Oklahoma State’s preseason transfer buzz has mostly followed the bigger names, but one of the quieter additions is starting to draw real attention.
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker, after leading FBS in passing yards at North Texas last season before moving to Stillwater, got an invitation to the Manning Passing Academy this summer and reportedly impressed the Manning family with his ability. The Cowboys also brought in two more of his former North Texas teammates in running back Caleb Hawkins and wide receiver Wyatt Young, part of the near 20 Mean Green players who followed head coach Eric Morris from Denton.
Still, the transfer drawing notice from both CBS Sports and 247Sports is linebacker Tate Romney. The senior, who arrived from Arizona State after previously playing at BYU, was singled out by both outlets in their Big 12 preseason previews as an under-the-radar player generating buzz despite limited career production.
One source quoted by 247Sports said of Romney this spring: “Tate just running the show (has been impressive),” that source said. “Physical.
Natural feel in the run game. Very smart football player.”
Romney is expected to start next to another former North Texas player, Ethan Wesloski, in Oklahoma State’s 4-2-5 defense. Wesloski brings a proven stat line after leading North Texas with 113 tackles, including 59 solo stops, last season. Romney’s career numbers don’t come close to that, but injuries and limited chances have played a major role in that gap.
According to the OSU site, Romney is the oldest player on the roster. He’s already married, has a child, and completed two years of missions during his time at BYU. Beyond a strong 2023 season, though, his résumé has been thin.
That 2023 campaign was the best stretch of his career. After playing in three games as a true freshman, Romney finished tied for fourth on the team with 52 tackles, added four tackles for loss and one sack, and posted a season-high eight tackles against both Southern Utah and Washington State. By usage, he was a Top 25 freshman defender.
The momentum didn’t last. In 2024, a broken arm cost him the first six games of the season, and after that he mostly had to settle for special teams work.
He transferred to Arizona State for 2025, joining a program that had just won the Big 12 and reached the College Football Playoff. Romney, a Chandler, Ariz., native, had also been 2019 Arizona 6A Varsity Linebacker of the Year and a three-time state champion.
At Arizona State, he appeared in 10 games and recorded 13 tackles, with five coming against Utah. It was not the kind of breakout he was looking for.
That’s what makes Romney such an interesting case for Oklahoma State. On paper, he looks like a depth piece. But the fact that multiple outlets heard enough this spring to flag him suggests there may be more here than the box score shows.
September will tell the story. If Romney earns steady starting work beside Wesloski, the Cowboys could have a linebacker pair that helps them push out of the Big 12 cellar and, if the buzz proves right, gives them two productive linebackers to build around in 2026.
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