Gerl: Moore vs. Mestemaker offers a quarterback showcase in Stillwater

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Dante Moore has already cemented himself as a top NFL quarterback prospect, but he still chose to go the uncommon route.

Rather than entering the 2026 NFL Draft, Moore, Oregon’s 20-year-old star quarterback, opted to return for another season of college development — a decision in which he gave up the chance to make $50 million in guaranteed money as a projected top-three pick.

“Mainly all my life has just been about being the most prepared as I can for any situation I go into,” Moore told ESPN in January.

Moore’s return makes the Ducks one of the national title favorites in 2026. He will also enter the season as potentially the best passer in all of college football.

So, when Oregon and Moore come to Stillwater on Sept. 12 to face Oklahoma State and Drew Mestemaker, college football fans who love some good quarterbacking will be in for a treat. And for Mestemaker, it will be his first big opportunity to accomplish what Moore has already done — establish himself as a highly-touted 2027 NFL prospect.

The Ducks will probably enter that game as double-digit favorites. A good Mestemaker performance that early in the season against that opponent would only help the Cowboys’ young quarterback start the process of going from intriguing but raw to established and ready.

Mestemaker was a breakout star last season at North Texas, where in his first season as a starter, he led the NCAA in passing with 4,379 yards and guided the Mean Green to a 12-2 season. He wowed with his downfield passing and often fit balls into windows that some quarterbacks wouldn’t even attempt to.

Now, the question is whether Mestemaker’s skills and confidence will translate well to Power Four football, and, ultimately, the NFL.

Mestemaker’s worst two performances last season came against the only ranked teams on UNT’s schedule, when he combined for six interceptions against Tulane and USF, but still managed to throw for two touchdowns and more than 290 yards in both games. So, the matchup with the Ducks will be Mestemaker’s next big-time opportunity to produce against a high-level opponent before OSU gets into Big 12 Conference play.

Mestemaker doesn’t need to lead the country in passing again, but as long as the move to Stillwater comes with similar production against a higher level of competition, he should continue to rise in NFL prospect rankings. His arm talent and remaining alongside Eric Morris and several of his UNT teammates should bode well for the transition process, too.

Mestemaker and Moore are not drastically different, either.

Moore began his career at UCLA and threw 114 passes before transferring to Oregon to continue developing and become a top NFL prospect, the same thing Mestemaker wants to do at OSU after starting elsewhere.

They’re both 20 years old and share similar skill sets, with each player considered a highly accurate passer who operates well in the pocket. The only difference is that Moore was a highly-touted recruit, while Mestemaker had to work his way up as a walk-on.

So, when Moore and Mestemaker meet at Boone Pickens Stadium in September, it’ll be a treat to watch two of college football’s best on one field, while Mestemaker looks to join Moore in the highest tier of NFL quarterback prospects.