Drew Mestemaker

QB·Oklahoma State#26 overall
See where he lands →

Draft Movement

#23 · Jun 8#26 · now

Down 3 spots since Jun 8

Scouting Report

Mestemaker is one of the great revelations of the 2025 cycle, a former walk-on who never started a varsity game in high school and is now graded as a top-10 quarterback in the class. NFLDraftBuzz slots him as their QB7 and No. 84 overall with an 84.7 player rating and a third-round projection, while ESPN ranked him the No. 4 quarterback in the transfer portal. After redshirting at North Texas in 2024, he started all 14 games as a redshirt freshman and led the FBS with 4,379 passing yards, threw 34 touchdowns against nine interceptions, and set UNT single-season records for yards, scores, completion percentage (68.4) and passer efficiency (168.69) while running Eric Morris's Air Raid. The traits that stand out are a quick, compact release that grades among the best in the class for release speed, plus genuinely good deep and intermediate accuracy that NFLDraftBuzz marks in the high-80th percentiles. ESPN's Tom Luginbill praises his on-time delivery, his ability to climb the pocket with his eyes up, and his poise running the offense. The flags are mechanical and contextual. His release starts low, almost from the hip, and when he fails to finish his follow-through the ball sails, which shows up on boundary throws and contributed to interceptions, and for a 6-foot-4 passer he had too many balls batted at the line. The biggest question is competition: his two worst games came against the only ranked teams he faced, USF and Tulane, where he threw three picks each. He follows Morris to Oklahoma State for 2026, and that Big 12 tape will be the most important film in his evaluation.

Strengths

  • Quick, compact release that gets the ball out fast and limits sack exposure, grading near the top of the class for release speed
  • Led the entire FBS with 4,379 passing yards in 2025 as a redshirt freshman
  • Threw 34 touchdowns to just nine interceptions with a 168.69 passer efficiency rating
  • Confident throwing into tight windows, especially on intermediate routes over the middle
  • Pushes the ball downfield with real accuracy on deep shots and post routes, with deep and intermediate grades among the best in college football
  • Strong feel for RPO timing, waiting for the defense to declare before committing
  • Keeps his eyes downfield while climbing or extending the pocket and delivers accurately on the move
  • Competitive, coachable makeup and a walk-on background that put a chip on his shoulder

Weaknesses

  • Throwing mechanics need significant work, with a low elbow and a release point that starts near the hip
  • Too many passes batted down at the line for a quarterback his size
  • Sailed throws to the boundary recur, especially on deep outs when he fails to finish his follow-through
  • Can lock onto his first read and force throws into coverage
  • Struggled badly against the only two ranked defenses he faced in 2025, throwing three interceptions each versus USF and Tulane
  • Undersized at 211 pounds for a 6-foot-4 frame and needs to add functional weight
  • Holds the ball too long on broken plays instead of taking easy yardage with his legs
  • Production may be partly inflated by a QB-friendly Air Raid scheme and a soft AAC schedule, with the Power 4 jump still to be proven

NFL Comparison

Will Howard (NFLDraftBuzz top similarity at 83 percent; a big-bodied late-blooming pocket passer who climbed boards through production rather than recruiting pedigree); Quinn Ewers (NFLDraftBuzz comp at 78 percent; arm talent and downfield touch with mechanical and consistency questions against top competition); Will Levis (NFLDraftBuzz comp at 78 percent; prototype 6-foot-4 frame and arm strength held back by inconsistent mechanics and decision-making)

College Stats

2024 (North Texas, redshirt): 5 games, 1 start, 448 total yards and a 70-yard rushing TD in the First Responder Bowl vs Texas State, the most total offense of the 2024-25 bowl cycle; 2025 (North Texas, RS-Fr): 14 starts, FBS-leading 4,379 passing yards, 34 TD, 9 INT, 68.4 comp pct, 168.69 efficiency, 1.6 rush avg; led the Mean Green to the AAC title game and a school-record 12 wins on the No. 1 scoring offense in college football; career: 18 games, 1,067 snaps

Measurables

Height
6-4
Weight
211

Awards & Honors

2025 Burlsworth Trophy (nation's best former walk-on); 2025 American Conference Offensive Player of the Year; 2025 First Team All-AAC; 2025 Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist; 2025 Walter Camp Award semifinalist; NFLDraftBuzz QB7 / No. 84 overall (2027 class); ESPN No. 4 transfer-portal QB; high school honorable mention as a punter and safety at Vandegrift (Austin, TX)