Eric Morris has made it clear the Oklahoma State Cowboys were playing catch-up with their Class of 2027, and the bye week gave his staff a chance to get moving. One of the biggest targets on that push is cornerback Julian McDonald of Williamson High School in Mobile, Ala.
According to Rivals, Oklahoma State is moving quickly in an effort to flip McDonald, who committed to Mississippi State in June. The Cowboys offered him last week, and he is expected to be in Stillwater on Saturday for the game against UCF.
That kind of turnaround says plenty about where Oklahoma State thinks it needs help. Recruiting flips are part of the game this time of year, and with three straight wins, the Cowboys are trying to use that momentum to land a player who could matter for 2027 and beyond.
Cornerback is an obvious area to watch. Oklahoma State lists only eight cornerbacks on the depth chart, and two of them - Mo Horn and Trudell Berry - are redshirt seniors.
Another two, Marrel Davis III and Maliek Bracy, are true freshmen. That means the Cowboys are staring at the possibility of losing one-quarter of their experience at the position after this season, while much of the room remains young.
For a program trying to keep the pipeline full, McDonald fits the profile. Oklahoma State already has 12 commitments in the class, including two defensive backs, but both of those are safeties: Bryson Brown of Broken Bow, Okla., and Chayce Davis of Trinity High School in Euless, Texas. A cornerback is still missing from the class, and McDonald has become a real candidate to fill that spot.
Rivals and 247 Sports list McDonald as a three-star recruit who sits just inside the Top 1,000 nationally. The selling point for teams like Oklahoma State is the frame: he’s 6-2 and 170 pounds, with the length to match bigger receivers and the speed to stay with them. Of the Top 5 schools on his 247 Sports list, the Cowboys have the fewest rostered corners.
Oklahoma State will have competition for the flip. Rivals says McDonald is also scheduled to visit LSU on Nov. 14, when the Tigers host Texas. That weekend lines up with another major opportunity for the Cowboys, who host Texas Tech and are expecting a big visit weekend of their own.
There are not many uncommitted cornerbacks left on the board for the Class of 2027, and Oklahoma State is treating McDonald like a priority. With his size, talent and the need at the position, he looks like a viable target. The Cowboys are acting like a team that knows the board is getting smaller - and moving fast before it does.
In Other News...
Braylin Presley Is Back But Oklahoma State Still Has One Big UCF Question
Braylin Presley is back on Oklahoma States electronic roster, giving the Cowboys another familiar name to sort through as they turn their attention to UCF. Presley had already spent a season in Stillwater before transferring to Tulsa, where he split time between wide receiver and running back, and his return adds a layer of intrigue to a depth chart that is still taking shape. Head coach Eric Morris is expected to address how Presley fits in, which should help clarify where the Cowboys see him in the offense.
For now, the bigger question is less about the paperwork and more about the role. Presleys next step will be figuring out how quickly he can get up to speed and whether he can carve out a real workload right away, especially in a backfield that could use another versatile option. Oklahoma State knows what he was before, but what he looks like now and how much of him the staff can use against UCF remains the part still waiting to be answered. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State May Finally Have Relief At A Troubled Spot
Left tackle has been one of the more unsettled spots for Oklahoma State this season, but help may finally be on the way. Head coach Eric Morris said Braydon Nelson, the North Texas transfer who has been working back from offseason knee surgery, has practiced recently and is expected to be available in some capacity when the Cowboys face UCF.
Nelson has not played this season, but his return would give Oklahoma State a needed option at a position group that has been under pressure. He is listed on the depth chart at both tackle spots, while Shaun Torgeson and Ashton Lepo are slated to start, leaving the Cowboys with a little more flexibility as they try to stabilize the edge of the offensive line. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Momentum Now Has An Off-Field Tension Fans Can't Ignore
As Oklahoma State has started to build some real football momentum, head coach Eric Morris found himself fielding questions about a very different kind of pressure point on campus. During a press conference, Morris addressed reports tied to athletic director Chad Weibergs job status and made clear that his working relationship with Weiberg remains strong, while also crediting Weiberg and OSU president Dr. Jim Hess for bringing him in and helping set the tone around the program.
The timing matters because the Cowboys have been trying to capitalize on that upward swing, and any off-field uncertainty can quickly become part of the conversation around a team trying to keep moving forward. Morris stopped short of letting the issue overshadow whats happening on the field, but the report has lingered because Oklahoma State has not issued an official comment on Weibergs situation, leaving fans with one more storyline to watch beyond the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]