Oklahoma State’s defense is being built from the ground up, and so far the clearest takeaway is that this is a unit still searching for its identity.
New head coach Eric Morris has handed the job to Skyler Cassity, who coordinated the defense at North Texas last season and helped turn that group into something far sturdier than the year before. The Mean Green finished in the middle of the pack in total defense, and that improvement was part of the reason they went 12-2. Now Cassity is trying to bring that same kind of turnaround to Stillwater, where the Cowboys were one of the worst defenses in the country a year ago.
What stands out early is that Oklahoma State may not have a true headliner on this side of the ball. Ethan Wesloski is the closest thing to one after being named to the Butkus watch list, and LaDainian Fields remains another player Morris likes.
Fields had two interceptions last year, including one he returned for a touchdown, which was Oklahoma State’s only non-offensive touchdown of the season. Morris believes Fields can reach another level, but he still needs to prove he can make more plays.
That lack of a clear star doesn’t necessarily spell trouble. In plenty of good defenses, the strength is the collective rather than one player freelancing for attention.
Right now, though, the Cowboys don’t have anyone who arrived with the kind of national buzz that Drew Mestemaker or Caleb Hawkins brought elsewhere. If this group ends up simply being effective and hard to score on, that may be enough for a fan base that watched last year’s mess unfold.
Another thing that’s obvious: nothing is settled. Heading into this weekend’s scrimmage, not a single defensive position looks locked in. That’s especially interesting at linebacker, where Wesloski and UCLA transfer Isaiah Chisom give the Cowboys two proven options from the past season, but Morris still isn’t handing out jobs.
Cassity has made camp a real competition across the board, which makes sense given where Oklahoma State is starting from. On offense, Mestemaker and Hawkins can be penciled in.
On defense, almost everything is still up for grabs. That could mean the unit needs more time to come together, and it could also mean bigger rotations at certain spots once the season starts.
The encouraging part for Oklahoma State is that the roster has already shown it can absorb newcomers quickly. Most of the team arrived in the spring, and most of the freshmen enrolled early. A few transfers got there later and have had to catch up on the scheme and the standards, but Morris has been pleased with how fast they’ve gotten into the mix.
Two names in particular have stood out: cornerbacks Jeremiah Piper, who last played at Youngstown State, and Markeith Williams, a Miami (FL) transfer. Both fit the same profile - four-year players who never fully broke through at their previous schools, even though each made a handful of starts. Morris and Cassity like the hunger that comes with that, and both players have impressed by picking things up quickly.
Piper and Williams may not be starters, but they’re pushing for roles. And for a defense trying to erase last season and become something respectable, that kind of urgency matters.
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Oklahoma States Center Battle Could Shape How Smoothly This Offense Starts
Oklahoma State is using the final stretch of camp to sort out the kind of detail that can make or break an offense before the season even begins. Head coach Eric Morris said he wants to have the top eight offensive linemen identified by the end of Saturdays scrimmage, a goal that puts a spotlight on the middle of the line and the center battle that has been running through camp.
Tyler Mercer and Jakobe Sanders have been the names most tied to that spot, with the decision carrying obvious weight for how smoothly the offense can get started. Mercer has drawn the stronger look from Morris based on what he has already shown, and the head coachs comfort level with him makes the competition feel like it is moving in one direction, even if camp still has one more chance to settle it. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker Faces A Brutal Hype Test In 2026
CBS Sports latest look ahead to the 2026 college football season has already put Drew Mestemaker under a brighter spotlight than hes used to, and not for flattering reasons. The Oklahoma State quarterback was included on the outlets list of the top 150 players for next year, then landed in a conversation with NFL scouts and executives about which players near the top of that group are getting a little too much preseason buzz.
Mestemaker and Texas quarterback Arch Manning drew the most skepticism from evaluators, a reminder that hype can turn quickly once a player starts climbing into national conversation. For Oklahoma State, the bigger issue is less about labels than about perception, because Mestemakers next step is tied to a jump in competition and to whether he can prove his standing against a tougher stage. [Read more 🡒]