The Big 12 handed Oklahoma State a pile of weekly honors after its 41-24 win over West Virginia, but one of them stands above the rest for what it says about the Cowboys right now.
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker was named co-offensive player of the week, linebacker Ethan Wesloski earned co-defensive player of the week, and kicker Sam Keltner was tabbed special teams player of the week. Still, the award that probably carries the most weight inside the program was the one given to Oklahoma State’s offensive line: Big 12 offensive line of the week.
That’s the second time in three weeks the Cowboys’ front has won the honor, and it comes after a season that began with major uncertainty up front. Oklahoma State returned only one offensive letterwinner from last year in lineman Jakobe Sanders, who had started multiple games for the Cowboys.
Head coach Eric Morris and his staff made the offensive line a priority in the transfer portal, with Morris aiming to settle on his top eight or nine linemen by the first fall camp scrimmage. He got that part done, but the season still forced the group to adjust on the fly.
Braydon Nelson, the former North Texas left tackle, was still working back from knee surgery and was unavailable to open the year. The Cowboys are hoping to have him back for the Oct. 10 game against UCF.
Then came another hit just six snaps into the season, when Jacob Sexton - who had won the starting left tackle job in fall camp - suffered a season-ending injury. That shuffled the line and helped contribute to a rough outing against Tulsa.
Oklahoma State responded well against Oregon, but that game brought another setback when Joseph Hanson, the starting right guard, went down for most of that contest and then missed the Murray State game because of injury. More reshuffling followed.
Against West Virginia, though, the Cowboys finally got the full five-man unit on the field together for every snap, and the result showed. Shaun Torgeson, Johnny Dickson III, Tyler Mercer, Hanson and Ashton Lepo helped Oklahoma State pile up more than 600 offensive yards.
That performance helped fuel Mestemaker’s weekly recognition, but the bigger takeaway is what it suggests about the line itself. Morris wanted this group settled early in camp so it could grow together, and after a shaky start against Tulsa, the unit has gotten better each week.
Monday’s award is a clear sign that the plan is starting to take hold.
In Other News...
Kansas State Suddenly Has Bigger Concerns Than One Road Loss
Oklahoma States latest surge has looked a lot different from the uneven start that had this season feeling far less certain just a few weeks ago. The Cowboys are now part of a small group in the Big 12 trending the right way, with recent results and sharper play separating them from a league field that has started to sort itself into winners and worry spots.
Kansas State is on the opposite side of that divide, and the Wildcats are suddenly dealing with more than the sting of a road loss. With West Virginia and TCU also among the teams showing clear issues, the conference picture is beginning to harden, and for Oklahoma State that matters because momentum in November can shape everything from confidence to the rest of the race. [Read more 🡒]
UCFs Big 12 Road Suddenly Looks Tougher Than Fans Expected
The Big 12 road for UCF picked up a little more weight on Saturday as Houston finished its nonconference slate with a 42-28 win over Georgia Southern and moved from No. 25 to No. 20 in the AP poll. Oklahoma State also made a statement, handling West Virginia 41-24 to secure a spot in the Top 25, while Georgia State bounced back from its loss to UCF by beating Northern Illinois 35-14 behind a strong day from quarterback Taron Dickens.
For the Knights, that matters because the league trip they thought might offer some margin for error now looks a lot tighter. Houston is climbing, Oklahoma State is suddenly in the rankings, and the results around them suggest UCF will keep seeing teams arrive with more confidence and more hardware attached to the matchup, especially after the kind of performances that can reshape a September conversation in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Warren Just Gave Oklahoma State Fans A Big NFL Reminder
Week 3 offered Oklahoma State fans another reminder of how much NFL talent has come through Stillwater. Jaylen Warren was the headliner, turning in a strong showing for Pittsburgh in a tight win over Cincinnati, while Chuba Hubbard and Ollie Gordon II were among the other former Cowboys in action across the league. It was one of those weekends when the orange-and-black pipeline felt especially visible, with familiar names popping up in different games and different roles.
The list of former Cowboys did not stop there, either, with Justice Hill, Malcolm Rodriguez, Tyler Lacy, Tay Martin and Tylan Wallace also active or dealing with injury situations during the week. Teven Jenkins absence was part of that broader picture, a reminder that these NFL returns are not always clean or linear even when the former Cowboy talent is easy to spot. For Oklahoma State supporters, the bigger takeaway is simple enough: the program keeps producing players who matter on Sundays. [Read more 🡒]