Drew Mestemaker, the new Oklahoma State quarterback, opened as a wild +10000 longshot for the Heisman Trophy, but this kid from North Texas is already getting serious betting love. Sportsbook giant BetMGM is actually more exposed on the 20-year-old signal-caller winning the Heisman than any other player in the entire country. That is a wild, wild stat when you consider the odds.
This Is No Ordinary Transfer Story
Mestemaker’s journey is truly one of the most unique stories in college football, something you just don’t see every day. He arrived at North Texas as a walk-on, not even a starting quarterback in high school, more known as a good punter and a zero-star recruit. Seriously, a zero-star recruit! Yet, as a redshirt freshman in 2025, he lit it up, throwing for an incredible 4,379 yards. That performance earned him the American Conference Offensive Player of the Year award. On top of that, he snagged the Burlsworth Trophy, an honor given to the top player nationally who started their college career as a walk-on. Think about that for a second: the most famous winner of that award, Baker Mayfield, actually won it twice before taking home the Heisman. The blueprint is there, folks.
Mestemaker followed new Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris from North Texas, where Morris coached from 2023-25. Morris took the Mean Green to 11 wins last season, making them one of the best non-power conference teams and earning a spot in the American Conference title game. Mestemaker was the guy leading that charge. Now, he’s tasked with helping turn around an Oklahoma State program that had a school-worst 1-11 campaign in 2025, with their only win coming against FCS school UT Martin. They even got upset at home by Tulsa, the Golden Hurricane’s first win in Stillwater since 1951. They lost every Big 12 game except one by at least a touchdown. Yikes.
Betting Markets Are Taking Notice
Despite the Cowboys’ projected win total for 2026 hovering at a modest 6.5, and just 3.5 for Big 12 victories, Mestemaker’s Heisman odds have seen the biggest shift nationally. That initial +10000 line has already shortened significantly to +5000. While he’s not yet among the top three in total tickets (2.2%) or overall money handle (1.9%), the sheer drama of that line movement and his original longshot status is why BetMGM is feeling the heat. It just takes a few savvy early bettors to make a serious impact when you’re talking about those kinds of initial long odds.
The 2026 college football season kicks off on August 29, and Mestemaker will make his Oklahoma State debut on September 5 against in-state rival Tulsa. Can he keep defying expectations and continue his unbelievable personal story, pulling the Cowboys up with him? It’s highly, highly doubtful he’ll win the Heisman, but if he keeps shrinking those odds, things could get very interesting very fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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