Baylor’s coaching shakeup may have opened the door for Oklahoma State to land a commitment from Stillwater linebacker Bryson Brown on Wednesday night.
Brown announced his decision on social media, giving the Cowboys a pledge from a player who had previously committed to Baylor earlier this year. That development came less than a week after the Bears fired head coach Dave Aranda.
Brown is not to be confused with another Oklahoma State commit who shares his name: Broken Arrow, Okla., safety Bryson Brown, who committed earlier this year.
Coaching changes have a way of scrambling recruiting boards, and this one fits the pattern. When a head coach gets dismissed, schools immediately have to worry about both their committed prospects and the players already on the roster who may enter the transfer portal. Baylor is taking that risk while it searches for a new coach, a process that may not be finished until December.
That timeline matters with national signing day coming in early December. By then, there may not be enough time for the next Baylor staff to make a run at players like Brown, a three-star recruit according to 247Sports.com (subscription required).
Brown’s roots make the move even more notable. As a Stillwater native, he may have once been leaning toward staying close to home. But Oklahoma State’s slide under Mike Gundy - a 4-20 run in 2024 and 2025 - likely helped push him toward Baylor in the first place.
Now the situation has shifted again. Aranda’s firing appears to be part of the equation, but so is what Oklahoma State is doing under new head coach Eric Morris. The Cowboys are 5-2 overall and 3-1 in Big 12 play, one win away from bowl eligibility for the first time since 2023 and still in the hunt for a spot in the Big 12 Championship game.
Brown has clearly taken notice, and he’s not the only defensive recruit to jump in lately. He becomes the second defensive player to commit to Oklahoma State in the past three weeks, following Keilan Neal, a defensive lineman from Franklin Road Academy in Nashville, Tenn., who announced his pledge before the Houston game.
That gives the Cowboys another boost on defense, a group that entered the summer with a lighter haul but is now closing the gap on the offense. Oklahoma State’s defensive commitments now include Baton Rouge Catholic edge rusher Jayden Vessell, Choctaw, Okla., linebacker Israel Hammons, Trinity (Euless, Texas) High School safety Chayce Davis, Broken Arrow safety Bryson Brown and the newly committed Stillwater linebacker Bryson Brown.
Oklahoma State now sits at 14 commitments as the recruiting push heads into its final month.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Suddenly Has A Tough Iowa State Decision To Make
Oklahoma States first player availability report for the Iowa State game offered an early look at how thin the margin can get late in the season. Tight end Carson Kolb will miss the matchup after suffering a left foot injury against Colorado, while safety Quinton Hammonds, wide receiver Dayvon Standard and defensive tackle Landon Dean are listed as questionable. Cornerback Beni Ngoyi, defensive end Caden Crawford and defensive tackle Ka'Mori Moore are already ruled out, giving the Cowboys a short list of healthy options at several spots.
That leaves Eric Morris and his staff sorting through the tight end depth chart with more urgency than they likely wanted heading into a game that already carries plenty of weight. Morris addressed the injury situation and said lineup changes are on the table at tight end, where Oklahoma State will need to piece together a plan without Kolb and manage the ripple effects elsewhere on offense. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State's Defensive Rebuild Is Starting To Turn Heads In Recruiting
Oklahoma States defensive rebuild is starting to pick up real momentum on the recruiting trail, and the latest additions suggest the staff is getting traction beyond just plugging needs. Cornerback Jlynnd Kellow, a three-star prospect from Willis High School in Texas, and linebacker Bryson Brown of Stillwater, Oklahoma, both joined the class after backing away from prior commitments, giving the Cowboys a pair of defensive pledges with some local and regional appeal.
For a program trying to show progress under new defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity, those kinds of flips matter because they signal confidence in what the staff is selling. Kellow had been headed to Mississippi State, while Brown had been committed to Baylor, and Oklahoma States ability to pull both into the fold gives the defensive class a little more weight as the rebuild continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Opens With A Backcourt Question Fans Can't Ignore
Steve Lutz gave Oklahoma State a clearer picture of its backcourt situation as the Cowboys head into the season opener against Incarnate Word. Kanye Clary has been working his way back from a groin injury and was limited to non-contact work, while Luka Bogavac appears to be moving in the right direction as the opener approaches. For a team trying to settle in early, the guard rotation is one of the first storylines worth watching.
Lutz also pointed to turnovers as an issue the Cowboys need to clean up, a reminder that the opener is about more than just getting bodies on the floor. He praised the progress of Jacob Walker and Julius Halaifonua, two players whose development could matter quickly if Oklahoma State has to sort through lineup choices on the fly. [Read more 🡒]