Drew Mestemaker is still drawing attention, and one of the more recognizable draft voices out there came away impressed after finally digging into the tape.
“I waited on Mestemaker’s tape. Went in skeptical.
Came away sold on the potential. He needs more experience -and against better defenses.
Another year at Oklahoma State could help. But the traits and intangibles to become a high-level NFL starter are there.”
That kind of feedback only adds to the buzz around the Cowboys’ quarterback, even if the sample still comes with the usual caveats about experience and level of competition.
The bigger picture for Oklahoma State right now is hard to ignore, too. If the Cowboys want to stay in the Big 12 title mix, this week is the proving ground.
As one report put it, the task is straightforward: OSU has to show it belongs in the conversation. Win this one, and the next three games line up well enough to put the Cowboys at 6-0 heading into their Nov. 14 matchup with Texas Tech.
There were a couple of other football notes floating around as well. Houston is expected to be without its former defensive tackle, a Tulsa Union product, which counts as a break for the Pokes.
On the basketball side, TV information is now set for the Cowboy schedule.
And one more note from the wider college sports picture: OSU was recognized for producing four of the top 60 receivers of the last 50 years, including one who landed in the top five.
In Other News...
Oregon State Has A True Freshman WR Fans Need To Know
Jesse Legree has gone from late addition to one of the biggest breakout stories in college football, and Oregon State has been the beneficiary of every bit of it. The true freshman wide receiver arrived in Corvallis as a three-star recruit from Maryland with an offer list that leaned toward smaller programs, then quickly turned that opportunity into production that has forced national attention his way.
Through six games, Legree has been impossible to ignore, delivering big-play after big-play at a pace few receivers anywhere can match. He has topped 100 yards and scored at least once in every game, while his 24.5 yards per catch has made him one of the most explosive pass-catchers in the country and given the Beavers a new offensive threat to build around. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Leaf Sees Oregon State Creating A Huge Problem For Washington State
Oregon States surge under JaMarcus Shephard has been hard to miss, and Ryan Leaf thinks the improvement is showing up in the most dangerous way possible. He pointed to Braden Atkinson and Jesse Legree as the engines of a passing attack that has climbed to the top of the country, with the Beavers looking far more coordinated and far less predictable than they were earlier in the season.
Leaf also sees real trouble ahead for Washington State, where the matchup with Oregon State feels less like a coin flip than a stress test. He praised the coaching work of Mitch Dahlen on offense and Trent Bray on defense, but said the Cougars may have a hard time matching up with what Oregon State is bringing on both sides of the ball, and he doubts a quarterback switch would move the needle much. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State May Be Catching A More Dangerous WSU Than Expected
Washington States offense has spent plenty of the season searching for answers, and the problems have not stopped at quarterback Caden Pinnick. Greg Woods of The Spokesman-Review pointed to penalties and a lack of production from the skill players as part of a broader issue, the kind that makes it hard for any passing game to settle in or build momentum. For Oregon State, that matters because the version of the Cougars it sees now may look less like a team stuck in neutral and more like one desperate to find a spark.
Owen Eshelman is the name to watch on that front, even if he has only a sliver of college game experience. Woods said the backup quarterback could be the player who changes the feel of the offense, based on what he has shown in practice and in his limited snaps. The defense, meanwhile, has held up better than the offense, with pressure and coverage giving opponents problems, but it has also been vulnerable to explosive plays and is living with rough field position far too often because the unit on the other side has struggled to sustain drives. [Read more 🡒]