CBS Sports is the latest national outlet buying into Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, ranking him first in its "Big Reunion" tier with Eric Morris. With more analysts praising the Cowboys' offense, the hype around the North Texas transfer continues to grow.
Are you buying the Mestemaker hype?
At some point, when enough smart people keep telling you the same thing, maybe it's time to listen.
The latest endorsement of Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker came from CBS Sports, which placed the Cowboys signal caller atop its "Big Reunion" tier of transfer quarterbacks. The category highlighted players reuniting with coaches they previously played for, and according to CBS Sports, no quarterback-coach pairing is more intriguing than Mestemaker and Eric Morris.
It's the latest example of national analysts buying into Oklahoma State's new-look offense.
And honestly, I'm starting to buy the hype too.
Mestemaker led all of FBS in passing yards last season with 4,379 and tied for second nationally with 34 touchdown passes. Rather than testing the market with one of the many schools interested in him, the former North Texas star chose to follow the coach who gave him his opportunity.
That familiarity is what makes Oklahoma State so fascinating entering 2026.
CBS Sports isn't alone in its optimism.
ESPN already ranked Mestemaker eighth among its top 100 newcomers in college football. Running back Caleb Hawkins checked in at No. 64 after rushing for more than 1,400 yards last season. Receiver Wyatt Young narrowly missed ESPN's list of the top 10 receivers in the country after hauling in more than 1,200 receiving yards.
Meanwhile, CBS Sports ranked Eric Morris eighth among Big 12 coaches despite never coaching a game in the conference.
At some point, all of these rankings stop feeling like coincidences.
I understand the skepticism.
The American Athletic Conference isn't the Big 12. Putting up numbers at North Texas is different from doing it against the likes of Kansas State, Utah and Arizona State.
That's fair.
But what makes me buy into the hype is that Oklahoma State isn't asking these players to build chemistry from scratch. Mestemaker, Hawkins and Young have already played together in Morris' system. The timing, trust and terminology are already established.
In an era where many teams are trying to piece together entirely new rosters through the portal, continuity might be one of Oklahoma State's biggest advantages.
Maybe the numbers won't translate.
Maybe the jump to the Power Four proves to be too much.
But the more I see national analysts buying stock in Drew Mestemaker, the more I find myself doing the same.
Because at this point, they aren't just betting on one quarterback.
They're betting on the reunion.
And that's a stock plenty of people seem eager to buy.
