Weekly Honors: Fields Again Named Big 12 Player of the Week, Mestemaker A Davey O’Brien ‘Great 8’

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The Cowboys were again well-represented in the weekly award circuit for their dominant performance against Kansas State.

Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker and cornerback LaDainian Fields picked up some weekly honors for the parts they played in the Pokes’ 66-28 win in Manhattan.

Mestemaker Named on O’Brien ‘Great 8’ List

This marks the third time this season that Mestemaker has been on the Davey O’Brien’s “Great 8” list, joining his performances against Oregon and West Virginia.

The Davey O’Brien is an award handed out annually to college football’s best quarterback. A Cowboy has never taken home the hardware, but Mestemaker has to at least be among the top contenders for the award in 2026.

Against Kansas State, Mestemaker threw for 314 yards and four touchdowns while running for another touchdown and even cashing in on a receiving score.

He became the first Big 12 player to have a game with four passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown and the fifth FBS player to ever do so. Mestemaker has thrown for at least 300 yards in eight straight games, which is a program record. His streak of eight straight 300-yard games with multiple passing touchdowns is a Big 12 record.

Fields Earns Second Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week Honor

If Mestemaker is in the hunt for the Davey O’Brien, then Fields has to be in contention for the Thorpe.

Fields intercepted two more passes against the Wildcats, with his seven picks on the year being the most of anyone in the country. Six of those INTs have come in the past four games.

Fields took home a Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honor after intercepting two passes against Colorado, and now he’s done the same after his two picks against K-State.

Fields and Justin Gilbert are the only Cowboys to have at least seven interceptions in a season since 2000.

This marks the fifth time this season a Cowboy has been named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, with Fields’ two honors joining three from linebacker Ethan Wesloski.

I suppose hanging 66 points on the Cats in Manhattan wasn’t enough for a Cowboy to earn Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. This also feels like the spot to point out the fact that Caleb Hawkins doesn’t have one of those honors yet despite dominating the league’s defenses.