Eric Morris made a major move on the recruiting trail, flipping a four-star offensive tackle commitment from Arkansas and giving Oklahoma State a serious boost up front.
That kind of addition stands out for the Cowboys. Per 247Sports’ ratings, OSU has only signed two offensive linemen rated as four-star prospects out of high school, and the note attached to that stat said neither one of those players actually made it to campus.
The roster also got a late addition from Jacie Hoyt, who added a fifth-year Big Ten player yesterday.
There was more good news in the ESPN player rankings, where Drew Mestemaker and Caleb Hawkins both landed in the network’s top 100.
Mestemaker checked in as the ninth-ranked quarterback on ESPN’s list, which also made him the highest-rated QB in the Big 12. He was behind Trinidad Chambliss of Ole Miss, CJ Carr of Notre Dame, Julian Sayin of Ohio State, Jayden Maiava of USC, Dante Moore of Oregon, Arch Manning of Texas, Darian Mensah of Miami and Gunner Stockton of Georgia.
Hawkins came in as ESPN’s 13th-best running back in the country, slotting him third among Big 12 backs. Only BYU’s LJ Martin, at No. 58 overall, and West Virginia’s Cam Cook, at No. 84, were placed ahead of him in the conference.
And in a twist that fits the offseason perfectly, Billy Walton is back at OSU after a winding path that sent him from a commitment to the Cowboys, to SMU, and now to finishing up at Oklahoma State.
In Other News...
Oregon State Quarterback Decision Says A Lot About This Offense
Oregon State has settled its quarterback race, and the choice says plenty about what this offense wants to be. Head coach JaMarcus Shephard announced Braden Atkinson as the starter after a competition that stretched through camp, with the decision coming down to the kind of traits this staff clearly values at the position.
Atkinson earned the job because of his performance metrics, especially his completion rate and ability to avoid turnovers, and hell now handle first-team reps moving forward. Shephard also made a point of expressing confidence in the backups, but the real takeaway is how well Atkinson fits the scheme Oregon State intends to lean on this season. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State's New Safety Brings One Big Concern To This Defense
Evan Jackson arrived with the kind of rsum that usually gets a staff excited about the secondary. The North Texas transfer has played in 39 games and brings the athletic traits Oregon State wants at safety, and he is in the mix for a starting job as the Beavers sort out their defense heading into the season.
Still, the question around Jackson is less about talent than steadiness. His play has flashed enough to make him a real factor, but the range in his performance has kept the competition open, and that leaves Oregon State watching closely as it looks for dependable production in the back end. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State May Need A More Aggressive Offense Than Fans Expect
North Texas has become a useful template for what a more aggressive offense can look like under Eric Morris, and the numbers back it up. After struggling badly two years ago on fourth down, the Mean Green kept leaning into those situations, improved their efficiency and finished last season ranked seventh nationally in success rate while staying among the countrys most frequent gamblers.
That matters for teams like Oklahoma State, where the question is not just whether to take more risks but where those decisions might pay off on the schedule. The Cowboys 2026 slate already includes a handful of opponents that were among the worst in the country at stopping fourth-down tries a year ago, which is why the conversation around their offense may end up being less about caution and more about finding the right moments to attack. [Read more 🡒]