Oklahoma State’s most volatile roster situation this fall might not be at quarterback or receiver. It could end up being the offensive line.
That’s where the numbers start to matter in a hurry. The Cowboys have 21 players in the offensive line room, the biggest position group on the roster. Fifteen of them still have at least one year of eligibility left after this season, while several of the expected starters - including Jacob Sexton, Ashton Lepo and Johnny Dickson III - are in their final year.
That creates a simple but messy reality: three starting jobs will need to be replaced next season, and plenty of other linemen are going to spend the year waiting for a chance. In the transfer portal era, that kind of logjam can turn into movement fast.
Jakobe Sanders is one name to watch. He has already put in the time, and he’s expected to back up at center. This is his fourth year in college, and with one year left ahead of him, a move could make sense if he wants a shot to be a full-time starter in 2027.
The room also includes five true freshmen: Kole Seaton, Isaiah Bowman, O’Ryan Mosley, Ja’Qwon Evans and Eli Holbrook. Eric Morris has made it clear throughout fall camp that true freshmen can get on the field now that redshirts are no longer the default path.
Still, he has not talked about the freshman offensive linemen nearly as much as the skill players, and that tracks with the position. Offensive line takes time.
That time issue matters even more when you look at the future. Morris already has two Class of 2027 freshmen commits, and only five spots are available in the group - 10 if you count the two-deep. That leaves several linemen in a tough spot, stuck between development and playing time.
And that’s where the portal comes back into the picture. Players can’t enter it until January, but what happens during the season can shape those decisions. If some of these linemen reach the end of the year still stuck behind others, they may decide they’re done waiting.
That’s why the offensive line stands out as the position group most likely to spark transfer portal activity after the season. In a first year under a new head coach, change is coming anyway. With this much depth and this few clear openings, it could hit hardest up front.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Still Faces One Big NIL Problem In The Big 12
Oklahoma State enters 2026 with a football NIL picture that looks solid enough inside the Big 12, but still short of the leagues biggest spender. According to data from NIL-NCAA.com, the Cowboys are projected at $22.1 million, a figure that places them among the conferences top six and keeps them in a competitive range with most of their peers.
The challenge, of course, is the team sitting at the top of that financial ladder. Texas Tech is estimated at $33.3 million, creating a sizable gap that still matters in a conference where roster building is increasingly tied to resources. Oklahoma State has room to make up ground if on-field success and NIL support continue to grow, but for now the conferences spending race still has one clear front-runner. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Camp Could Create A Roster Problem Eric Morris Must Manage
Fall camp in Stillwater has already taken on the feel of a roster reset under new coach Eric Morris, with Oklahoma State trying to move on from a rough stretch and a wave of nearly 90 transfers. Morris is sorting through a bigger-than-usual group without the cushion of redshirting, which changes the math for a lot of players who might otherwise have been able to sit, develop and wait their turn.
For a few of those Cowboys, the early weeks of camp are about more than depth-chart status. When reps get scarce and patience gets tested, the transfer portal becomes the obvious escape hatch, and how Morris handles that pressure could matter long after camp ends. The Cowboys need this season to do more than just start the rebuilding process - they also need it to show potential additions that Oklahoma State can still be a place worth choosing. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Still Has A Few Big Lineup Decisions To Make
Oklahoma State is getting closer to sorting out its first depth chart as the Cowboys close in on the season opener against Tulsa, and recent scrimmages have started to separate the obvious spots from the open ones. Head coach Eric Morris is expected to offer another update soon, with running back and parts of the offensive line looking more settled than they did a few weeks ago.
The defense, though, still has a few more questions hanging over it, and the staff has been clear that rotations will be part of the plan rather than a quick rush to name every starter. There is also still a race up front on the offensive line and a receiver situation that appears to be trending in one direction, but the final call there has not been made public yet. [Read more 🡒]