In a stunning display of talent and grit, North Texas walk-on quarterback Drew Mestemaker nearly led the Mean Green to a comeback victory in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Friday. The freshman sensation, making his first start since 9th grade, put the college football world on notice with a dazzling performance.
A Star Emerges in Denton
Mestemaker, who hadn’t started a game at quarterback in four years, was thrust into the spotlight after Mean Green starting QB Chandler Morris transferred to Virginia. The Austin native responded with a performance for the ages against Texas State:
- 26/41 passing, 393 yards, 2 TDs
- 9 carries, 55 yards, 70-yard TD run
- 448 total yards (2nd most in bowl season)
The 70-yard touchdown scamper, which cut the deficit to 30-28 late in the 4th quarter, was the second-longest run by a QB in bowl history. Mestemaker promptly vomited into a trash can on the sideline after the herculean effort.
“That’s the first football game he started at quarterback since the ninth grade, which is just wild to me. To see him go out there and compete the way he did, I mean the kid, he has some traits.”
— North Texas coach Eric Morris
From Backup to Record-Breaker
Mestemaker, who backed up current Louisville QB Deuce Adams in high school, had only attempted five passes as a reserve this season. But the moment the lights shined brightest, the overlooked freshman etched his name in the record books:
- 393 passing yards: 2nd-most in First Responder Bowl history
- Most passing yards by a UNT QB in a bowl game
- Most passing yards in a UNT debut
He did it all without top WR DT Sheffield, who transferred to Rutgers. North Texas entered as 13.5-point underdogs, but Mestemaker’s brilliance kept them in it until the final seconds.
The Makings of a Star?
While the Mean Green ultimately fell short, Mestemaker’s out-of-nowhere emergence turned heads—including his head coach’s. Morris, who played with and coached Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech, sees immense potential in his young signal-caller.
“I’ve been around some good ones, been blessed to be around a lot of NFL guys in my career, and he has some traits that are just as good or better than some of those guys playing on Sundays right now.”
— Eric Morris on Drew Mestemaker’s NFL potential
Texas State coach G.J. Kinne came away equally impressed after Mestemaker nearly spoiled his team’s bowl victory.
“Look, that guy’s athletic, he’s big, obviously you saw the run at the end of the game. I mean I think it’s going to be tough to beat that kid out moving forward.”
— G.J. Kinne on Mestemaker’s future as UNT’s QB
While North Texas added former Albany star QB Reese Poffenbarger from the transfer portal, Mestemaker’s magical night may have locked up the starting job for 2025 and beyond. As Coach Morris said after the game, “Just watching it right there, he can definitely lead our football program.”
If his dazzling debut was any indication, Drew Mestemaker’s name is one that college football fans won’t soon forget. The walk-on wonder rewrote record books and nearly achieved the unthinkable in his first start under center. The “Mean Green Magician” looks poised to conjure up many more jaw-dropping performances in Denton for years to come.
