Top Cowboys Making a Run at Both National Lead in Key Stats and OSU’s All-Time Records

Support PFB with a PFB+ membership — $8 a month or $50 for a year.

STILLWATER — It’s been two weeks since Oklahoma State’s Big Three dominated at West Virginia, but Big 12 defensive coordinators might still have nightmares over what’s coming down the track this season.

As of Monday, Oklahoma State’s offense features the No. 2 quarterback, No. 12 running back and No. 13 receiver based on passing, rushing and receiving yards per game this season.

Here’s a closer look at where those guys and other top-performing Cowboys rank through four games this season and where they could finish in OSU’s record books.

NOTE: All records mentioned are only based on season-long numbers instead of career totals, and all projections assume the current players hit the field for 13 games this season.

QB Drew Mestemaker

Through four games: 95-of-141 passing (67.4%) for 1,271 yards, 11 TDs and 5 INTs; 13 rushing attempts for 106 yards and 1 TD

National rank: 2nd total offense per game, 2nd passing yards per game, 21st passing TDs, 25th yards per attempt, 44th completion %

On Pace for: 309-of-458 passing for 4,131 yards, 36 TDs and 16 INTs; 345 rushing yards and 3 TDs

Mestemaker is making an early case that he’s the Cowboys’ best quarterback ever, and the numbers reflect that. Here’s a brief look at where he would land on OSU’s single-season list for a few key stats if he maintains this pace.

Passing TDs: 3rd, behind Bradon Weeden (2011) and Mason Rudolph (2017), who each threw 37

Completion %: 3rd, behind Weeden (2011) and Dru Brown (2019), but Brown only attempted 107 passes

Total offense per game: 3rd, behind Rudolph (2017) and Weeden (2011)

Passing yards: 4th, Weeden (twice) and Rudolph (2017)

Completions: 4th, Weeden (twice) and Rudolph (2017)

Attempts: 6th

Yards per attempt: 7th

​The biggest obstacle to Mestemaker’s spot on or near the podium for most of these stats could actually be his NFL future. Although it’s way too early to wonder if Mestemaker would play in a bowl game or not (his history suggests he would), if he decided to declare for the NFL Draft (also not a given), it’s hard to imagine him not locking down the best season by an OSU quarterback since 2017.

That’s a huge win for a program that has seen pretty subpar quarterback play in recent seasons.

RB Caleb Hawkins

Through four games: 83 carries for 441 yards (avg 5.3) and 2 TDs; 11 receptions for 43 yards

National rank: 12th in rushing yards per game, 21st in all-purpose yards per game

On Pace for: 270 carries for 1,433 yards and 7 TDs; 36 receptions for 140 yards

Hawkins’ yardage output this season puts him on pace to finish 26th all time as a Cowboy. That’s also just one yard shy of his total last season when he finished fifth in the nation. However, his yards per carry is almost a full yard behind what he did at UNT, but he’s on pace to carry the ball 39 extra times this season, which accounts for the nearly even numbers.

Morris thought Hawkins ran out of steam last year, so it’s a bit concerning to see his carry totals so high this early into the fall. On the bright side, Hawkins did score 25 rushing touchdowns last season, so it feels like he’s due to hit the end zone a lot more in the coming weeks.

WR Wyatt Young

Through four games: 22 receptions for 410 yards and 3 TDs

National rank: 13th in receiving yards per game, 33rd in yards per reception, 38th in receptions per game, 49th in total offense per game

On Pace for: 72 receptions for 1,333 receiving yards and 10 TDs

The hardest place to earn a spot in the OSU record books is on the ground, but OSU’s had plenty of all-timers line up at receiver as well.

Despite being second on the team in targets, Young is on pace to finish 9th in OSU’s record books averaging 18.6 yards per catch (most since 2017). That season-long yardage total would put him 10th all time, most since 2018, and 10 touchdowns would put him in a five-way tie for 10th

WR Justin Bowick

Through four games: 20 receptions for 344 yards and 4 TDs

National rank: 20th in receiving TDs, 26th in receiving yards per game

On Pace for: 65 receptions for 1,118 yards and 13 TDs

Bowick leads the team, averaging just over eight targets per game. Currently, his yardage totals put him on pace to finish 13th all-time, making this only the second time two Cowboys would top 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. The only other time came in 2017 when James Washington and Marcell Ateman both crossed the milestone.

Bowick is also on pace to finish seventh all-time in touchdown receptions, tying Washington’s 2017 season.

Young and Bowick rank 13th and 26th in receiving yards per game. Currently, only five other teams in the country boast two top-50 players in that stat. Florida Atlantic has two players ranked 14th and 24th, while Missouri has two guys ranked 12th and 30th.

Other duos play for: TCU (31st and 38th), Virginia Tech (39th and 40th) and Notre Dame (40th and 43rd).

LB Ethan Wesloski

Through four games: 36 total tackles, including 13 solo, 1 TFL and 1 sack

National rank: 22nd in tackles per game

On Pace for: 117 tackles (42 solo)

Wesloski was everywhere in Morgantown when he racked up a season-high 17 tackles in what was somewhat surprisingly his first double-digit performance of the season. Although it’s hard to imagine many more of those games, he only needs to boost his per-game average up by 1.5 tackles to finish inside the top 10.

K Sam Keltner

Through four games: 10-of-10 FGs with a long of 47

National rank: 1st in accuracy, 2nd in field goals per game

On Pace for: 33 FG attempts (seven over 40 yards)

Keltner is the only kicker in the country still perfect with at least 10 attempts. It’s hard to project perfection, but Oklahoma State’s most accurate kicking season (with at least 10 attempts) came in 2022 when Tanner Brown went 22-of-23 to hit 95.7% of his kicks.

Keltner’s pace would put him third behind only Alex Hale and Quinn Sharp, who attempted 34 field goals in 2023 and 2012, respectively. Sharp holds the record for made field goals in a single season with 28, while Hale splits second place with Dan Bailey (2010) after they each hit 27.

Keltner will almost certainly ink his name somewhere on all three all-time kicking lists, but he’s well-positioned to make a run at first on at least one of these.