North Texas
Mestemaker enrolled at the University of North Texas on June 1, 2024, joining the program under head coach Eric Morris. He began fall camp as the team’s fifth-string quarterback but moved up the depth chart during preseason practices, emerging as the primary backup to starting quarterback Chandler Morris by the final scrimmage before the season opener.[5]
Mestemaker made his collegiate debut in Week 3 against Texas Tech, completing two of three pass attempts for 56 yards while adding 26 rushing yards. He appeared sparingly in three additional games during the regular season. After Chandler Morris entered the NCAA transfer portal, Mestemaker was named the starter for the 2025 First Responder Bowl. In the game, he completed 26 of 41 passes for 393 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, and added a 70-yard rushing touchdown in a loss to Texas State.[6] He finished the 2024 season with 462 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and two interceptions.[7]
Heading into the 2025 season, Mestemaker competed for the starting quarterback job against Miami transfer Reese Poffenbarger.[8] On August 19, 2025, he was officially named North Texas’ starting quarterback for the season opener.[9]
In Week 1 against Lamar, Mestemaker threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns in a 51–0 victory. North Texas then earned wins over Western Michigan (the 2025 MAC champions), Washington State, Army, and South Alabama, starting the season 5–0. During that stretch, Mestemaker maintained an 11-to-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio while completing nearly 68 percent of his passes for 1,247 yards.[10]
After a loss to South Florida, in which he threw for 336 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions, Mestemaker and the Mean Green rebounded with six consecutive victories. This stretch included a historic performance against Charlotte, where he threw for a school and AAC record 608 yards and four touchdowns with one interception in a 54–20 win.[11]
Mestemaker led North Texas to the 2025 American Conference Football Championship Game against Tulane. In the 2025 New Mexico Bowl against San Diego State, he threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions, helping North Texas win 49–47. The victory secured the program’s first-ever 12-win season and snapped a seven-game bowl losing streak.[12]
He finished the 2025 season with 4,379 passing yards and 34 passing touchdowns, setting single-season program records in both categories. He accounted for 4,468 total offensive yards and 39 total touchdowns, establishing new program marks for total offense and total touchdowns.[13] For his outstanding performance, he was named American Offensive Player of the Year, earned First Team All-AAC honors, and won the Burlsworth Trophy.[14]
On December 29, 2025, Mestemaker announced that he would be entering the transfer portal.[15]
Mestemaker was a highly touted transfer portal prospect, being considered a top ten player in many transfer portal rankings.[16][17]
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