Oklahoma State’s defense is getting a makeover, and Skyler Cassity is leaning into a style he calls “controlled chaos.”
That idea sits at the center of what the Cowboys want to become after a rough 1-11 season in 2025, when the defense struggled to slow down opponents and ranked among the worst in FBS in nearly every major NCAA category. New head coach Eric Morris had to decide who would steer that side of the ball, and he turned to Cassity, the former North Texas defensive coordinator.
Cassity brings a familiar name to Stillwater. His father, Mike, once served as Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator. The younger Cassity is only 32, making him one of the youngest coaches in college football, and while he did solid work at North Texas in 2025, he knows this job is a step up.
Last week, in comments captured by OState Daily, Cassity laid out how he wants the Cowboys to play. The foundation is a 4-2-5 look with two linebackers, two corners, two safeties and a nickel back.
But that’s only the starting point. This season, Oklahoma State could just as easily show a three-man front as a four-man front.
The goal is to make life harder for opposing offenses by presenting different pictures throughout a game. Cassity’s system asks a lot from players, and that flexibility shows up in how he’s deploying personnel.
Some defensive tackles may be asked to handle a gap and a half. Some linemen may have to take on more than one role. That thinking helped lead to the move of outside linebacker Carl’veon Young to end early in camp, giving him a better chance to affect the game.
The staff is also shuffling around defensive backs. Liberty transfer Christian Bodnar has played both cornerback and safety, and Oklahoma State has settled on him at nickel because his skill set fits there. That move lets Quentin Hammonds slide back to safety, even though he can handle both safety spots, too.
Cassity has been mixing and matching throughout fall camp, just as he did in the spring. Part of why he can do that is experience. Most of these defenders weren’t part of last year’s OSU team, but they’ve all logged plenty of college snaps and seen a lot already.
“It goes back to this - they've made mistakes,” Cassity said. “They’ve got mistakes under their belt.
They’ve learned from them. Most of those guys are four years into college now.
They've all played a lot of football so they're not making day one mistakes.”
That kind of experience gives him room to install more layered schemes, more formation wrinkles and more position movement as camp goes on. It also opens the door to building a defense that can do more than just survive.
Cassity said he has more defensive linemen in camp than he has ever had in his career, and he sees that depth - along with depth at other spots - as a real advantage. It gives Oklahoma State a chance to stay fresh and keep players developing once the season starts.
“Our rotation and ability to keep these guys fresh where they're not playing 45 snaps a game it one of our advantages,” he said.
In Other News...
Caleb Hawkins Is Already Raising Expectations For Oklahoma States Offense
Caleb Hawkins is already the kind of addition that changes how an offense is discussed in Stillwater. After transferring to Oklahoma State from North Texas following the 2025 season, the running back arrived with a rsum that already includes multiple accolades, headlined by the NCAA freshman touchdown record and recognition on several All-America teams.
Now the attention is shifting to what comes next, and the preseason buzz is matching the production. Hawkins has been named a preseason candidate for the 2026 Doak Walker Award, an early sign that expectations for Oklahoma States offense are not being kept low for long, even if the awards semifinalist and finalist stages are still ahead before a winner is announced in December 2026. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces A Backup QB Battle That Could Matter Fast
With Drew Mestemaker locked in as Oklahoma States starter, the more immediate question in Stillwater is who becomes the next man up if the Cowboys need a quarterback in a hurry. Fall camp has kept the backup spot open, with transfer Grant Jordan, true freshman Broderick Vehrs and Luke Tepas all taking part in the competition as coaches sort through a role that can matter fast in the early part of the season.
The challenge is bigger than simply arm talent in this Air Raid system, where mental processing and command of the offense are treated as major parts of the job. Jordan brings experience to the table, while Vehrs has drawn attention for his upside, and that balance has made the race worth watching even before a snap is taken in a game that counts. [Read more 🡒]