Heisman of the week: Drew Mestemaker can run now, too?

Heisman of the week: Drew Mestemaker can run now, too?. Skip to main content Skip to navigation Heisman of the week: Drew Mestemaker can run now, too?

What happened

And congrats to Mestemaker for winning Week 2's Heisman of the Week. Ohio State Buckeyes1dKyle Bonagura and Mark SchlabachCollege football Power Rankings: Everything we learned from the Top 25 in Week 2Ohio State Buckeyes1dESPN'Probably should've won by 25': Inside Oklahoma State's upset of OregonOklahoma State Cowboys22hMax OlsonHow Texas' win impacted the CFP and Heisman races: Will the Buckeyes bounce back? After a brilliant season at North Texas and a much-hyped transfer, Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker began life in Stillwater with an absolute dud.

He completed passes of 52, 39, 34, 33 and 24 yards, and with the game in the balance he took off and windmilled his way into the end zone for the winning score. play0:46Drew Mestemaker goes airborne for wild Oklahoma State TDIt has been almost four years since Oregon lost to a team that didn't go on to reach the national title game. In that vein, I am once again awarding the Heisman every week of the season and doling out weekly points, F1-style (in this case, 10 points for first place, nine for second, and so on).

After Malachi Toney's win in Week 1, Mestemaker gets the nod this time. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma StateStats: 26-for-43 passing for 317 yards, two TDs and two INTs, plus 109 non-sack rushing yards and a TD against OregonWe grew accustomed to seeing video game passing numbers from Mestemaker last season, but the rushing was new.

The wider picture

Jeremiah Smith, Ohio StateStats: eight catches for 164 yards and a touchdown against TexasFor three-quarters of the Ohio State-Texas game, Smith looked as if he would be a no-brainer for Heisman of the Week. We'll hand out some hardware every week — and the winner for Week 2 is Oklahoma State's quarterback. Oklahoma State Cowboys7hBill ConnellyWeek 2 bowl projections: How did big wins and tough losses affect the postseason picture? SMUOhio State Buckeyes1dESPNWetzel: Sports should be a unifier, not a political dividerTexas Longhorns23hDan WetzelWeek 2 truths: Ohio State's big-game problem; Oregon and Oklahoma still haven't fixed thingsTexas Longhorns2dBill ConnellyProjecting the CFP top 12 after Week 2: How far does Ohio State fall?

Oregon Ducks2dMel Kiper Jr. and Jordan ReidplayBiggest plays from Week 2 of CFB (2:00)Bill ConnellySep 15, 2026, 07:00 AM ETCloseBill Connelly is a writer for ESPN. Playing against the Tulsa team that ended Mike Gundy's tenure a year earlier, Mestemaker was harassed constantly and unable to find lanes for scrambling. Mestemaker ripped off a 75-yard run on OSU's first offensive snap and overcame a pair of tipped interceptions — one that was returned for a score, the other to the OSU 1 — by simply continuing to smash the big-play button.

Heisman is running its Heisman Hopefuls Fan Vote all season, with a platform that provides statistics, EA Sports ratings and other information.

What has been reported

This was the most difficult week I can remember for sussing out the nation's best performances. He scored Duke's last three touchdowns in a 31-27 upset of Illinois, and he's one of two players to make this top 10 in both weeks thus far. CJ Carr, Notre DameStats: 16-for-20 passing for 253 yards and four touchdowns against RicePlaying for a marquee program will earn Carr plenty of credibility in the Heisman race, but a weak schedule could hold him back.

Games against Miami and BYU will obviously be Carr's primary Heisman moment opportunities. Honorable mentionBraden Atkinson, Oregon State (31-for-51 passing for 413 yards, two TDs and one INT against Texas Tech)DeSean Bishop, Tennessee (20 carries for 147 yards and two TDs, plus 15 receiving yards against Georgia Tech)Cam Brown, Michigan (seven punts, six inside the 20 against Oklahoma)Vernell Brown III, Florida (three catches for 43 yards and a TD, plus two punt return touchdowns against Campbell)Kevin Jennings, SMU (14-for-16 passing for 337 yards and five TDs against UC Davis)Marco Jones, Texas A&M (four tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and a 55-yard pick six against Arizona State)Dylan Riley, Boise State (19 carries for 206 yards, plus 11 receiving yards against Memphis)Austin Simmons, Missouri (19-for-29 passing for 292 yards and three TDs against Kansas)Princewill Umanmielen, LSU (five tackles, four TFLs, three sacks and a run stop against Louisiana Tech)Taylor Wein, Oklahoma (six tackles, three TFLs, three run stops, one sack and a forced fumbles against Michigan)Gordie Lockbaum of the week: Beau Brungard, Youngstown StateLet's give a quick shout to Augustana's Gunnar Hensley, who is already up to 1,139 passing yards and eight touchdowns through three games after Saturday's 371-yard performance against Minot State in Division II.

But we have to give this week's smaller-school nod to Brungard. Point totals and current oddsThe race has only just begun, and there are lots of ties, but through two weeks here are your points leaders. I've bolded the players who are also in the top 10 in DraftKings' Heisman odds.

What happens next

Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss (five points)DraftKings' list leads with Miami quarterback Darian Mensah (+550), who ranked seventh in Week 1 and will have plenty of opportunities to make an impression moving forward, followed by Smith, Manning, Carr and Chambliss. Ohio State Buckeyes7hPamela MaldonadoCFB top 25 betting lines: Ole Miss favored vs. Ohio State Buckeyes3dHeather DinichNFL draft risers, notes off Saturday's college games: Questions at the top of the QB class? Follow on XMultiple AuthorsEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsYour first impression matters only until your second one.

He was mostly relegated to checkdowns and averaged just 4. 5 yards per dropback with more interceptions (two) and sacks (two) than touchdowns (one). The Cowboys lost 24-10, and the bloom immediately came off the rose.