It’s a brilliant blueprint for winning in the current college football landscape.
Do you love ultra-efficient offenses, an underdog quarterback and a coach with a real eye for talent development? If so, you’ll love what Eric Morris is attempting to build at Oklahoma State.
As Eric Morris takes the head job at Oklahoma State for the 2026 season, he is testing the limits of the player mobility era with one provocative question: Can you portal an entire offense?
After turning North Texas into an 11-win powerhouse last season, he brought the mainstays of his offense in Denton with him to Stillwater. This includes the improbable Drew Mestemaker, a walk-on who never started a high school game but exploded for 4,300 passing yards and 34 touchdowns to become one of the nation’s most efficient passers. He’s joined by breakout star Caleb Hawkins, who bolstered the Mean Green rushing attack with a 1,400-yard, 25-touchdown freshman campaign.
By transplanting a record-breaking quarterback and 100-yard-per-game rusher into the Big 12, Morris is betting that established chemistry is the ultimate shortcut to Power Four success.
Drew Mestemaker Makes This Offense Hum
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker is the sun, moon and stars of Eric Morris’ Air Raid system. Let’s start there.
Last season, Mestemaker was arguably the most efficient passer in college football. He had total control of the offense, threading passes to half-open receivers and propelling the Mean Green to 11 regular-season wins.
Mestemaker was both incredibly efficient and effective in the passing game. He notched 0.33 EPA/Play and 8.9 Net Yards per Pass figures. He was a successful passer on more than half of his throws. And he pushed the ball downfield with incredible venom, notching a fantastic 25.0% Pass Chunk Percentage.
All of these numbers paint a vivid picture of a quarterback who had total command of the offense, was efficient in the short and medium passing game, and had the arm strength and deep ball to push the ball downfield with regularity. He was the total package for North Texas last season. If he hadn’t planned to follow Morris to Stillwater, he would’ve arguably been the most prized transfer portal quarterback in the country.
The Caleb Hawkins-Jeremiyah Love Comparisons Are Scary
If Mestemaker was the lightning, running back Caleb Hawkins was the thunder. Hawkins had an incredible season in his own right, notching over 1,400 yards and 25 touchdowns. He possesses a rare blend of speed, power and elite vision. All of those traits make him an incredibly well-rounded option out of the backfield.
Comparing running backs with other ball carriers across the country can be a difficult feat. Backs have differing styles. Offensive systems vary from team to team. Plus, a lot of running back production can be chalked up to how good an offensive line plays over the course of a given season.
When it comes to Hawkins, there are some scary parallels between him and former Notre Dame standout running back Jeremiyah Love.
Love has an 83.3% Similarity Percentage to Hawkins, with both reaching a staggering level of efficiency. Love bested Hawkins in EPA/Play and EPA/Rush, but Hawkins finished with the higher Yards After Contact per Attempt number.
Both players notched sky-high Chunk Percentage figures (11.6% for Hawkins; 16.2% for Love) and were good pass catchers out of the backfield. The data tells us these are two of the most complete, well-rounded running backs in college football.
Eric Morris Is Attempting An Unprecedented Roster Flip
Since taking the Oklahoma State job last November, Eric Morris and the Cowboys’ program have welcomed a record-high 53 transfers. 16 players followed Morris from Denton to Stillwater—and half of them play on the offensive side of the ball.
The Cowboys aren’t using the portal to patch holes or make minor upgrades. They’re trying a microwave-ready approach to building culture and flipping a program’s fortunes in a year. If this move works, it’s a brilliant blueprint for winning in the college football landscape.
