cowboys ninth in the Big 12, which gives them a clear place in the conference pecking order and a chance to keep climbing if the new pieces come together the way evaluators think they can. [Read more 🡒]