Where must Oklahoma State football focus its recruiting efforts? Here are four key areas.
Scott WrightOklahoman
STILLWATER — The transfer portal is spinning wildly, recruiting has intensified for the stretch run leading up to the Dec. 21 early signing date and the challenges of both are mounting for Oklahoma State.
The Cowboys have 13 players committed in the 2023 recruiting class, though they’re likely to sign significantly more than that. And the portal numbers are even more daunting. Eleven scholarship players are in the portal already, and more could enter before the Jan. 18 deadline.
So far, OSU has gained a commitment from one portal player, former Tulsa linebacker Justin Wright, and the Pokes have offers out to several others.
In addition to all the recruiting that Mike Gundy and his staff are knee-deep in, there’s a bit of number-crunching going on as well.
Based on the current roster, OSU appears set at 56 scholarship players from this year’s team returning next year. That leaves 29 holes to fill to get to the NCAA’s 85-scholarship limit.
With the 14 current commitments — 13 traditional recruits and one from the portal — OSU still could add 15 more players. And if other current players jump in the portal, the number shifts.
While the early signing date is a little over a week away, the portal movement will continue until mid-January for players who want to be enrolled at their new school for the spring semester.
So the clock is ticking on Gundy and Co.
Here’s a look at four areas of need in the Cowboys’ recruiting efforts:
Offensive line
As of now, the Cowboys look to be losing two linemen. Backup center Eli Russ has entered the transfer portal and backup guard Tyrone Webber is taking some time away from football for personal reasons.Starting right guard Hunter Woodard, who missed most of the second half of the season after suffering a concussion, has an additional year of eligibility but has not made a public announcement about his future.
Regardless, the Cowboys need to add numbers, both those who can jump into the two-deep right away and young prospects for the future.
The latter is being addressed with last year’s promising class — headlined by Austin Kaweki, who was listed as a second-string tackle all season, though he redshirted — and the current collection of commitments in the 2023 class.
That includes Stillwater center JaKobe Sanders, Tucson, Arizona, native Jack Endean and Gage Stanaland of Tuscola, Texas.
But the Cowboys still want more immediate help and have offered a few portal players. The top of the list is Kent State’s Savion Washington, a 6-foot-8, 325-pound tackle who is gathering a variety of offers. But he tweeted on Wednesday that he’d be at OSU for an official visit this weekend.
And not to be forgotten is Cole Birmingham, who had emerged as a promising blocker in 2021, but suffered a season-ending injury last spring. His return as a redshirt senior next year brings not only depth but experience.
Defensive line
When the season began, OSU’s starting defensive line was Brock Martin, Tyler Lacy, Brendon Evers and Sione Asi.Three super-seniors who are out of eligibility, and Lacy is off to the NFL.
Backups included Trace Ford, who is in the portal, and another super-senior, Tyren Irby.
Yes, the Cowboys got a huge boost when sophomore standout Collin Oliver announced he’d be sticking around Stillwater. But they still have holes to fill with guys who can fill holes.
With Evers and Asi out, the Cowboys have four scholarship defensive tackles, and that’s assuming Samuela Tuihalamaka sticks around for his additional year of eligibility.
No high school defensive tackles have committed to OSU in this class, but the Pokes are still working. They’ve offered players from the portal and are zeroing in on junior-college prospect Iman Oates from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, who visited Stillwater last week.
Defensive end is less concerning, especially if either Nathan Latu or Ben Kopenski choose to use their extra year of eligibility. Oliver, Kody Walterscheid and Isreal Isuman-Hundley are back. And the three freshmen from last year’s class have all shown promise.
This year’s recruiting class has two defensive line commitments, led by Del City defensive end Jaedon Foreman.
And the Cowboys still have their eyes on more talent. They’re strongly in the mix for Putnam City’s Taje McCoy, a 6-foot-3, 245-pound prospect who is coming down to the wire on his decision.
And the Pokes are still hunting on the portal, with offers out to guys like Tulsa’s Anthony Goodlow, who has also picked up offers from the likes of USC, UCLA, Arizona State and West Virginia. Goodlow was a strong safety/outside linebacker prospect when he came out of Del City in 2018, but now is a 6-foot-4, 286-pound defensive lineman with versatility similar to what Lacy offered this past season.
Quarterback
Four-year starter Spencer Sanders is in the portal, leaving only true freshman Garret Rangel and redshirt freshman Gunnar Gundy behind him. The Cowboys are set to sign Zane Flores from Gretna, Nebraska, in this class, but still are likely to look for added depth in the portal.Nearly 70 quarterbacks have entered the portal since Monday, and more are likely to come, so the Cowboys have options. They haven’t made an offer yet, but that doesn’t mean they won’t.
Running back
The Cowboys are down to four scholarship running backs after leading rusher Dominic Richardson entered the transfer portal and true freshman C.J. Brown left the team.Without a high school prospect currently committed, OSU has sent out a couple portal offers, including Vanderbilt’s Re’Mahn (Ray) Davis, who was fourth in the SEC in rushing this past season with 1,042 yards, averaging 4.5 per carry.
The good news is true freshman standout Ollie Gordon, who broke loose for 136 yards on 17 carries in the regular-season finale against West Virginia, suggested he’s staying at OSU. Jaden Nixon, Deondre Jackson and Zach Middleton, each to varying degrees, were called on in meaningful moments this season.
So the talent isn’t depleted, but the depth could use a boost.
