For Oklahoma State, this summer wasn’t just about adding pieces. It was about turning over nearly the entire roster.
By Friday, the Cowboys had finalized a group that includes 92 new players, according to a Wall Street Journal story and confirmation from Sam Kahn Jr. of The Athletic. That number matters because it appears to set a new high-water mark in the transfer portal era for most newcomers on a college football roster from one season to the next.
The previous standard, per Kahn, was Colorado’s 2023 haul under Deion Sanders, when the Buffaloes brought in 87 new players. The transfer portal era is only five years old, so the record book isn’t exactly deep. Still, what Oklahoma State has done stands out.
Head coach Eric Morris made his plan clear when he was hired: build something that could compete right away. The way to do that, he decided, was to lean hard into the portal and find experienced players who could plug in fast.
A big chunk of those additions came from North Texas, where Morris coached last year. Nearly 20 of the 92 newcomers helped the Mean Green go 12-2, including their top three offensive players: quarterback Drew Mestemaker, running back Caleb Hawkins and wide receiver Wyatt Young. Linebacker Ethan Wesloski also followed Morris to Stillwater, along with offensive tackle Braydon Nelson.
Morris also pulled talent from plenty of other programs. Wide receiver Chris Barnes arrived from Wake Forest, former Oklahoma tackle Jacob Sexton is in the mix, and former Coastal Carolina interior lineman Joseph Hanson is expected to be a starter. On defense, former Texas Tech cornerback Mo Horn is part of the overhaul too.
Even with all that movement, Oklahoma State did hold onto 25 players from last season’s roster. That group includes starting cornerback LaDainian Fields, backup interior lineman Jakobe Sanders and defensive lineman Iman Oates, who is available to practice and play after receiving a temporary restraining order in a Payne County, Okla., court earlier this summer.
Add in true freshmen and players grandfathered in from the House settlement, and the Cowboys’ roster now sits at 117 players.
The only thing left is to see how it all fits. Oklahoma State opens the season Sept. 5 at Tulsa.
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 🡒]