University of North Texas Athletics
Mestemaker Named Finalist for Freshman of the Year
12/3/2025 12:00:00 PM | Football
PHILADELPHIA – Redshirt freshman quarterback Drew Mestemaker added another accolade to his list Wednesday when he was announced as one of five finalists for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award, presented to the outstanding freshman player in college football.
Mestemaker is the only player from the American on the list that also includes two other quarterbacks, a cornerback and a wide receiver.
A redshirt freshman out of Austin, Texas, Mestemaker has completed 271 of 382 passes for 3,835 yards and 29 touchdowns to just four interceptions on the year. He has also rushed for five touchdowns on the ground. He set an American Conference record in a win over Charlotte by throwing for 608 yards.
Mestemaker leads the country in passing yards, is tied for fourth in passing touchdowns, tied for fourth in points responsible for and is fourth in total offense. He also has the most touchdown passes, passing yards and completions among all freshman QBs in FBS.
No UNT player has ever won the award that has been presented since 2018.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award will be presented at the Maxwell Football Club Awards along with several of the other top awards in college and professional football.
The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award has been presented to the College Freshman Player of the Year since 2018 and is named in honor of Shaun Alexander, a former standout at the University of Alabama and with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. The award Past winners include Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) - 2018, Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis)-2019, Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) – 2020, Brock Bowers (Georgia) – 2021, Drake Maye (North Carolina) – 2022 Caleb Downs (Alabama/Ohio State) 2023, and Colin Simmons (Texas 2024).
The full list of Finalists are listed below alphabetically by school.
Mestemaker is the only player from the American on the list that also includes two other quarterbacks, a cornerback and a wide receiver.
A redshirt freshman out of Austin, Texas, Mestemaker has completed 271 of 382 passes for 3,835 yards and 29 touchdowns to just four interceptions on the year. He has also rushed for five touchdowns on the ground. He set an American Conference record in a win over Charlotte by throwing for 608 yards.
Mestemaker leads the country in passing yards, is tied for fourth in passing touchdowns, tied for fourth in points responsible for and is fourth in total offense. He also has the most touchdown passes, passing yards and completions among all freshman QBs in FBS.
No UNT player has ever won the award that has been presented since 2018.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award will be presented at the Maxwell Football Club Awards along with several of the other top awards in college and professional football.
The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award has been presented to the College Freshman Player of the Year since 2018 and is named in honor of Shaun Alexander, a former standout at the University of Alabama and with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. The award Past winners include Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) - 2018, Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis)-2019, Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) – 2020, Brock Bowers (Georgia) – 2021, Drake Maye (North Carolina) – 2022 Caleb Downs (Alabama/Ohio State) 2023, and Colin Simmons (Texas 2024).
The full list of Finalists are listed below alphabetically by school.
| Dijon Lee Jr. | Alabama | Cornerback |
| Malachi Toney | Miami | Wide Receiver |
| CJ Carr | Notre Dame | Quarterback |
| Drew Mestemaker | North Texas | Quarterback |
| Julian Sayin | Ohio State | Quarterback |
Players Mentioned
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