Shaun Torgeson didn’t arrive at Oklahoma State with the kind of buzz that usually follows a transfer portal pickup. He had size, sure - 6-foot-4 and 302 pounds - but he was coming off his second season at Portland State as the starting left tackle on a 1-11 FCS team. In a portal that rarely stops for ordinary numbers, he was more of a calculated swing than a headline grab.
Oklahoma State still saw enough to bring him in as part of the massive roster reset Eric Morris and his staff were putting together last January. And once Torgeson got to work, he kept giving them reasons to stay interested.
That showed up in spring practice, where he fit in well enough not to raise any alarms. Then summer came, and he started turning heads in a different setting.
"He's just a guy that we kinda noticed in the weight room, and his times in the GPS stuff over the course of the summer," Morris said last week. "Pound-for-pound, as strong as anybody on our team.
Super-athletic at 300 pounds. Smart, processes information really fast."
For Torgeson, the background matters. He knows what a 1-11 season feels like, and that experience has clearly stuck with him. He’s not trying to leave that behind so much as use it.
"I'm hungry for those wins"
That kind of edge is part of why Oklahoma State took a chance on him in the first place, and why he’s become more than just another body in the rebuild.
In Other News...
Oklahoma States Captain Picks Reveal Where This Rebuild Really Stands
As Oklahoma State gets ready for its season opener against Tulsa, the Cowboys have settled on seven captains, a group that says plenty about where the program is right now. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker, punter Lachie Pozzobon, safety Quinton Hammonds, running back Caleb Hawkins, offensive lineman Jacob Sexton, linebacker Ethan Wesloski and defensive end Jaleel Johnson will lead the team into a new season shaped by turnover and a coaching change.
The mix is notable because so much of the roster has been remade, and the captaincy reflects that fresh start as much as it does on-field roles. There is some continuity in the group, but the broader picture is a team leaning on new faces to set the tone right away, which makes the opener against Tulsa feel like more than just a first game. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Is Selling 2027 Recruits On One Big Camp Promise
Odaefe Orurus latest move gave Oklahoma States 2027 recruiting push a little more momentum, and it also said something about how the Cowboys are pitching the future. The Jenks offensive lineman had been committed to Arkansas before changing course for OSU, where the early message has centered on development, coaching attention and a clear plan for helping young players grow on and off the field. His decision helped the Cowboys class climb in the rankings, giving the staff another sign that the pitch is landing.
Fall camp has become part of that sales job, with a roster full of new transfers and a program that appears willing to let freshmen compete right away under the sports new eligibility rules. For recruits watching from the outside, that can make Oklahoma State look like a place where theres an actual path to playing time if they arrive ready. Orurus commitment fits that picture, and he may not be the only one in the class responding to it. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Recruiting Momentum Is Suddenly Starting To Feel Real
Under Eric Morris, Oklahoma States work on the 2027 and 2028 recruiting classes is starting to look less like early board-building and more like a real push to change the programs trajectory. Landing offensive tackle Odaefe Oruru, a four-star prospect, gave the Cowboys a needed jolt and added some credibility to the new staffs pitch as it tries to build a foundation for the next wave of rosters in Stillwater.
The encouraging part for Oklahoma State is that Oruru does not appear to be a one-off. The Cowboys are still chasing several other targets, including linebacker-safety prospect Carter Akin and cornerback Elijah Smith, and both names suggest the staff is casting a wide but purposeful net on defense as it works to stack visits and keep momentum moving. For a program trying to establish itself quickly under a new coach, the real test now is whether the early buzz turns into a run of additions. [Read more 🡒]