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STILLWATER— Oklahoma State receiver Wyatt Young can still remember the first time he saw Drew Mestemaker throw at North Texas.

“Oh gosh, this guy can rip it. … Like, I don’t think he had an incompletion that summer, and it was just crazy to watch,” Young said. “I’m like that type of guy throwing it around like that, there’s no way he never started in high school. But crazy story. And I mean, he deserves all the glory now.”

The quarterback also seemed to make quite the impression on former Oklahoma State pass-catchers in Thursday’s pro day. Receiver Terrill Davis described Mestemaker as “perfect.”

Although it felt like a few times, Mestemaker’s power and accuracy were so good that even those running routes alongside Davis weren’t quite prepared.

Young can relate since it sounds like he had a similar experience when the two worked together as freshmen at UNT two years ago. Even after all this time, Young can’t get his head fully around the circumstances that saw a consensus top 10 overall player in the transfer portal was unable to earn a start in high school.

“I mean, since the moment he walked on to North Texas, he’s always stuck out like a sore thumb,” Young said. “The way he throws, the way he leads, the way he can communicate with the whole entire team. It really is just amazing to see his growth, too. His growth, too, is ridiculous.”

Speaking of leadership, it sounds like Mestemaker didn’t wait until he moved to Stillwater to step up for the Cowboys.

“I think the day after the portal opened, I got a phone call from Drew, and he was like showing me around, and it’s like, Go Pokes,” Young said. “It was like boom. Hung up. Called (Eric) Morris, and I committed. That’s all I needed to know was Drew was coming.”

Young said Mestemaker set up a group chat for the two of them and running back Caleb Hawkins. The receiver didn’t clarify if other UNT players were involved, but it sounds like Mestemaker was trying to keep that trio together.

“Maybe a day after our last game, against San Diego State, that’s when it came together,” Young said. “We started talking to each other. We were all open and honest. We all kind of knew. Morris and (running backs coach Patrick) Cobbs and (quarterbacks coach Sean) Brophy, they’re our guys. We all love ‘em. There’s no other coaches we’d rather be with.”

Still, even after saying that about the coaches, Young later said there’s no other quarterback he wanted to play with, emphasizing how important Mestemaker’s recruitment was for the Cowboys.

For all his accolades, Mestemaker led the nation in passing yards last season, he is still only 15 games into his collegiate career and has attempted only 509 career passes. For perspective, 10 teams attempted more than 500 passes last season and only 15 teams, counting all three service academies, failed to attempt 300.

“Just a growth mindset,” said Morris when asked about the priority for Mestemaker this offseason. “Here’s a kid that, when you look at it, he didn’t play football at all in high school at the position he’s playing right now. … And although you had so much success last year, I think he’s still in such a growth phase of his life.

“And then obviously, the speed of the game is going to be a little bit faster playing P4 football. And being able to adjust to the speed of the game and realize how much faster he has to get some balls out, anticipate a little bit more, how much tighter some of the man coverage stuff is going to be. I think this is going to be a big spring for him to grow a ton.”

Mestemaker will have to wait a few months to prove he can slice up a power conference team. In his limited career, he completed 2-of-3 passes for 56 yards against Texas Tech while coming off the bench in 2024.

That’s the only time he’s been on the same field as a power conference opponent, but Young doesn’t seem to have any reservations, not after having front row seats to his journey so far.

“Drew is so confident in himself,” Young said. “He knows who he is, he knows what he has to do. There’s never been a doubt in his mind that he can do this.”

 

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BRACKET

The Cowboys are back in the NIT.

This marks the third time in the past four years the Cowboys will take part in the event. The past two occasions saw the Pokes make the quarterfinals. Can they take it a bit further this time?

OSU will host Davidson on Tuesday night. The former home of Steph Curry now holds a sharpshooter who was once pledged to be a Cowboy in former Bixby standout Parker Friedrichsen.

The Cowboys were playing some of their best basketball of the season before falling in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament to TCU. If they can pick up there, the Pokes could be in for a deep run, but a lot of this tournament has to do with getting over the headspace that you didn’t make the NCAA Tournament. We’ll see how OSU handles that.

Here’s a preview of OSU’s first round matchup against the Wildcats.

Viewing Info

Time: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Location: Gallagher-Iba Arena
Watch: ESPN2

Team Stats

	Oklahoma State	Davidson
Record	19-14	20-13
NET	74	115
Points Per Game	84.3	71.9
Opponent Points Per Game	82.9	67.4
Field-Goal Percentage	46%	46%
Opponent Field-Goal Percentage	45%	44%
3-Point Percentage	34%	36%
Free-Throw Percentage	75%	65%
Rebounds Per Game	38	33.3

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Last Game Starters

Oklahoma State	Class	Height	PPG	RPG	APG
Kanye Clary	Junior	6-0	10.1	2.8	4.8
VJ Miller	Sophomore	6-5	10.9	2.8	1.7
Anthony Roy	Senior	6-5	17.2	4.1	1.4
Christian Coleman	Senior	6-8	9.8	5.2	0.9
Benjamin Ahmed	Freshman	6-10	4.2	3.4	0.3

Davidson	Class	Height	PPG	RPG	APG
Sam Brown	Junior	6-3	8	1.9	2.3
Parker Friedrichsen	Junior	6-4	10.6	2.5	1.5
Devin Brown	Freshman	6-6	6.4	3.4	1.5
Josh Scovens	Junior	6-6	11.1	4.3	1.8
Sean Logan	Senior	6-10	3.9	3.4	0.7

 

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Carson Cunningham and Colby Powell take a look at the NCAA wrestling brackets and celebrate the official start of the Morris Era.

You know what helps the show and helps us make more shows? When you rate us on Apple Podcasts or subscribe to our pod: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | SoundCloud.

As always, we appreciate our sponsor Chris’ University Spirit.

PFB+ Sale: PFB+ subscriptions are 25% off when using this link

 

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STILLWATER— Under Jacie Hoyt, the Cowgirls have made the NCAA Tournament an expectation, but senior Haleigh Timmer takes it one step forward— she’s made a habit of not just making the tournament but winning games.

“I think that one of the best things about Haleigh Timmer that we saw in the portal was her experience in March. … So I think just her veteran experience in these situations is going to be really helpful for us,” coach Jacie Hoyt said.

Hoyt and the Cowgirls were on the wrong end of that experience last season when Timmer helped her former South Dakota State teammates upset the No. 7-seeded Cowgirls last year, but that’s the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Timmer’s history in March.

In 2023, South Dakota State also made the Tournament, and Timmer helped them upset No. 8 USC in overtime. Then, as a freshman, she averaged 30 minutes per game in South Dakota State’s six-game NIT run, which ended in a 32-point victory in the championship game.

All good signs as the Cowgirls prepare for ninth-seeded Princeton in the NCAA Tournament this weekend, with a likely shot at No. 1 seed UCLA (31-1) at stake for the winner.

“I feel like we just want to soak it all in this week leading up to the game,” Timmer said when asked about ending her collegiate career in the NCAA Tournament. “And then obviously just make the most and play as long as we can.”

Timmer proved she can generate her fair share of game-changing plays in her last outing. In Oklahoma State’s loss to BYU in the Big 12 quarterfinals, the senior knocked down two 3-pointers, including a game-tying shot with five seconds left, and both her free throws in the last-second loss to the Cougars.

“I wish that it didn’t get lost,” Hoyt said of Timmer’s heroics. “Because I thought it was incredible. What I saw in that Kansas City tournament was exactly what I saw in the portal and preparing for her last season at this time.

“She’s just fearless, and she is clutch. That’s the best way I can describe it. The moment’s not too big for her, and she works incredibly hard, so I think she has a lot of confidence to take big shots in big moments.”

While that effort didn’t lead to a win, it capped an impressive comeback that saw OSU temporarily overcome a five-point deficit with 15.7 seconds left.

“I think it definitely shows our resiliency and our competitiveness and will to win,” Timmer said. “And so there’s a lot of positives we can take away from it.

“I think just finishing the game a little bit better and controlling some more things leading up to that point, so we’re not in a tough position, is what we really take away from it. But yeah, it’s, it’s definitely a good sign that we were able to weather that storm and put ourselves in a good place to win at the end.”

Timmer went on to describe the loss as one the Cowgirls learned from that “got us ready for the bigger war that is coming up.”

Fellow senior Micah Gray had a more Timmer-specific takeaway from the end of that one she didn’t mind sharing with reporters.

“Her execution was amazing,” Gray said. “She hit them tough shots late in the game. So it’s just been great having Timmy on the team. She’s very consistent. You know what you’re going to get out of her every game, and she is a leader for our team.”

As of Sunday, Timmer is second in minutes, averaging nearly 31 per game while starting every contest. She’s fourth in scoring, averaging 11.7 points per game, putting her only 2.1 points behind Gray, who leads the Cowgirls.

“Stillwater is a special place, and the community is just amazing,” Timmer said. “And I think it does feel like a second home now, a little bit. So yeah, it’s definitely, I feel like I’ve really just, like grown to love it here, and, yeah, super grateful just for the doors that God has opened for me and just all the amazing people I’ve come to meet along the way.”

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BRACKET

The Cowboys’ 2025-26 season rolls on.

Oklahoma State accepted a bid to play in the NIT and will welcome Davidson to Gallagher-Iba Arena at 8 p.m. Tuesday. The Pokes are the 2 seed in the Tulsa Regional. They’d host the opening two rounds, but if OSU and Tulsa both made it to the quarterfinal, the Cowboys would make the eastward trip on the turnpike and play in T Town.

This marks the second time in as many seasons under Steve Lutz the Cowboys will play in the NIT. They made it to the quarterfinal round of the event last season before falling to North Texas.

OSU enters the NIT at 19-14 after falling in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament. After that loss to TCU, Lutz said he’d talk with the squad about the possibilities of accepting a bid in the NIT or Crown, and it looks like the Cowboys elected to keep playing.

Davidson is 20-13 this season, the program’s fourth under Matt McKillop. The Wildcats earned the 6 seed in the Atlantic-10 Tournament last week, where they went 1-1.

There’s a loose link between the rosters, as Parker Friedrichsen is at Davidson. From Bixby, Friedrichsen was at one point committed to be a Cowboy. After spending two seasons at Wake Forest, Friedrichsen is in his first as a Wildcat and averages 10.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists a game while shooting 41% from 3.

Should OSU win in Round 1, they’d host the winner of Wichita State and Wyoming in the second round.

 

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BRACKET

STILLWATER — The Cowgirls are headed to LA.

Oklahoma State earned an 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will play 9 seed Princeton in the first round with a shot at 1 seed UCLA in the second round.

This marks the third time in four Jacie Hoyt seasons that the Cowgirls made the Big Dance. OSU was a 7 seed last season and an 8 in Hoyt’s first year with the program.

“It’s an expectation for us to be in the tournament,” Hoyt said. “I remember that first year, we knew we were gonna be in, but I had never got to see — the only other time that I should’ve been in the tournament was the COVID year (with Kansas City) when it got canceled. So, I just remember my first year here seeing that come up on the screen and what that meant. Still today it means just as much, but the expectation has changed because now it’s about seed line, not just seeing your name.

“I love the trajectory of our program right now, but like I said for it to be an expectation now, we’re definitely headed in the right direction and want to continue to rise.”

The Cowgirls lost in the first round in their first two dances under Hoyt, but she thinks this squad is ready to take that next step.

“I have higher expectations for myself than anyone could ever have for me,” Hoyt said. “To not be in the tournament, that’s not really an option for me. But I do want to take a step forward now and win in the tournament. I am definitely ready for that, and I think our kids are as well.”

OSU enters the tourney at 23-9 and finished fourth in the Big 12 before the Cowgirls fell in gut-punch fashion in their first game at the Big 12 Tournament.

Princeton enters the NCAA Tournament at 26-3 this season — once to Maryland who was ranked ninth nationally at the time. The other two losses came to Columbia. The Tigers earned the top seed in the Ivy tourney and beat Harvard in the final.

This is the fifth straight NCAA Tournament for Princeton.

A fun bit of lore is that Oklahoma State got its colors (and at one point mascot) from Princeton and was once labeled the “Princeton of the Prairie.”

“I think this time of year, everyone is good,” Hoyt said. “Every single team that’s in tournament is gonna be really good, and you have to be at your best. You have to beat people this time of year because no one’s gonna beat themself. I don’t know much about Princeton, but just the respect that I have over the course of my coaching career is they’re not a team that’s going to beat themself. So we’ve definitely gotta be sharp.”

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Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news. 

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OSU Bullets

• Eric Morris is after a Houston area quarterback (here’s his profile) and appears to be closing in (HCS)

• Page to refresh tomorrow where you can get March Madness brackets here – Selection Sunday starts at 5pm CST (CBS Sports)

• Cowgirls dropped a close one to No. 25 Arizona State, 5-4 + the Cowboys got rocked in Orlando, 6-1 (X)

• New Cowboy defensive leader/linebacker Ethan Wesloski has been converted to wrestling fandom (PFB)

•  Mestemaker to Bowick? Mestemaker to Bowick. 

pic.twitter.com/AhFTmkcuxB

— College Football Alerts  (@CFBAlerts_) March 14, 2026

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Non-OSU Bullets

• I’m not convinced – but the argument for grilling frozen burgers • Where the world’s oil comes from • AAA points out where this year’s top booked spring break destinations are

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Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog.