Oklahoma State’s offseason overhaul has a clear headliner, and On3’s Brett McMurphy put the spotlight right where it lands: on Drew Mestemaker.
McMurphy ranked the Cowboys’ new quarterback as the Big 12’s most impactful transfer for 2026, a fitting label for a player whose path has been anything but ordinary. Mestemaker never started at quarterback in high school at Vandegrift in Austin. He played defensive back and handled punting duties there, then walked on at North Texas without a scholarship and without any promise he’d ever get on the field.
Two years later, he was the FBS passing leader, the Burlsworth Trophy winner as the nation’s top former walk-on, and the centerpiece of Eric Morris’ move from North Texas to Oklahoma State. Now he’s the face of one of the most dramatic roster rebuilds in the country.
The rest of McMurphy’s top 10 underscores how much movement the Big 12 has absorbed this offseason. Wake Forest defensive lineman Mateen Ibirogba came in at No. 2 and is headed to Texas Tech.
Mestemaker’s former North Texas backfield mate Caleb Hawkins checked in at No. 3 and is also now in Stillwater. Kansas State linebacker Austin Romaine landed at No. 4 on his way to Texas Tech, giving the Red Raiders two players in the top five.
Arizona State landed a pair of wideouts on the list, with Colorado’s Omarion Miller at No. 5 and Boston College’s Reed Harris at No. 6.
Texas wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. came in at No. 7 and is headed to Colorado. Oklahoma State showed up again at No. 8 with Kansas State defensive end Wendell Gregory, then at No. 9 with North Texas wide receiver Wyatt Young.
Former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway rounded out the top 10 at No. 10 and is now at Baylor.
Three of the 10 names belong to Oklahoma State: Mestemaker, Hawkins and Young. That’s no accident.
Morris brought over the core of the North Texas offense that came close to reaching the College Football Playoff, and he did it while rebuilding the roster with 87 newcomers. Morris called it a "hard reset."
The context in Stillwater makes the move even louder. Oklahoma State went 1-11 in 2025, its worst record since 1991, and has gone two straight Big 12 seasons without a conference win. Cowboys legend Mike Gundy was dismissed after a 1-2 start, and the program eventually turned to Morris after his success at UNT.
Mestemaker’s numbers explain why he sits atop the transfer rankings. Last season he led the FBS with 4,379 passing yards and 9.46 yards per attempt, while throwing 32 touchdown passes and posting a 608-yard game.
"Drew's just scratching the surface of how good he can be," Morris said. "He hasn't played a ton of football, and so I think he'll really grow a ton in these next couple of years."
Mestemaker has embraced the challenge since arriving, pointing to the fact that the Big 12 has not had a repeat champion since 2020.
"Coach Morris' whole thing is we're going to win wherever we go. So I think if you don't have that mindset, you're not in it for the right reasons, and that's how you should feel every day," Mestemaker said.
He also described the conference’s open race as a chance, not a burden, saying the situation "excites us and really lets us set our goals high, like we can win this conference championship and be at the top of this thing."
The big question now is whether that North Texas formula can hold up against Big 12 defenses. Oklahoma State has the passer, the back and the receiver trio that helped make it work before. This time, though, the schedule is a nine-game league grind, and the margin for error is a lot thinner.
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