Maealiuaki Smith Tabbed Big 12 Newcomer of the Week Following Texas Tech Game

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State freshman quarterback, Maealiuaki Smith, was tabbed the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week following his performance against Texas Tech on Saturday.

This marks the fourth Big 12 weekly honor for the Pokes as Trey Rucker was named the Defensive Player of the Week following South Dakota State, Nick Martin the same honor after the Arkansas game and Obi Ezeigbo the Newcomer of the Week following Arkansas. 

Smith completed 26-of-36 for 326 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, with the pick coming on his final play of the game in the final few seconds. 

"Well first off it was a good opportunity for me, first game starting,” Smith told Robert Allen after the game on Saturday. “It was just that I felt good after the bye week and this week getting to prepare and so I was feeling good with the offense. Then I'd been taking reps as a two since the BYU game, so I've been pretty smooth and feeling pretty good."

“I’ve watched the offense, I haven’t really got to him in detail, but when I watched it overall, just from a distance, it looked like to me that he played pretty well,” head coach Mike Gundy said when asked to give his impression of Smith from the Texas Tech game. “And I think you would say he probably played exceptionally well for a true freshman.”

According to Oklahoma State athletics media relations, this is the first time an OSU true freshman earned the award since Dominic Richardson in 2020. This was the second-most passing yards in a first career-start behind the 328 yards thrown by Aso Pogi back in 2000 against Iowa State, and the sixth-most by a freshman in program history.

Smith was listed as the starting quarterback on the depth chart heading into the game against Colorado this week.