Oklahoma State’s roster makeover has given the Cowboys something they didn’t have much of last season: players with real NIL momentum.
Eric Morris is drawing plenty of attention as the new head coach, but the buzz around this team goes well beyond the sideline. With nearly 90 transfers in the mix, Oklahoma State suddenly has a deeper pool of talent and a few players who could turn strong seasons into much bigger paydays.
Drew Mestemaker may be the loudest name in the group. The quarterback has become the face of the program thanks to his stop at the Manning Passing Academy and a Yahoo Sports interview last week.
His NIL profile already reflects that rise. On3 has Mestemaker at No. 9 nationally with a $3.5 million valuation.
That figure is only a valuation, not a report of what he’s actually making, but it shows how the market sees him.
Three other Cowboys could also boost their value in 2026 if their production matches the upside on the roster.
The clearest case is running back Rodney Fields Hawkins. By the numbers, he’s already in strong position.
On3’s NIL valuation tool has Hawkins at $1 million, while NIL Standard lists him at $750,000. The top-valued running back on On3 is Ole Miss back Kewan Lacey at $2 million, leaving Hawkins with a chance to close the gap if he delivers another big season in Stillwater.
That valuation is built on what he did at North Texas last year, when he ran for 1,434 yards, totaled 1,804 all-purpose yards and led FBS in total touchdowns with 29, rushing touchdowns with 25, points scored with 174 and points per game at 13.4.
And because Hawkins is only a true sophomore, he has to wait at least one more year before he can even think about the NFL. If he puts together another huge season and his valuation climbs, the payoff could come in 2027.
Wide receiver Gavin Barnes is another player with room to rise. He isn’t in On3’s Top 100, and NIL Standard puts him at $660,000, but the setup around him gives him a real chance to climb.
Barnes spent the last two seasons at Wake Forest, where he flashed real playmaking ability. Last year he led the team in receiving with 39 catches for 547 yards and three touchdowns, while also handling rushing work and kick returns.
The issue wasn’t talent. It was usage.
The Demon Deacons’ offense never seemed built to maximize him the way Oklahoma State’s attack might.
At North Texas, Wyatt Young led the team with 70 catches a year ago, while Cameron Dorner finished second with 56 receptions for 911 yards and eight touchdowns. If Barnes can produce at that level and keep contributing as a returner, his value could jump by this time next year.
LaDainian Fields is the rare holdover from last season’s team, and one of just three players who started at least half the Cowboys’ games a year ago. Among the returnees, he may have the highest ceiling.
Fields has the tools to develop into an all-Big 12 cornerback, and he gave a glimpse of that last season with two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown. That was Oklahoma State’s only non-offensive touchdown of the year.
His current NIL Standard valuation is $452,000, and On3’s Top 100 includes only one cornerback, Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore. If Fields puts together an All-Big 12 season, he could put himself in position for that kind of rise in 2027.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Is Still Alive For An In-State Recruit Fans Need
Recruiting in-state always matters in Stillwater, and Oklahoma State is still in the mix for one of the biggest names in the next wave. Kamieon Compton-Nero, the top-ranked athlete in the Class of 2028 and a standout from Owasso, is among the programs top 15 targets, a sign the Cowboys remain firmly in the conversation for a player who has already drawn attention on both sides of the ball.
Compton-Nero has put up eye-catching numbers as both a quarterback and a defensive player, which only adds to the intrigue around how he might be used at the next level. For Oklahoma State, the appeal goes beyond talent alone: the staff is tracking a local prospect who could become a major piece in the future, even with a quarterback room that already includes one 2027 commit and two true freshmen on campus. [Read more 🡒]
NCAA Twist Could Reopen Several Oklahoma State Careers
A federal judge in Colorado has thrown a fresh wrinkle into the NCAAs eligibility rules, ordering the association to declare eligible all high school class of 2022 athletes who used up four seasons of eligibility this spring. The ruling comes amid legal challenges to the NCAAs newer age-based "five-for-five" standard, and it has immediate implications for several student-athletes who suddenly have another path to keep competing.
For Oklahoma State, the decision touches three players and could reopen careers that looked finished at the end of the spring. The bigger picture for the Cowboys is obvious: roster planning, scholarship management and even offseason expectations can all shift when athletes who seemed out of eligibility may be able to return for another college season. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State May Have Found A Breakout Answer In The Secondary
Eric Morris has spent his first months reshaping Oklahoma State with an avalanche of transfers, nearly 90 in all, as he builds a roster that looks very different from the one he inherited. The group includes quarterback Drew Mestemaker and former UCLA linebacker Isaiah Chisom, but one of the quieter additions could end up mattering just as much on the defensive side: Vincent Holmes, a safety who arrived from Washington looking for a reset.
Holmes was once a four-star recruit, but his time in Seattle never really took off, leaving him with little game action and a lot to prove. In Stillwater, he is trying to turn that pedigree into production in Skyler Cassitys 4-2-5 defense, where the structure gives him a real chance to push for a starting safety role and carve out the kind of breakout opportunity that never came before. [Read more 🡒]