Seven days before Oklahoma State opens the Eric Morris era in Tulsa, the Cowboys have already put a leadership group in place.
The program announced seven captains for the 2026 football season: Drew Mestemaker, Lachie Pozzobon, Quinton Hammonds, Caleb Hawkins, Jacob Sexton, Ethan Wesloski and Jaleel Johnson.
It’s a group that reflects exactly what Oklahoma State is trying to be right now - part proven production, part new arrivals, part homegrown talent. And in several cases, the numbers jump off the page.
Mestemaker is the headliner. If you’ve followed North Texas, you already know the story: last season, as a redshirt freshman, he led the nation in passing with 4,379 yards and 34 touchdowns. That came after he wasn’t even a starting quarterback in high school and walked on at UNT in 2024.
Hawkins brings the same kind of production, just in a different package. The true freshman from North Rock Creek led the country in touchdowns scored last season, piling up 1,434 rushing yards, 370 receiving yards and 29 total touchdowns. Like Mestemaker, he arrived as an under-the-radar recruit and now returns to Oklahoma as one of the Cowboys’ biggest names.
Oklahoma State also leaned heavily on North Texas in naming captains. Hammonds, a 6-foot-1, 206-pound safety, is another transfer from there.
As a sophomore last season, he made 53 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack and two interceptions. He also saw regular action as a true freshman in 2024, when he had 52 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a pick.
Wesloski gives the Cowboys another defensive voice. The 6-foot-1, 234-pound redshirt senior led the Mean Green with 113 tackles last season, adding nine tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery in the end zone.
Pozzobon, the Australian punter who transferred from Stephen F. Austin this offseason, adds a little personality to the mix along with his leg.
He’s 6-foot-4, wears a mullet and mustache, and earned FCS Football Central Freshman All-American honors after punting 53 times for 2,217 yards, a 41.8-yard average. His former team finished 11-3 and reached the FCS playoffs, and he’s already made an impression in Stillwater after saying earlier this week he’ll “run through a brick wall” for the team.
Sexton is another Oklahoma product in the group. The 6-foot-6, 328-pound offensive lineman spent the past four seasons at Oklahoma, where he played regularly but dealt with injuries along the way. He’s expected to start at left tackle and protect Mestemaker’s blindside this season.
Johnson rounds out the list as one of the few returners in the bunch. Morris called the 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive end the Cowboys’ most disruptive defender in the spring. Johnson was limited to four games last season because of injury, finishing with 16 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss.
For Oklahoma State, the first captain group of the Morris era says plenty about where the program is headed: a new quarterback, a star running back, a rebuilt front, and a defense with both newcomers and a key holdover all wearing the label.
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Oregon State Faces A Tense Defensive Question Before The Houston Opener
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Cornerback Exodus Ayers presents a more unsettled situation. Ayers is facing multiple charges from a separate incident, and his legal case is still moving forward with a settlement conference being scheduled, leaving his status murky as the opener approaches. For a defense trying to sort out roles and rhythm in camp, the difference between those two cases could shape how Oregon State lines up once Houston arrives. [Read more 🡒]