Drew Mestemaker’s Top 5 Destinations If He Transfers After The Bowl

No one’s stock rose more heading into the 2025 high school football season than Drew Mestemaker, who started the year buried on the North Texas depth chart and finished as one of the biggest fan-favorite quarterbacks. With rumors of The 19-year-old plans to enter the college transfer portalMestemaker could immediately turn his next team into a national title contender.

Mestemaker has yet to officially enter the portal, but the general consensus is that he will do so officially after North Texas competes in the New Mexico Bowl. If he does, he would likely be the best quarterback available to multiple Power Four programs.

Mestemaker was the nation’s leading passer 2025 with 4,129 passing yards, the most in a single season in North Texas history. He is the only quarterback to top 4,000 passing yards in 2025 while receiving major national television exposure.

His numbers and exciting style of play already captivated fans, but Mestemaker became an even bigger star when his story about never starting a game at quarterback in high school hit the masses. With everything that’s happened in the last year, Mestemaker is suddenly the type of player who can transform an entire program.

A lot will happen before Mestemaker makes his official decision, but several early favorites have already emerged as his next potential landing spot.

Matt Rhule makes Nebraska a dark horse landing spot

While most expect Drew Mestemaker to remain in the South, he has an intriguing potential option if he is open to moving to the Midwest. Nebraska is suddenly in the quarterback market after losing Dylan Raiolaand Mestemaker could be intriguing if the stars align.

If the Texas native is committed to staying in the South, Nebraska will be out of reach. However, if his goal is to build his budding NFL Draft push, there might not be a better place for him.

Nebraska may not be the biggest program in the Big Ten, but the Cornhuskers operate like a pro team under former NFL head coach Matt Rhule. Ruhl is one of the few college football coaches with hands-on experience at the next level and recently committed to Lincoln to a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2032 season.

It may be a long shot, but Mestemaker is suddenly someone scouts will be monitoring ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft. Working with Rhule could give him the best chance to stay on the radar next season.

Drew Mestemaker could be Dave Aranda’s next star quarterback

Two big Texas schools will be looking for their next quarterbacks on the college transfer portal, including Baylor. Senior Sawyer Robertson leaves as the program’s fourth all-time leading passer and projects as a mid- to late-round pick, depending on his pre-draft performance.

Whether it was Dave Aranda, Matt Rhule or Art Briles at the helm, Baylor was always in the air on offense. It fits Mestemakers’ style of play while keeping it in its home state. The Bears averaged the fourth most passing yards per game in the FBS this season, just a few yards behind North Texas.

Committing to Baylor would also make Mestemaker the closest to his hometown than any other Power Four program other than Texas. Their campus is located just an hour and a half away from Mestemaker’s hometown of Austin, Texas, which is two hours closer than his current school. Location isn’t always everything, but it would be naive to act like it’s not a factor.

Will Stein could lure Drew Mestemaker to Kentucky

If Drew Mestemaker wants to make the jump to the SEC, Kentucky offers a very intriguing option. The Wildcats are currently in the midst of a complete program reset after replacing longtime head coach Mark Stoops with Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein.

Stein has already named his offensive coordinator, hiring former LSU assistant Joe Sloan to his staff. Both coaches are renowned quarterback gurus with an elite track record of recent success.

In just three years at Oregon, Stein produced two NFL draft picks and one Heisman Trophy finalist in Dante Moore and Dillon Gabriel. Prior to his tenure in Eugene, he coached Frank Harris to become UTSA’s all-time leading passer.

Sloan also embellished his resume, having worked with Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier during his short time with LSU. He also worked with Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jeff Driskell at Louisiana Tech.

Kentucky has redshirt freshman Cutter Beaulieu likely to return in 2026. But depending on how the coaching staff views Beaulieu, who had a mediocre 15-12 interception ratio in 2025, Stein and Sloan’s offenses relied heavily on elite quarterback play, making for a better player like Moon.

Texas Tech needs a championship-caliber quarterback

Everyone expects Mestemaker to follow Eric Morris to Oklahoma State, but Texas Tech might be at the top of his list. With Arch Manning and Marcell Reed returning to Texas and Texas A&M, respectively, the Red Raiders will be the biggest program in the Lone Star State’s search for a new quarterback when their season ends and five-year super senior Behren Morton finally says goodbye.

After the year Joey McGuire just had, Texas Tech won’t be looking to rebuild in 2026. They’ll lose star running back Jacob Rodriguez, along with Morton, but there’s too much momentum brewing in Lubbock for that to slip.

The bond between North Texas and Texas Tech has certainly strengthened with Morris’ hiring. Morris spent three years as the Raiders’ offensive coordinator from 2013 to 2015, and offensive coordinator Jordan Davis graduated in 2013.

The Red Raiders, consistently one of the top passing teams in the country, have a potential in-house successor to Morton on the roster. Freshman Will Hammond looks to be next in line after impressing in relief of Morton during Texas Tech’s 34-10 victory via no. 16 Utah.

If Mestemaker is interested, the decision will come down to how much Texas Tech is willing to invest in him over Hammond.

Drew Mestemaker could follow Eric Morris to Oklahoma State

Eric Morris is the guy who gave Drew Mestemaker a chance that will forever connect the two throughout their careers. There is no guarantee that Mestemaker will follows his head coach to Oklahoma Statebut that seems to be the outcome everyone expects.

Morris has been college football’s worst-kept secret for years, which is why his inaugural Power Four coaching opportunity is long overdue. Mestemaker is his latest success story, but the 40-year-old is already one of the best quarterback coaches in football, having worked with Patrick Mahomes, Cam Ward and John Mather over the past decade. Wherever Morris goes, the star quarterback’s story begins.

Given his credentials, Oklahoma State doesn’t have to break the bank for Mestemaker on the college football transfer portal. There are several viable options on the market, including many that Morris would be successful with.

There’s just something about the Morris-Mestemaker story that feels right to continue with the Cowboys. It’s been far too long since Oklahoma State has had quality quarterback play, and right now they’re at the front of the line for arguably the best signal caller. Let the journey continue in Stillwater.