Heisman Watch: Can Drew Mestemaker push his way into the conversation with a big game against Texas Tech?
· Yahoo Sports
The Heisman Trophy race looks a lot different than it did just a couple weeks ago.
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Ohio State is on a two-game losing streak as Jeremiah Smith is catching passes from a true freshman quarterback. Miami's Malachi Toney is out for the rest of the regular season with an ankle injury. And Hurricanes QB Darian Mensah is no longer on pace to break the FBS single-season completion record after Miami's loss to Notre Dame.
Does that mean there's still time for someone else to make a late push for the Heisman? Notre Dame QB CJ Carr overtook Mensah in the Heisman odds after Notre Dame's win. But can someone else get into the mix with him, Smith and the former Duke QB?
Week 11 will give us a very good idea about that. And Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker has as good of a chance as anyone to be a finalist.
The No. 25 Cowboys host No. 12 Texas Tech on Saturday after putting up 66 points in a road win over Kansas State in Week 10. In that blowout win, Mestemaker was 22-of-28 passing for 313 yards and four touchdowns with one interception.
It was his third straight game with at least four touchdown passes. In a 51-49 loss to Iowa State, Mestemaker was 27-of-42 passing for 323 yards and five touchdowns. The week before that, he tossed four scores and threw for 386 yards on just 21 completions against Colorado.
Mestemaker could end up as the first quarterback taken in the 2027 NFL Draft after two seasons as a starter. A former walk-on who didn't even start for his high school team, Mestemaker threw for nearly 4,400 yards and 34 TDs at North Texas in 2025. After completing nearly 70% of his passes, Mestemaker followed his UNT coach Eric Morris to Stillwater and immediately continued to be one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the country.
Through nine games, Mestemaker has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and 29 TDs. He now has more passing TDs than Mensah, and only ranks behind Oregon State's Braden Atkinson in passing yards.
The Texas Tech defense is ripe for being picked apart, too. The Red Raiders are allowing 287 passing yards a game as opposing QBs are completing 64% of their throws and averaging over 7 yards an attempt. Tech has allowed over 300 passing yards in four games and over 400 passing yards in two.
If Oklahoma State beats the Red Raiders, there's also a clear path to a 9-3 season and a shot at the Big 12 title game. One of OSU's three losses came to Tulsa in Week 1, and it would have a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Red Raiders.
Ten wins — however much of a long shot that could be — would put Mestemaker squarely near the top of the Heisman race.
Here are the other players we're watching in Week 11.
Notre Dame QB CJ Carr (+165): Beyond it being incredibly obvious to mention the current Heisman favorite in this category, Carr also occupies an odd spot as the favorite. Notre Dame's biggest game remaining is in Week 12 against SMU. The Fighting Irish play Boston College on Saturday and then end the season with Syracuse.
How ridiculous does Carr's stat line have to look against Boston College for him to retain that favorite status? Remember, Notre Dame won't play in a game on conference championship weekend.
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith (+300): Smith has 17 catches over the past two games and has scored a touchdown in each of them. But as Ohio State looks destined to miss the playoff, his Heisman hopes may be sinking. If he replicates the seven-catch, 133-yard performance he had against Oregon in each of the final three weeks of the season, he should still easily be a finalist.
Alabama QB Keelon Russell (+3000): Russell can elbow his way back into the mix with more games like he had against LSU. However, it'll also be imperative that Alabama gets to the SEC title game and Russell is lights out there, too. Alabama has Vanderbilt, Chattanooga and Auburn over its final three regular season games. Big performances against the Commodores and Mocs aren't going to move the needle.