Indiana wants to strike magic twice with a transfer portal quarterback, and Oklahoma State wants to revive its school with a head coach-QB combo that might take the Cowboys from the bottom of the Big 12 to the College Football Playoff in 2026.
While the two schools currently couldn’t be in different places on the college football hierarchy, both are rumored to be favorites for North Texas prodigal thrower Drew Mestemaker.
Mestemaker, a walk-on at the Mean Green, was everything but a quarterback when he came to the university. He was a safety, punter, and cornerback who was given a chance to play as the team’s starter during last season’s First Responder Bowl. Although North Texas lost, Mestemaker was a revelation, completing 26 of his 41 pass attempts for 393 yards while also rushing for a touchdown.
Coming into 2025, it was a question whether he was a fun story turned fluke or could be the real deal, and he silenced any doubt on his play over the course of the season. He threw for 4,129 yards and 31 touchdowns while helping the Mean Green get one game away from the College Football Playoff before falling to Tulane in the American Conference Championship Game.
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For Indiana, they have the pedigree of turning a transfer quarterback into a Heisman winner and first-round pick in the NFL Draft as they did with Mendoza. Under Curt Cignetti, Mestemaker could become the face of college football in 2026 if everything goes right.
While Oklahoma State doesn’t have the current legacy, they do have one thing that even Indiana can’t provide: the coach who took a chance on him.
Eric Morris left North Texas for Oklahoma State in late November, and with an easier conference and potential to have a system he’s comfortable in, it could be enough to sway Mestemaker to become a Cowboy.