Tulsa head coach Tre Lamb didn’t need long on Monday to explain what he sees in Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker. The comparison came fast, and it was a loud one: “He’s a cross between Philip Rivers and Brett Favre,” Lamb said to reporters including News 2 Oklahoma’s Cayden Carpenter.
That’s the kind of praise that gets attention, especially with a redshirt sophomore entering a season opener carrying NFL buzz. Mestemaker, a Vandergrift High School product from Austin, Texas, has been mentioned by some NFL talent evaluators as a future first-round pick if he declares for the 2028 NFL Draft.
Lamb clearly isn’t dismissing that idea. He pointed to the same traits that made Rivers and Favre such difficult quarterbacks to defend: the arm strength, the toughness, and the willingness to attack windows other passers won’t even consider.
“The guy’s got as much arm talent as anybody in the draft - quick release, big hands,” he said. “The thing that I'm impressed by is he can take a hit. He will stand in there and he will take a beating over and over and over, and when he runs, he runs and he doesn't really slide.”
Favre, a second-round pick at No. 33 overall out of Southern Miss, won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers, earned three NFL MVP awards and went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. Rivers, the No. 4 overall pick in 2024 out of NC State, played as recently as last season for Indianapolis, piled up nearly 64,000 passing yards and made eight Pro Bowls. Lamb’s point was simple: both were known for being tough and for throwing with force, and he sees that same blend in Mestemaker.
He also sees a quarterback who can create throws from awkward spots, which is another reason the comparison resonated with him.
“His feet allow him to throw without much energy having to be put into it,” Lamb said. “He can get the ball out at times where most quarterbacks are having to wind up and step into it and throw. He can throw off his back foot, off platform, on the run and he hates a check down.”
That last part matters because Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris runs an Air Raid offense built on timing and fast decisions. Morris has already praised Mestemaker for how quickly he processes things and how well he avoids mistakes.
Mestemaker spent last season with Morris at North Texas, where he led the country in four statistical categories, including 4,379 passing yards. He helped the Mean Green become the only team in the country to average at least 500 yards per game on offense, and they finished 12-2.
For Tulsa, the challenge is obvious. Lamb said his defense has to prepare for the throws it can scheme against, but also for the ones it simply won’t stop.
“There’s going to be five or six throws Saturday where we’re just like, ‘OK that’s indefensible,’: Lamb said. “Don’t care what you called that play we can’t cover that just because of his arm talent.”
In Other News...
Oklahoma States Captain Picks Reveal Where This Rebuild Really Stands
As Oklahoma State gets ready for its season opener against Tulsa, the Cowboys have settled on seven captains, a group that says plenty about where the program is right now. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker, punter Lachie Pozzobon, safety Quinton Hammonds, running back Caleb Hawkins, offensive lineman Jacob Sexton, linebacker Ethan Wesloski and defensive end Jaleel Johnson will lead the team into a new season shaped by turnover and a coaching change.
The mix is notable because so much of the roster has been remade, and the captaincy reflects that fresh start as much as it does on-field roles. There is some continuity in the group, but the broader picture is a team leaning on new faces to set the tone right away, which makes the opener against Tulsa feel like more than just a first game. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Is Selling 2027 Recruits On One Big Camp Promise
Odaefe Orurus latest move gave Oklahoma States 2027 recruiting push a little more momentum, and it also said something about how the Cowboys are pitching the future. The Jenks offensive lineman had been committed to Arkansas before changing course for OSU, where the early message has centered on development, coaching attention and a clear plan for helping young players grow on and off the field. His decision helped the Cowboys class climb in the rankings, giving the staff another sign that the pitch is landing.
Fall camp has become part of that sales job, with a roster full of new transfers and a program that appears willing to let freshmen compete right away under the sports new eligibility rules. For recruits watching from the outside, that can make Oklahoma State look like a place where theres an actual path to playing time if they arrive ready. Orurus commitment fits that picture, and he may not be the only one in the class responding to it. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Recruiting Momentum Is Suddenly Starting To Feel Real
Under Eric Morris, Oklahoma States work on the 2027 and 2028 recruiting classes is starting to look less like early board-building and more like a real push to change the programs trajectory. Landing offensive tackle Odaefe Oruru, a four-star prospect, gave the Cowboys a needed jolt and added some credibility to the new staffs pitch as it tries to build a foundation for the next wave of rosters in Stillwater.
The encouraging part for Oklahoma State is that Oruru does not appear to be a one-off. The Cowboys are still chasing several other targets, including linebacker-safety prospect Carter Akin and cornerback Elijah Smith, and both names suggest the staff is casting a wide but purposeful net on defense as it works to stack visits and keep momentum moving. For a program trying to establish itself quickly under a new coach, the real test now is whether the early buzz turns into a run of additions. [Read more 🡒]