When Oklahoma State opens fall camp in August, the Cowboys will be trying to turn a roster that barely knows itself into something functional fast.
That’s the reality of a rebuild built almost entirely through movement. Defensive end Jaleel Johnson, who has spent four seasons in Stillwater, joked that he “transferred without transferring.” It lands because the numbers are wild: nearly 90 transfer players are in the mix, along with close to 20 true freshmen, and they’re joining a small group of holdovers who stayed after Mike Gundy was let go and Eric Morris took over as head coach.
On paper, a lot of this roster looks upgraded. The clearest gains are at quarterback, running back and wide receiver, where Morris has leaned heavily on players he knew from North Texas.
Drew Mestemaker brings the kind of buzz that turns heads quickly; after throwing for more than 4,000 yards last season, he’s already drawing first-round NFL draft talk. Caleb Hawkins, an Oklahoma native, is back home after a strong true freshman season. Wyatt Young gives the Cowboys a proven receiver who produced at North Texas and looks like a step up from what they had a year ago.
There’s more help around them, too. Tre Page III and freshman KD Jones add depth at running back, while Chris Barnes, who came over from Wake Forest, and Justin Bowick from Illinois deepen the receiver room. That group gives Oklahoma State the kind of talent Morris needs to run his version of the Air Raid.
Linebacker is another spot where the Cowboys look better than they did a year ago, mostly because of two names that should matter a lot to the defense’s ceiling. Ethan Wesloski was a standout at North Texas and fits Skyler Cassity’s 4-2-5 scheme cleanly. Tate Romney is trying to move past injuries, but when he was healthy at Arizona State, he was productive and already knows what success looks like in the Big 12.
The Cowboys also added transfers with an eye on depth, and that matters. With only two starters in the picture, the hope is that a half-dozen more players can become reliable depth pieces and special teams contributors. That was not the setup last season.
The secondary should be in better shape as well, both at corner and safety. Depth still matters, but the top end looks stronger. Oklahoma State kept last year’s best corner, LaDainian Fields, and brought in two transfers who should factor in right away: Mo Horn from Texas Tech and Kollin Lewis from North Texas.
At safety, Evan Jackson and Quinton Hammonds, both North Texas transfers, are expected to start alongside Vincent Holmes. Freshman Braeden Presley also has a real chance to force his way into the rotation early.
The Cowboys still have plenty to prove up front, though, and that’s where the biggest questions live. Oklahoma State had 20 offensive linemen in camp, and there’s a case to be made that the portal could have been used more aggressively. Instead, this is the group they have.
Braydon Nelson, a North Texas transfer, looks like the lineman with the most star potential and the best grasp of the offense. Holdover Jakobe Sanders should be in line for a full-time starting role, but nothing is settled.
A lot of the other linemen bring college experience without much consistency, whether because of injuries, lost jobs or limited chances. That should create competition, but it also raises real concerns about pass protection and run blocking when the season starts.
The skill players can only go as far as the line allows.
The same uncertainty hangs over the defensive front, and that unit has to be better if the Cowboys are going to take a step forward. Oklahoma State’s pass rush and run defense were both among the worst in college football last season, and the burden falls on the front four to change that.
There’s talent there, but much of it is still untested because of injuries, limited snaps or lineup changes elsewhere. Johnson is expected to get a real shot at winning a starting job, and Morris made it clear at Big 12 media days that he believes a big year is coming. If Johnson delivers, the rest of the defense could follow.
Tight end, though, looks like a spot that may not have moved much at all. Oklahoma State has two experienced players there, but both come with questions.
Oscar Hammond transferred in from North Texas, but he missed last season with an injury and had only sporadic production before that. Donovan Green, who played at LSU and Texas A&M, has been slowed by injuries and has just 22 career catches.
So while plenty of Oklahoma State’s roster looks better than it did a year ago, tight end is one area where the upgrade is hard to see. The group may improve as the season goes on, but right now it looks stuck in neutral.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Has One 2026 Trap Game Fans Cannot Overlook
The Big 12 schedule always has a way of turning ordinary Saturdays into stress tests, and Oklahoma States 2026 slate already has one spot that looks easy to miss if you are only glancing at the calendar. With a roster that will still be settling in and trying to find its rhythm early in the season, the Cowboys have to be sharp enough to avoid the kind of stumble that can linger well beyond one afternoon.
What makes this stretch so tricky is the timing around it, with a home date tucked between two road trips that can wear on a team even before the bigger race in the conference really takes shape. For Oklahoma State, games like this are the ones that can quietly shape confidence, especially for a group leaning on new faces and trying to establish momentum before the schedule gets even more demanding. [Read more 🡒]
Eric Morris Faces A Brutal Early Measuring Stick Against Texas Tech
November brings a different kind of test for a program trying to reset, and Eric Morris will get one of the toughest early checks on Nov. 14 when Oklahoma State hosts Texas Tech in a Big 12 matchup. The Cowboys are still sorting out what this new era looks like under Morris after a rough stretch in recent seasons, and the Red Raiders arrive with the kind of profile that can expose any team still building - defending conference champions with experience back on both sides of the ball.
For Oklahoma State, the challenge is as much about discipline and balance as it is about talent. Texas Tech can lean on an experienced offensive front and a defense with enough returning pieces to make life difficult if the Cowboys get one-dimensional, while Morris also has to find a way to generate pressure and keep his own offense on schedule. The game has the feel of an early barometer for where Oklahoma State really stands, and it may tell a lot about how far the Cowboys still have to go before they can start talking about climbing back into the league race. [Read more 🡒]
One Oklahoma State Freshman Is Pushing For A Starting Role Fast
Eric Morris first recruiting class in Stillwater may not have included a four-star name, but it still landed inside the Top 50 nationally and gave Oklahoma State a group that could matter sooner than expected. The 20-player class was ranked No. 16 in the Big 12, and while running back KD Jones is the headliner on paper, the early buzz around the class has centered on a player whose path to the field looks unusually clear.
Braeden Presley has emerged as the freshman most likely to push for a starting job right away, helped by his athleticism and the new eligibility rules that let newcomers compete immediately for playing time. Oklahoma State has brought in experience in the secondary, but there is still room for a young player to force the issue, and Presleys versatility and production at Bixby give him a real chance to do exactly that. [Read more 🡒]