Oklahoma State Already Getting a Head Start With Drew Mestemaker at the Helm
In Stillwater, the Eric Morris era is just getting started - but thanks to quarterback Drew Mestemaker, the wheels are already in motion before spring practice even kicks off.
Morris, entering his first year as Oklahoma State’s head coach, isn’t shy about how central Mestemaker is to this rebuild. And the senior signal-caller isn’t waiting for a whistle to lead. This weekend, long before coaches are allowed to be on the field, Mestemaker will be out there running the team through the first three days of installs - on his own.
“He’s like a coach on the field,” Morris said. “He can explain all this stuff and allow us to practice in times where coaches really aren’t allowed to be out there.”
That’s not just leadership - that’s infrastructure. And it’s exactly what you want when you’re trying to build a program from the ground up.
Spring practice is set to start around March 9, but Mestemaker’s early arrival in Stillwater gives the Cowboys an invaluable head start. In today’s college football landscape, where quarterbacks and coordinators rarely stay paired for long, having your starting QB already fluent in the system is a luxury. For a first-year head coach, it’s gold.
“It’s huge,” Morris emphasized. “His knowledge of the system is going to help the whole entire offense.”
And it’s more than just knowing the playbook. Mestemaker is the guy who communicates everything - verbally, with hand signals, with tempo.
He’s the one making sure the offensive line hears the right checks, the running back next to him is aligned with the call, and the receivers are dialed in on nonverbal cues. In short, he’s the engine that makes the offense go.
And because of that, Morris believes the Cowboys can hit the ground running this spring.
That chemistry between Morris and Mestemaker isn’t new. The two lit up defenses last season at North Texas, where the Mean Green led the nation with 512 yards per game. Mestemaker was at the heart of it all, throwing for a national-best 4,397 passing yards.
It’s no surprise he was one of the most coveted quarterbacks in the transfer portal. On3 ranked him the No. 2 quarterback and No. 7 overall prospect available, while 247Sports had him third among quarterbacks and overall.
But for Morris, landing Mestemaker wasn’t just about stats - it was about trust.
“Trust is one of the most important things you’ll ever have in a football program,” Morris said. “And I think it takes time to build trust.”
That trust was on display this past weekend when Mestemaker made his first public appearance as a Cowboy. He led the team into Gallagher-Iba Arena ahead of the wrestling dual against Iowa State - a moment Morris called “cool” as fans got their first in-person glimpse of their new QB1.
Mestemaker didn’t waste any time throwing his name into the ring. After a strong showing in North Texas’ bowl game - 393 passing yards, two touchdowns, plus 55 rushing yards and another score - he officially became the guy in Stillwater.
For Morris, this is a familiar situation. Back in 2022, he had a similar setup when Cam Ward followed him from Incarnate Word to Washington State. That year, Ward had to adjust quickly to the Power Five, and while his touchdown numbers dipped (from 47 to 23), his overall production held steady.
Morris sees some parallels in Mestemaker’s transition.
“I think the game is going to be faster,” he said. “But I thought Cam adapted really fast… obviously, there’s going to be some bumps and bruises along the way.”
The schedule isn’t doing them any favors. A Week 2 matchup against a top-tier Oregon team looms large, and that means Mestemaker’s learning curve will have to be steep - and fast.
But if there’s one thing Morris doesn’t doubt, it’s Mestemaker’s ability to process the game at an elite level.
“Drew, I think his superpower is anticipation and how fast he processes information on the field,” Morris said. “Having all these game reps underneath him and then just understanding, hey, it’s going to happen even a little bit faster at this next level is something I think he’ll be able to adapt to pretty fast.”
With a month of unofficial installs, a quarterback who’s already fluent in the offense, and a head coach who trusts him implicitly, Oklahoma State is already ahead of the curve. The Morris-Mestemaker reunion is off to a fast start - and if spring ball is any indication, the Cowboys might be ready to move at full speed sooner than expected.