Oklahoma State is heading into the Eric Morris era with a clean chance to start putting last season’s 1-11 disaster behind it, beginning with Saturday’s opener against Tulsa. That game matters on its own, especially after the Cowboys lost to the Golden Hurricane in Stillwater for the first time in decades last year. But the bigger picture is even clearer: if Oklahoma State is going to get back to a bowl for the first time since 2023, it needs real improvement everywhere.
Morris arrived after leaving North Texas, and the Cowboys have won just four games over the last two seasons. That kind of turnaround doesn’t happen without a few players making huge jumps. These five, in particular, could reshape what Oklahoma State looks like in 2026 and beyond.
Start with the obvious one: quarterback Kevin Mestemaker. He’s the kind of talent people around the sport notice fast, from coaches to analysts to opposing players.
Oklahoma State has only had one quarterback taken in the first round of the NFL Draft - Brandon Weeden in 2012 - and Morris has made it clear Mestemaker has that sort of ceiling. He led FBS in passing yards with 4,379, passing yards per game at 312.8, total offense with 4,468 and yards per pass attempt at 9.46.
Morris has praised his mechanics, calling them near-flawless, and has also pointed to his processing and leadership. If Mestemaker puts together a big year in his third collegiate season, Oklahoma State probably has one too.
And from Morris’ perspective, that kind of season would also help when it comes to recruiting quarterbacks, both in the transfer portal and in the prep ranks.
On the defensive side, Jamerson Fields is the player with the chance to swing the biggest portion of the field. Oklahoma State is bringing back just 25 players from last year’s team, and Morris has described Fields as having All-Big 12 level talent.
The challenge is consistency. Fields started half of last season’s games and finished with two interceptions, including the only non-offensive touchdown the Cowboys scored all year.
If he puts it all together, he could lock down one side of the field, put himself in All-Big 12 territory and make the program a tougher sell for opposing quarterbacks and future recruits alike.
It may sound unusual to put a punter on a list like this, but Anthony Pozzobon belongs here. Morris went into the portal to get him from Stephen F.
Austin because of his ability to directionally punt and change up his approach to mess with opponents. He puts a lot of spin on the ball, can hug the sideline and makes life easier for the return unit.
Morris is known for liking fourth-down aggression, though he said that has become more situational over the last few years. Pozzobon can extend that evolution by turning field position into a real weapon.
The pass rush is another area that needs help badly. It wasn’t good last season, and unlike the offense, there aren’t any obvious high-end producers in that group.
That’s why Dylan Johnson stands out. He’s entering his fifth and final year, he’s one of the 25 returning players, and Morris has been talking him up all summer.
If Johnson breaks out, the entire front can function better, and defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity gets more flexibility with how he uses his rushers.
Then there’s safety Jamel Jackson, another player Morris knows well from their two seasons together at North Texas before Jackson followed him to Stillwater. Morris has said Jackson’s highs are “really high,” and his lows are “really low,” which is another way of saying the talent is there but the consistency has not been.
Last season, Jackson posted 44 tackles with two interceptions, two pass breakups and one sack. If he can level that out and become a dependable high-end safety, he could change how Oklahoma State plays on the back end and make the path to bowl eligibility a lot more manageable.
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 🡒]