The transfer quarterback cycle tends to start early.
Days after the regular season ends, quarterbacks begin announcing their intentions to enter the transfer portal. Backchanneling between agents and teams begins even earlier.
North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker, the FBS's leading passer, handled things differently.
The American title game came and went without Mestemaker announcing his intentions for the 2026 season. By mid-December, sources told CBS Sports that Mestemaker would delay his decision until after UNT's Dec. 27 bowl game, only a few days before the portal opened on Jan. 2.
Mestemaker also changed agents in December, eventually landing with Excel Sports Management, a large NFL agency.
Teams began circling Mestemaker early in the 2025 season. Multiple Power Four programs messaged CBS Sports in Week 2, gushing over Mestemaker's tape. Early on, it was programs like UCF that were most interested. By midseason, those like LSU began to circle the redshirt freshman.
By mid-December, Indiana and Oregon, among others, were extremely interested in Mestemaker.
But the reality is Oklahoma State loomed as the favorite when Mestemaker announced his decision to enter the portal on Dec. 29.
North Texas head coach Eric Morris took the Oklahoma State job in the days before the American title game. Eventually, most of UNT's offensive staff, including co-OC and quarterbacks coach Sean Brophy, followed Morris to Stillwater.
That gave Oklahoma State the inside track in the push for Mestemaker. After all, that staff took Mestemaker, a high school receiver, and helped transform him from a walk-on to an All-American candidate.
There was some worry in Stillwater that teams like Oregon could step in and poach. The Ducks had Mestemaker in a small group of potential targets ahead of the portal cycle, but they also had to juggle Dante Moore's impending decision on the NFL Draft.
Oklahoma State maneuvered around the outside interest well.
The Cowboys landed the first visit with Mestemaker. Critically, he did not visit alone. Oklahoma State's staff wanted to create a wave of momentum early in the transfer cycle and planned a huge visit day on Jan. 3, during which double-digit UNT players would visit Stillwater simultaneously.
There's no better recruiter in college football than a player's peers, and that was part of the Cowboys' plan. It wasn't just Mestemaker visiting. Several of his starting offensive linemen were on the trip, and UNT star running back Caleb Hawkins visited, as did star UNT wide receiver Wyatt Young.
They all recruited each other, with Mestemaker leading the way with a commitment on Jan. 3, less than 24 hours after the portal opened.
He wouldn't come alone. Hawkins, Young and 13 other UNT transfers would join him in Stillwater.
Mestemaker got to continue on his developmental path. Oklahoma State got its building block for 2026.