North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker plans to enter portal, not a lock to follow Eric Morris to Oklahoma State

The North Texas star will receive plenty of interest from QB-needy teams

North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker announced Monday that he will enter the transfer portal when it opens on Jan. 2. Mestemaker's decision comes just two days after he led the Mean Green to a 49-47 win against San Diego State in the New Mexico Bowl. 

Mestemaker completed 27 of his 47 pass attempts for 250 yards and three touchdowns. 

"This was not an easy choice," Mestemaker wrote on social media. "My time at North Texas has meant more to me than I can ever fully express. North Texas was the only school that believed in me enough to give me an opportunity as a walk-on when others didn't, and for that, this place will always hold a special place in my heart.

"From the moment I arrived, it felt like home, and I've grown tremendously both as a player and as a person." 

It makes sense to think that Mestemaker may follow former coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State -- especially after he emerged as one of Morris' latest diamond-in-the-rough success stories at quarterback. But the former Mean Green star is expected to garner interest from quarterback-needy teams on the transfer market, according to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer.

Mestemaker, who didn't start as a varsity quarterback and instead played defensive back at Vandegrift High School in Austin, Texas, joined North Texas' roster as an unheralded walk-on in 2024. He spent most of his true freshman season as a backup but earned his first career start in the 2024 First Responder Bowl after former North Texas quarterback Chandler Morris transferred to Virginia. 

Auburn star WR Cam Coleman to enter transfer portal: 7 potential destinations for No. 1 player in 2026 cycle

Cody Nagel

Mestemaker wowed in his first postseason appearance, as he tallied 448 total yards and three touchdowns in a narrow loss to Texas State. He also solidified himself as North Texas' quarterback of the future. 

It didn't take long for Mestemaker to prove that his bowl start wasn't a fluke. In North Texas' 2025 season opener against Lamar, Mestemaker threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes. He also logged a touchdown on the ground. 

That was the first of three games this season in which Mestemaker had at least three touchdowns passing and one touchdown rushing. Mestemaker guided the Mean Green to an 11-1 regular season record and their first appearance in the American Conference Championship Game, where he accounted for 294 yards and two touchdowns through the air. 

Mestemaker's 4,129 yards led the FBS -- in fact, he was the only FBS quarterback with at least 4,000 yards passing on the season -- and his 31 touchdowns passing tied with Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin of Ohio State and Baylor's Sawyer Robertson for second-most in the nation. 

The 6-foot-4 and 211-pound Mestemaker still has three years of eligibility, which adds to his appeal as a potential multi-year starter with more room to develop. 

Mestemaker comes from good stock 

Mestemaker could be the latest former Eric Morris protege to have success in the transfer portal. A former assistant at Texas Tech, where he tutored Patrick Mahomes, Morris was the head coach at Incarnate Word from 2018-21 and the offensive coordinator at Washington State in 2022. 

At Incarnate Word, he discovered a lightly recruited quarterback prospect named Cam Ward. Ward signed with UIW in 2020 and won the Jerry Rice Award as the most outstanding freshman in the FCS. He followed Morris to Washington State, where he threw for 3,735 yards and 25 touchdowns. 

When Morris left to become the coach at North Texas, Ward transferred to Miami. He finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft after leading the FBS with 39 touchdowns passing in his lone season with the Hurricanes. 

Morris also recruited John Mateer, who is gearing up for a College Football Playoff run with Oklahoma, and Emmett Brown, who threw for 16 touchdowns at San Jose State last season, while he was at Washington State. 

Morris' first starter at North Texas, Chandler Morris, transferred to Virginia ahead of the 2025 season. Chandler Morris guided the Cavaliers to their first 10-win regular season since 1989 with 2,802 yards and 18 touchdowns passing.