Morris met with reporters after the opening day. We’ll have plenty of coverage over the coming days from that media scrum, but here are five things that initially stood out.

1. Initial Takeaways from Day 1, Morris Challenges Toughness

The first question Morris fielded on Wednesday was if the first practice went as expected.

“I thought the excitement was there,” Morris said. “I think at some point — this is my eighth year of being a head coach, and it goes back to the same thing. There’s a bunch of anxiety for a lot of people on Day 1. That just seems to happen. Even as much as we get to meet and practice during the summer and go over installs, just the first day you’re out there with your helmet on, it’s happening in real time.”

When the media was first let in on Wednesday morning, I walked down the west sideline of the indoor facility and noticed some puke on the ground. Practice hadn’t even officially started yet. It sounds as if the Oklahoma heat might’ve gotten the better of some of the guys.

“We had some guys that couldn’t finish practice today, so toughness is gonna be a major factor,” Morris said. “I’ve gotta go back and watch the tape and see why that happened. Obviously it’s super hot out here, but we gotta get a lot tougher from this point on before our first game. All of those issues will be addressed. There was some good mixed in there today. I think we had some guys that performed well, came out here and handled like pros, were in shape, but overall I felt that we had too many people that were gasping for wind at the end of practice.”

That led me to asking Morris how you coach toughness.

“Going through hard things, I think, and really seeing how people respond to adverse situations,” Morris said. “It’s tough to do what we’re doing right now with the heat and to come out here mentally and physically put it together for a training camp. Not like the olden days, like the two-a-days, right, but to be able to come out here and be focused in this heat and physically and mentally do it.

“And two, I think it’s a little bit different now. There’s a little bit of an NFL approach to it because these guys are rewarded financially in such a way when they go out and perform, and so much is riding on it for them and their families. So, I think I’ve seen that be a good thing as far as these kids being able to push through because there’s something that they’re gonna be rewarded with on the back end.”

2. Freshmen Receivers Starting to Creep Up the Depth Chart

With all the new faces entering via the transfer portal, there hasn’t been as much discussion about the Cowboys’ freshman class as their might usually be, but Morris name dropped a few rookie receivers who stood out.

“Jabarie Thornton has been a guy that’s a young kid that I think is continuing to improve,” Morris said. “He’s moved kinda from the threes and fours and getting some reps with the ones and twos right now. …

“I’ll tell you the guy that’s surprised me the most of our freshman class that came late is (Dayvon) Standard, that came in from Arizona — 6-3 wide receiver that wouldn’t surprise me if he pushes himself into the rotation.”

Thornton may just be a freshman, but he had an interesting journey to Stillwater. He committed to OSU in April of 2025 and stayed committed up until Mike Gundy’s firing in September. After re-opening his recruitment, he ended up committed to Morris at North Texas, just for Morris to take the OSU job and Thornton follow him over.

Out of La Vega in Waco, Thornton had north of 1,000 receiving yards in his final two seasons of high school ball. He also participated on his high school track team, with MileSplit crediting him with a 22.61 200 meters in 2024 and a 20-8.5 long jump in 2025.

Standard committed to OSU in February, after the early signing period, over offers from Idaho and UMass. He is listed at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds entering his freshman season. He played just six games in his high school senior season at Desert Edge (AZ), where he caught 23 balls for 463 yards and 10 TDs.

3. Justin Bowick Sounding More Freaky By the Quote

Speaking of receivers, I grow more excited to watch Illinois transfer Justin Bowick every time someone talks about him.

In the spring, Chris Barnes put Bowick, listed at 6-foot-5, 209 pounds, on his make-believe 4×100-meter relay team among his teammates. On Wednesday, Morris again pointed to his speed while others might stop at just his height.

“I think Justin Bowick is a guy that has a skillset to play this game for a long time, has the length and speed,” Morris said. “I think he had our fastest timed 10-meter dash this summer at 6-foot-5, so a guy that is looking like a 4.4, 4.3 guy at that size is a guy (I’m) super excited about.”

Bowick is a redshirt senior, having spent time at Eastern Illinois, Ball State and most recently Illinois. He caught 22 passes last season for 265 yards and five touchdowns (which tied for a team lead). His year at Ball State was also impressive, as he caught 20 passes for 383 yards and three touchdowns … in just four games.

4. Morris Bullish on the Returning Malik Charles

Morris didn’t get too good a look at Malik Charles this spring as he recovered from injuries suffered while toughing out the 2025 season at OSU. But it sounds like the more Morris sees Charles, the more he likes.

“Just a physical phenomenon,” Morris said. “I mean, like, his numbers right now at 6-foot-4, 300-plus pounds and how fast he was running, the weights he was moving, what kind of shape he’s in — I mean, we can do so many things with him. He’s big enough to be a presence on the end and athletic enough to do that. And at times in certain packages, we can move him down and get him matched up on guards as a three technique.

“I think the versatility, I didn’t get to see him to anything because of the injury in the spring, but he was probably the most pleasant surprise. And he’s a great kid. He’s super thankful to be here.”

Charles, at one point, fancied himself a basketball player, but his genes took over. He’s the son of Mike Charles, who played defensive line at Syracuse and 101 games in the NFL. Charles took the scenic route to Power Five football, spending time at Western New Mexico (as a tight end), Northern Arizona and West Georgia before joining the Cowboys last season. In his first season at OSU, he played in 11 of 12 games and finished with 28 tackles and three sacks.

5. Oates Returns to Practice

After an offseason of uncertainty, a ruling from a judge meant Iman Oates was able to return to the practice field as he seeks another year of eligibility.

Should he officially get that extra year, Oates will likely play a big role in the middle of the Cowboys’ defense.

Morris on Wednesday praised Oates ability to keep working (alone) this offseason despite the uncertainty.

“Incredible,” Morris said. “He’s somebody that I’d be sitting in my office, and he’d be outside running by himself. He’d have to go lift somewhere else and not being able to do his workouts here. Actually, when we were able to get him back, phenomenal shape. Strength was incredible. Maybe the best shape that I’ve seen here, so a testament to him being committed.

“That’s hard to do when you’re out here without the team and don’t know what your future looks like. First day back, having him break the guys down at the end, the whole team went crazy.”

“We feel good about seven, eight offensive linemen right now, and we need to have continuity,” Morris said. “So after scrimmage one, hopefully we have the O-line set in stone so they can get some continuity.”

Morris had the same deadline in mind following his spring scrimmage so it certainly sounds like Oklahoma State can’t afford to leave this group in flux for too much longer.

The calendar shared with the media includes only interview availability and is not a complete practice schedule. However, most programs scrimmage on Saturdays and get in at least two before the season. Considering Morris has roughly 3.5 weeks until the first week of the season begins, it sounds like the offensive linemen might have two weeks or less to prove they have what it takes.

Here’s a breakdown of where that group sits and the other position groups Morris singled out following Wednesday’s practice.

Offensive line

Morris made a point to mention injured linemen Braydon Nelson and Ashton Lepo as two impactful pieces following the spring game despite their status at the time.

“So those are guys that we think will probably be starting rotation,” Morris said then.

The starting group that day looked like this:

LT — Desmond Magiya (North Texas transfer)
LG — Johnny Dickson III (North Texas)
C — Tyler Mercer (Kansas)
RG — Joseph Hanson (Coastal Carolina)
RT — Jacob Sexton (Oklahoma)

During Wednesday’s practice, the following bunch lined up together during drills:

LT — Ashton Lepo (Michigan State)
LG — Johnny Dickson III
C — Tyler Mercer
RG — Joseph Hanson
RT — Jacob Sexton

It would be surprising to see anyone other than Mercer at center, but the rest of the group still feels a little up in the air. If there are truly six guys competing for the remaining four spots, then that list likely includes the other four starters from the spring scrimmage plus Nelson and Lepo.

It’s worth noting that Nelson was seen working as the starting right tackle early in the spring before he got banged up. At the time, Sexton worked at left tackle.

Those two snapshots suggest a lot of consistency inside, but don’t be surprised if the shuffle continues over the next week or so as Morris works to find the perfect mix.

When asked about guys returning from injury this fall, Morris again highlighted Lepo, though not without some criticism as he gets back up to speed.

“Ashton Lepo is a guy that (is) super athletic,” Morris said. “We got to see a little bit more of his skill set. We just didn’t let him do teams. So I saw him in all indy (individual drills) and what he was able to provide. I mean, you knew the skillset was there. He’s a little out of shape today. … We got to get him in playing shape.”

Lepo started two games last season and 12 in 2024, all at right tackle.

Linebackers

This was the first ongoing position battle Morris mentioned on Wednesday.

“I think linebacker and just the way that we roll those guys in there,” Morris said. “I mean, we got to feel really good about four guys playing right now.”

North Texas transfer Ethan Wesloski remains the safest bet to lead the group in snaps this fall.

“Obviously, we got Wesloski that’s played a ton of football,” Morris said. “He knows this scheme. Feel really confident in him.”

After him, Morris listed, in order, UCLA transfer Isaiah Chisom, Arizona State transfer Tate Romney and Tulane transfer Dallas Winner-Johnson.

Morris singled out both Wesloski and Romney at Big 12 Media Days during his time on the main stage last month. Winner-Johnson is easily the surprise of the group as returning Cowboy Trip White was seen working with both the first and second-string units in the spring. Perhaps White is still in the mix as Morris was speaking top of mind following a rather hot practice to say the least.

Winner-Johnson recorded five total tackles last season while playing in a reserve role for Tulane, but it sounds like he’s made an impression since arriving in Stillwater.

Cornerbacks

Morris spent the least time on Wednesday discussing cornerbacks, but the head coach said that is a spot where guys are still battling.

LaDainian Fields and Texas Tech transfer Mo Horn were often seen in the starting role during spring practices. Marshall made the case for both guys earlier this week.

UNT transfer Kollin Lewis appeared to be in the mix behind them during the spring, so he would appear to be the guy with the best chance at unseating them. It’s difficult to say if another corner has firmly established himself inside the top four at this point.

Slot corner can be a bit of a weird corner-safety hybrid in some systems. It’s unclear if Morris was thinking of his fifth defensive back when he mentioned corners, but it would be somewhat surprising to see anyone besides Christian Bodnar at that spot given his experience in the role at Liberty.

Both Bodnar and Fields also received praise from Morris during Big 12 Media Days seemingly supporting the idea those two have the inside track to a starting gig this fall.

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OSU Bullets

Top 10 Linebackers in College Football Ahead of the 2026 Season🔥 Save 33% on PFF+ Subscription: https://t.co/GKa77x09rq pic.twitter.com/W7tFXK05se

— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 3, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

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— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) August 3, 2026

The Mean Green headed to Kalamazoo for the second game of the 2025 season for what ended up being a game between the American’s No. 2 team and the MAC’s No. 1 team.

North Texas would erase a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and beat Western Michigan 33-30 in overtime before the Mustangs would go on to finish 10-4 (losses to Michigan State, UNT, Illinois and Miami (OH)).

Here are some takeaways I had in my rewatch of North Texas’ 2025 season in preparation for Oklahoma State’s 2026 season.

An Impressive Comeback

The Mean Green trailed 24-10 at one point in this game and 27-17 in the fourth quarter before Drew Mestemaker led scoring drives of 65 and 68 yards to tie it and send it to overtime.

Mestemaker had a touchdown pass to Cameron Dorner in the back of the end zone with about 10 minutes to play that cut Western Michigan’s lead to 27-24. It was another beauty of a ball, not too dissimilar to a TD pass to Wyatt Young in the back of the end zone in UNT’s first game.

The Mustangs sort of crapped down their legs in the overtime period. They ran a wildcat play on their first play of OT but couldn’t handle the snap and had to fall on it for a 5-yard loss. They were doomed to a field-goal attempt after that.

Most of UNT’s overtime yardage came off Western Michigan mishaps, with a Mustang corner getting called for pass interference and an unsportsmanlike conduct within three plays, setting up a Makenzie McGill 3-yard touchdown run to win it.

As noted above, this ended up being a mighty fine win given the context of the rest of the season. Western Michigan started last season 0-3 with this loss sandwiched between losses to Michigan State and a Top 10 Illinois squad, but the Mustangs, for the most part, rolled from then on. Their only loss after the 0-3 start came in late October to Miami (OH), but then WMU got that win back in the MAC title game before thumping Kennesaw State 41-6 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

Time of Possession Might Not Mean a Whole Lot This Year

Western Michigan looked like the Group of Five’s version of Iowa for much of this one, so much so that I had to go check to see if WMU coach Lance Taylor had spent any time at Iowa (he hasn’t).

The first quarter flew by as the Mustangs got the ball first and essentially sat on it for much of the frame. Their opening drive took 6:52 off the clock, and Western Michigan didn’t even score, instead electing to punt from the UNT 32-yard line and pin the Mean Green at the 3-yard line.

In total, Western Michigan had the ball for 14-plus minutes more than UNT — nearly a whole quarter.

That led me to go look at North Texas’ season-long possession numbers. The Mean Green held the ball for 6:37:23 seconds during last season while UNT’s opponents had the ball for 7:22:37. That comes out to about a three-minute difference per game, which is interesting considering UNT won 12 of those games.

Time of possession didn’t matter in the Big 12 in the 2010s when points were in abundance. With Morris, OSU might be getting back to that.

Wyatt Young Is Good at Finding Space, Mestemaker Is Good at Throwing Footballs

Drew Mestemaker and Wyatt Young did the college football world a service by sticking together this year because they seem perfect for each other.

Through two games, Young has shown an innate ability to find openings in a defense, and Mestemaker is so good at throwing the football that no matter where that open grass is, he can usually get it to him.

The biggest example of that from this game came when Mestemaker hit Young for a 23-yard gain in which Young found the hole in a zone coverage. All these defenders around, and it didn’t matter:

The two connected on the game-tying drive at the end of regulation on a little wide receiver screen that Young, a high school quarterback, took 23 yards into the red zone.

Mestemaker finished 18-for-33 for 224 yards, two TDs and no INTs, while Young caught four balls for 59 yards.

Other Notes

• Ethan Wesloski had an outstanding open-field tackle in the first quarter. It looked like he was spying on the play before the QB took off and Wesloski tracked him down halfway across the field for no gain.

Wesloski had another solid performance, finishing with eight tackles and two tackles for loss.

• UNT spent much of the first half of this game pinned in its own half of the field. On one of those instances, Mestemaker made a ridiculous play on third down from his 1-yard line where he tight-roped the back of the end zone (no Dan Orlovsky here) before ripping a ball along the sideline to Christian Dorner for a 19-yard gain.

• Mestemaker is a better runner than he gets credit for. He had 24 rushing yards in this game on five carries, but he was sacked three times, making those already solid numbers look worse than they actually were. He had a big 31-yard gain at one point. Everyone in Stillwater will be yelling “slide!” as he took another decent shot on the end of that run.

• The Western Michigan kicker must’ve had a horseshoe in his pocket. He banged a PAT in off the upright to give WMU a 24-10 lead and then hit the ball off the other upright and in to make it 27-17. Naturally, he hit his 48-yard field goal in OT right down the middle.

• UNT has had a little bit of trouble inside the 5-yard line in these first two games, an issue I’m waiting to be remedied by the emergence of Caleb Hawkins.

• Speaking of one of the top running backs in the transfer portal this offseason, Hawkins played 0 snaps in this game. All the more crazy that he finished as the national leader in TDs.

​“I went on my visit, and the feeling just never left,” Sneed said. “Everybody talks about having that feeling, that that’s that one school, and that’s what I felt even after leaving here and visiting another school in the portal. I still was thinking about Oklahoma State, and ultimately, that just made me know that was my decision, and this was the best fit for me.”

Hardly a unique story, but maybe a bit surprising since Hoyt and her coaching staff spent a meaningful part of said visit pointing out everything Sneed did wrong.

“They also showed me things that I needed to work on and the process of that,” Sneed said. “And I’ve been doing that this summer, and it has been translating. I just know they believe in me, and that’s what’s been helping me tremendously.”

The future of Hoyt’s program in Stillwater, especially in the short term, will likely be decided by wins on the recruiting trail. Fresh off one of, if not the, best portal class in the nation, Hoyt and the Cowgirls face big expectations.

But after hearing Sneed and Audi Crooks, it sounds like Hoyt built that class, and by extension those expectations, by telling some of the nation’s most coveted transfers what was wrong with their games.

“I tell our players every day it’s my job to tell you the truth, and that truth is always going to be out of love,” Hoyt said. “Sometimes it might feel really good, and sometimes it’s gonna feel not so good. But that’s how I coach. That’s who I’m gonna be every single day.

“So I feel like on visits and in the recruiting process, it’s important for me to be honest about that because if they can’t take the feedback, it’s probably not gonna be a good match for me.”

Given the wealth of incoming talent and the well-documented return of Stailee Heard, who went through spring practices all alone, it’s understandable if fans aren’t quite sure who to really pay attention to now when it comes to Cowgirl hoops.

Sneed is probably one of those names worth circling. She earned one of five spots on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team last season after she averaged 6.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. Sneed also paced her team with 107 total assists for an average of three per game.

“She just has an ability to facilitate, and you know, obviously, with the way that we’ve always played, we’ve always been a team that really shares the ball and wants to make the extra pass and make reads and ball screens,” Hoyt said. “And I felt like she fit that really, really well. Where I needed someone in this offseason to really come in and play a big role was defensively, just being that defensive stopper, and I felt like she has the ability to do that, and I’ve seen her really excel in that in this summer.”

Sneed didn’t surprise Hoyt when she emerged as a playmaker at Utah last season. Both On3 and 247Sports ranked her as a top 32 prospect coming out of high school, and ESPN had her even higher as a five-star recruit.

“I loved watching her coming out of high school, and then hated to see her in our league,” Hoyt said.

Sneed said she’s enjoyed the summer in Stillwater. She predicted an amazing season for the Cowgirls this coming year.

But the sophomore knows there is a lot of hard work left between now and then. Sneed said she feels like every aspect of her game has improved over the offseason.

“Your freshman year to your sophomore year is your biggest jump, one of the biggest jumps, and I want that to be expressed in my game,” Sneed said. “And I think the teammates I’m around now, it’s going to make it easier for me as well, so I’m just excited for everybody to see us as a team and see myself grow individually.”

​The preseason poll released on Tuesday had the Cowboys in the others receiving votes category with 22 points, which amounted to an unofficial ranking of 37th. For context, the 25th team, Missouri, received 158 points, though the three teams directly ahead of OSU have them beat by less than 10 points.

Although not exactly something to celebrate, given how the last two years went, any Cowboy fan would likely be ecstatic to see Oklahoma State viewed as a top 40 team.

Oklahoma State last appeared in the coaches poll in week five of 2024 when the Pokes were 20th in the nation. They dropped down into the unofficial 34th spot the next week and completely fell out of the rankings until Tuesday.

Given a Week 2 showdown with No. 2 Oregon, Eric Morris is either going to have to pull off a huge upset in his home debut or wait a bit to get the Pokes back in the poll officially as a top 25 team.

Oklahoma State also travels to No. 24 Houston on Oct. 17 and hosts No. 12 Texas Tech on Nov. 14.

The Cowboys dodge the other two ranked Big 12 teams, No. 15 BYU and No. 21 Utah. Based on the poll results, coaches expect the Cowboys to finish seventh in the Big 12 behind TCU, ranked 28th with 63 points, and Arizona, ranked 31st with 50. The Cowboys also miss those two teams in the regular season.

Preseason Coaches Poll

Wisconsin released its nonconference basketball schedule on Monday, revealing that the Badgers are set to host Oklahoma State on Oct. 27 for an exhibition game.

Last year’s exhibition against Auburn had Cowboy fans foaming at the mouth for the start of the season, when three Pokes scored more than 20 points en route to a 97-95 win for the Cowboys. It wasn’t exactly all up from there, but it did provide some early juice for the fanbase entering the season.

Wisconsin has made the past three NCAA Tournaments and has taken part in 25 NCAA Tournaments since 1999.

Like most college teams (regardless of sport), the Badgers have had some turnover in their roster this offseason, but they do return Nolan Winter — a 7-footer who averaged 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds a game last season. Austin Rapp also returns after scoring 9.7 points a game last season while shooting 36% from 3.

Among Wisconsin’s portal additions are Eian Elmer and Trey Autry. Elmer averaged 12.7 points a game at Miami (OH) last season while hitting 43% of his 3-point attempts. Autry averaged 11 at George Washington while shooting 39% from 3.

That pails in comparison to the roster turnover the Cowboys experienced this offseason, as Steve Lutz has just four players left over from last season’s team. But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. 247Sports ranks OSU’s portal class 25th nationally, while On3 has the Pokes’ class sitting 14th.

OSU hasn’t officially announced its full noncon slate yet, but Field of 68 contributor Rocco Miller says it’ll look like the following:

Nov. 2 vs Incarnate Word
Nov. 6 vs Queens
Nov. 12 at Texas A&M
Nov. 16 vs Central Arkansas
Nov. 20 in Charleston, South Carolina vs Virginia Tech OR Minnesota
Nov. 22 in Charleston, South Carolina vs Virginia Tech OR Minnesota
Nov. 25 vs Jackson State
Nov. 29 vs Tennessee State
Dec. 2 vs Grand Canyon
Dec. 5 vs Saint Mary’s
Dec. 12 in OKC vs Oklahoma
Dec. 16 vs Oral Roberts
Dec. 20 in OKC vs Northwestern
Dec. 29 vs Houston Christian

Moreso than the Cowboys’ offense, there’s a veil of mystery around the Pokes’ defense.

Talking heads, for the most part, feel good about the Cowboys’ offense because Maxwell watchlisters Drew Mestemaker and Caleb Hawkins will be standing in the backfield. Although the defense might not hold that level of star power, it has some nice pieces that produce a good group in 2026.

So, just as we did for the offense yesterday, let’s take a stab at predicting what the Cowboys’ defense will look like on this first day of fall camp for the Pokes. There were times last season when Skyler Cassity’s UNT defense would have three safeties and two linebackers and there were others where the Mean Green would have three linebackers and two safeties. So, I’m including three first-stringers in both of those sections.

Defensive End

DE1s: Jaleel Johnson (R-Sr., 6-4, 270), James Williams (R-Sr., 6-5, 256)
Second string: Malik Charles (R-Sr., 6-3, 284), Billy Walton III (R-So., 6-3, 253)

This has been the defensive group Eric Morris has been most bullish of this offseason, and it’s easy to see why with all the depth. I could’ve kept going and included guys like DeSean Brown, North Texas transfer Keviyan Huddleston and Troy transfer DJ Jackson.

It sounds as if Jaleel Johnson is in for a big year, with Morris tabbing him as the “most disruptive” defender of the spring.

Then I went with James Williams as his counterpart as the guy with the most Power Five experience in the room, having played at Nebraska and Florida State.

Despite things not going great on the scoreboard, Malik Charles had an impressive first year at the Division-I level last season after transferring from West Georgia. Battling through injuries, Charles took part in 11 of OSU’s games and recorded three sacks.

Billy Walton was a highly touted prospect a few years ago, redshirting at Texas before spending the past two seasons at SMU.

Defensive Tackle

DT1s: Braylon Rigsby (R-Jr., 6-3, 283), Jerry Lawson (Sr., 6-1, 312)
Second string: Fatafehi Vailea II (R-Sr., 6-1, 307), Saadiq Clements (R-Jr., 6-4, 310)

Braylon Rigsby garnered some shoutouts from his teammates at Big 12 Media Days last month, which is big for a team that was thought to be a little light on the defensive interior.

Rigsby comes to OSU from Texas Tech, taking part in 26 games across the past two seasons where he finished with 24 tackles and three tackles for loss.

A potential X factor in this group is North Texas transfer Fatafehi Vailea II. From 2022 to 2024, Vailea had 103 total tackles, six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He then started the first four games of UNT’s 2025 season but missed the rest of the year with injury. If he’s back to full strength and can handle the jump up in a level, it would be a big boon for the Pokes.

I’d also note that Iman Oates is still off OSU’s roster. Should he be able to play following his quest for eligibility, he’d certainly factor in here.

Linebacker

LB1s: Ethan Wesloski (R-Sr., 6-1, 234), Tate Romney (R-Sr., 6-1, 223), Isaiah Chisom (R-Jr., 6-0, 234)
Second string: Trip White (R-Sr., 6-3, 234), Jack Puckett (R-Sr., 6-0, 234), Carl’veon Young (R-Fr., 6-4, 240)

Ethan Wesloski has, thus far, been the posterboy of the Cowboys’ defense, and for good reason. He had 113 tackles at North Texas task season to go with nine tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery TD.

Tate Romney was in the group of defenders Morris shouted out at Big 12 Media Days. He made 70 tackles across 29 games at Arizona State.

Chisom finished with 84 tackles in the Big Ten last season at UCLA, so that first group looks relatively stout.

When thinking potential X factors, I’d lead redshirt freshman Carl’veon Young. He was a four-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class who played in the final four games of OSU’s season last year. He brings something different from a size perspective to that room.

Cornerback

CB1s: LaDainian Fields (R-So., 6-1, 176), Mo Horn (R-Sr., 5-11, 183)
Second string: Kollin Lewis (R-Jr., 5-10, 188), Kobi Foreman (So., 5-10, 175)

LaDainian Fields started getting some run midway through last season, and he was one of a few bright spots in that rough season. He finished in the Top 15 in PFF coverage grades among Big 12 corners, as he was targeted 13 times and gave up just two catches (while making two interceptions).

Mo Horn was a four-star prospect in the 2022 class out of Broken Arrow. He’s spent the past four seasons at Texas Tech and was a regular starter for the Red Raiders in 2024.

Kollin Lewis made two starts in the past two seasons at North Texas, playing in 23 games total.

A returner, Kobi Foreman didn’t redshirt last season, but with the new five-for-five rule, he still has four years of eligibility remaining. He’s also a problem in the return game, gaining 114 yards on nine kick returns last season.

Safety

S1s: Quinton Hammonds (Jr., 6-1, 206), Christian Bodnar (R-Jr., 6-0, 188), Mose Phillips III (Sr., 6-2, 196)
Second string: Evan Jackson (Sr., 5-11, 188), Vincent Holmes (R-Jr., 6-2, 175), Cameron Epps (R-Sr., 6-2, 207)

In the little bit I’ve gotten to watch on each of the 80+ guys the Cowboys have brought in, Christian Bodnar, a Liberty transfer, stood out. He brings a level of physicality to the safety position that should help the Cowboys in that nickel spot this season.

Quinton Hammonds was North Texas’ fifth-highest graded defender as a sophomore last season, per PFF. He took home a Bronco Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week honor after picking off two passes against Navy.

I’ll give the potential X factor of this group to returner Cameron Epps. Epps was an honorable mention for Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2023, starting 10 games on a team that made the Big 12 title game, but he hasn’t played a ton since.

OSU Bullets

• Fall camp starts today for Eric Morris’ squad in Stillwater – Go Pokes.

Tomorrow it’s officially football season🏈#GoPokes | #okstate pic.twitter.com/QqCafr5hMe

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) August 3, 2026

• Drew Mestemaker and Caleb Hawkins were named to the Maxwell Award watchlist (OKState.com)

•  The Oklahoman looked at fall camp storylines, and one of them focused on what may be the biggest hole on the defense: defensive tackle.

The talent on the edges will help. (Ethan) Wesloski and the linebackers are expected to be strong. The secondary has some questions but talent. But is it enough to avoid a shootout each week? [NewsOK]

• Rewatching 2025 North Texas football games to learn about the team (PFB)

• What a beautiful sight.

𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 📍 Stillwater, OK#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/ErHO6owzXo

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) August 1, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Most misspelled word in every state – Oklahoma’s is perfectly reasonable

• Solid explanation here on the Save College Sports Act

Oklahoma State’s season is just over a month away, but in the leadup to watching this new-look Cowboy squad, I’ve decided to go back and watch all of North Texas’ games from last season and provide some takeaways.

We’ll start with the Mean Green’s season opener from last season — a 51-0 beat down against Lamar.

Mestemaker Has Zip

Remember when just about any time a TV broadcast would mention Lindy Waters, that broadcast would also note how he was high school teammates with Trae Young?

Well, I have a feeling we’ll be hearing the story about how Drew Mestemaker didn’t play high school quarterback quite a bit this year. It’s an incredible story, so I get it. But just be prepared to hear that a lot this year. The first of such instances in this game came with about eight minutes left in the first quarter, and it wasn’t the only time it was mentioned.

Mestemaker was fantastic in his first regular season start, completing 75% of his 32 attempts for 329 yards, three touchdowns and no picks.

The first throw of his season was plenty impressive, as Mestemaker fit the ball into a tight window to Miles Coleman (also now at OSU). He started throwing the pass when Coleman was behind a defender and had another trailing him, but the ball had so much zip that the Lamar defenders didn’t have a chance.

He was making those types of throws all game, whether it be fitting a ball between the linebacker and secondary for Wyatt Young to score off in the second half or one of about five quick fades that he’d drop right in a bucket. PFF credited Mestemaker with five “Big Time Throws,” the most he’d make in a game this season.

His release is so quick that once he sees a guy breaking open, it’s only a matter of seconds before that ball is right on the receiver.

What OSU fans probably don’t want to see this year is Mestemaker trying to flick the truck stick on two defenders at once like he did on his first scramble of the season.

Hawkins’ Humble Beginnings

When people all across the country discuss OSU football players this year, the second name off their tongue is almost always Caleb Hawkins (behind Mestemaker). That wasn’t the case when discussing UNT players entering last season.

The soon-to-be national leader in touchdowns scored was the fourth running back off the bench in this season opener against Lamar. The broadcast’s pregame spent time discussing Makenzie McGill, who ends up finishing second on the team in rushing yards, some 1,045 yards behind Hawkins.

The North Rock Creek alum finally entered with less than four minutes left in the first half. Given hindsight, I almost expected a sitcom-esque live studio audience to let out a cheer as he entered frame.

This wasn’t a taste of what was to come but rather Hawkins’ humble beginnings. He finished having carried five times for 18 yards while also catching a screen pass and turning it into nine yards.

Wyatt Young Is a Madman

New OSU receiver Wyatt Young had just four catches in this season opener and still had 97 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

One place I didn’t expect to see Young was blocking a punt, but he managed that, too, getting his fingertips to one in the first half. What other All-American receiver did that last season?

His first TD came on a 5-yard pass from Mestemaker, who ripped that ball into a tight window in the back of the end zone.

Young’s second TD was remarkable, as he managed to make three guys miss en route to a 32-yard score. He scored on this play:

Young was seemingly always open and was just as deadly with the ball in his hands as he was running routes.

Other Notes

• Young and Mestemaker nearly connected on big touchdown on the first drive when Mestemaker hit Young on a corner route for a 46-yard gain down inside the 5-yard line. Mestemaker would pull a zone read and score a few plays later.

• After the first touchdown, the Mean Green attempted a swinging gate point after attempt. It didn’t work, but I love the aggressiveness no matter the competition.

• Ethan Wesloski probably deserved his own little section because he, too, was everywhere, finishing with seven tackles, two tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks and a strip-and-score in the end zone.

There was one point early where Lamar tried for some trickeration with a wide receiver pass, but Wesloski didn’t fall for it, guiding the receiver out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage.

• Wesloski’s touchdown came in another moment of aggression from Morris and Co.

Already up 30-0, Morris called a timeout when Lamar had a 2nd-and-20 from their 12-yard line with 40 seconds to play. Most might’ve just let the clock run out, but Morris took a timeout. Two plays later, Wesloski was in the backfield, striping the quarterback and then falling on the ball in the end zone to make it 37-0 going into the half.

• Let’s stick with that halftime score. Did you know OSU never reached 30 points in a game all season? UNT had 37 in their first half of the season.

• More Morris aggression: he isn’t afraid to go for it on fourth down.

UNT was 1-for-2 on fourth downs in this one, which led me to look at where they were in the stat on the year. North Texas went for it on fourth down 36 times last season, which ranked sixth nationally. On top of that, UNT converted 72.2% of those attempts, which was good for seventh nationally.

• Mile Coleman is fearless and a lot of fun. He had five catches for 52 yards in this one and was not afraid to stick his nose in there to field a punt.

• It was 51-0 with 8:41 to play in the third quarter. This thing could’ve been a lot worse.

• Skyler Cassity’s defense finished having given up just 119 yards of total offense on 54 plays.

• It’s also important to note that while Lamar is an FCS team, it wasn’t a terrible one. Lamar finished the 2025 season at 8-5 and made the playoffs.

Oklahoma State opens its fall camp this week, the first time since 2004 that a coach other than Mike Gundy has held a fall camp in Stillwater.

Ahead of the action, here’s a prediction of what OSU’s offensive depth chart might look like. We’ll take a stab at the defensive side of things tomorrow.

DEFENSE

Quarterback

QB1: Drew Mestemaker (R-So., 6-3, 215)
QB2: Broderick Vehrs (Fr., 5-11, 205) OR Grant Jordan (R-Sr., 6-2, 217)

QB1 is about as big a layup as it gets, but I’m interested in what’s happening behind him.

Vehrs is a true freshman and Jordan is a redshirt senior (having previously been at Yale and UMass).

Neither of these guys will supplant a healthy Mestemaker. If QB1 were to get banged up at some point this year, I think it’d make sense to go with the experience of Jordan, but if the Cowboys are up 35 in the fourth quarter against Tulsa in a few weeks, I think it’d make sense to develop your potential future in Vehrs.

All we really have on either potential backup is what they did in the spring game:

Jordan: 4-for-8 for 57 yards
Vehrs: 7-for-7 for 70 yards

I’m not willing to declare a winner after watching 15 total passes thrown, but Morris did have some kind words about his freshman after the spring game.

“I think Brodie’s done a really nice job just thinking the kid should still be in high school right now,” Morris said. “Probably has the strongest arm on our team, he can really whip it. Didn’t get a bunch of great opportunities today to really showcase that, but really happy with what those guys are. Coach [Sean] Brophy does such a good job at developing those guys. But I’m happy with where our backup progression is right now.”

Running Back

RB1: Caleb Hawkins (So., 6-0, 219)
RB2: Tre Page (R-So., 5-8, 184) OR Ayo Adeyi (R-Sr., 5-7, 194) OR KD Jones (Fr., 5-11, 186)

Again, the starter is a layup, let’s talk depth.

The internet was made more aware of Page a few weeks back when PFF released a graphic showing him as the fourth-highest graded running back in the Big 12 (Hawkins was No. 1). A redshirt sophomore, Page has spent the past two seasons at Tarleton State, finishing last season with 839 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in nine games.

Highest Graded Returning Big 12 Running Backs🔥 pic.twitter.com/12XILKvsNh

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 24, 2026

Adeyi has experience with Eric Morris and running backs coach Patrick Cobbs, as Adeyi was at North Texas from 2021 to 2023 (Morris’ first year). He was the Mean Green’s leading rusher in Morris’ first season at UNT, running for 1,017 yards and six touchdowns before transferring to James Madison, where he totaled 160 yards across eight games the past two seasons.

Lastly, with the five-for-five rule, there is no redshirting. That means if Jenks product KD Jones is ready, he’ll play. Jones was a highly touted back coming out of Jenks, probably garnering more high school recruiting interest than the rest of the room combined.

Morris was asked about Jones’ potential role at Big 12 Media Days last month.

“He’s the guy that is gonna add special teams value right now,” Morris said. “He’s gotten better and better where I think, you know, with end of the end of fall camp, he could push for some playing time this year. I think physically, he’s getting better, you know, as far just his body getting bigger and stronger and be able to withstand the hits that he’s going to have to take at this level. And so I could definitely see him getting some reps this year.”

Wide Receiver

WR1s: Wyatt Young (Jr., 6-0, 199), Chris Barnes (R-So., 5-7, 169), Justin Bowick (R-Sr., 6-5, 209)
WR2s: Miles Coleman (Jr., 5-6, 158), Israel Polk (R-Jr., 6-2, 177), Rodney Harris (R-Sr., 6-1, 207)

Since there are already six listed guys, I tried my best to not dish out any ORs here, but know that if I could, I probably would’ve also included guys like Terrence Lewis and Jani Weir to that second group.

I haven’t been this excited about a group of OSU receivers since maybe that 2017 room that had like five pros in it.

Young is, deservedly, the guy everyone is talking about entering the year after finishing third in the country last season with 1,264 receiving yards. That came from the same quarterback and play-caller Young will be with this season.

After watching tiny bits of spring ball and the spring game, the guy I’m most excited to watch is the speedy Chris Barnes. Barnes hasn’t exactly broken out on the national scene quite yet, but he had a nice redshirt freshman season at Wake Forest, catching 39 passes for 547 yards and three touchdowns. He also totaled 143 rushing yards and housed a kick return.

Illinois had a solid 2025 season, finishing 9-4, and Bowick tied for a team lead in receiving touchdowns with five to go with his 22 catches for 265 yards. He has speed, but what stands out about him in this room is his height at 6-foot-5. He’s one of two receivers on OSU’s roster listed taller that 6-foot-2.

Tight End

TE1: Donovan Green (R-Sr., 6-3, 238)
TE2: Oscar Hammond (R-Sr., 6-3, 243) OR Carson Kolb (R-So., 6-4, 243)

If high school recruiting stars are the judge, Donovan Green is the most talented tight end the Cowboys have had in some time. He was a Top 5 tight end in the 2022 recruiting class before spending three seasons at Texas A&M and last year at LSU.

His best college season to this point was his true freshman campaign when Green caught 22 passes for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He then had a knee injury in fall camp ahead of the 2023 season that kept him out all of that year before he returned to play eight games as an Aggie in 2024. He played in 13 games for LSU this past season but had only two catches.

Hammond is another guy with experience in Morris’ system. A lot of the talk this offseason has been about all the North Texas players following Morris up from Denton, but Morris actually followed Hammond. After two seasons at UCO, Hammond made the jump up to the Division-I level at UNT in 2024, playing in 10 games and making six starts where he caught 19 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown. He then transferred to OSU ahead of last season, but an injury kept him out the whole year before his UNT brethren made their voyage up I-35.

There wasn’t a guy I looked up on the roster more in the spring than No. 44: Carson Kolb. At 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Kolb certainly looks the part out there. He comes to Stillwater from Oregon State. He doesn’t have a college catch to his name yet.

Offensive Line

LT1: Jacob Sexton (R-Sr., 6-6, 328)
LG1: Braydon Nelson (Jr., 6-4, 327)
C1: Tyler Mercer (R-So., 6-4, 300)
RG1: Johnny Dickson III (R-Sr., 6-2, 317)
RT1: Ashton Lepo (R-Sr., 6-7, 320)

LT2: Joseph Hanson (Sr., 6-4, 302)
LG2: Desmond Magiya (R-Jr., 6-4, 333)
C2: Jakobe Sanders (R-Jr. 6-2, 327)
RG2: Louie Canepa (R-Sr., 6-3, 299)
RT2: Shaun Torgeson (R-So., 6-4, 302)

Some of these guys were banged up in the spring, and they were seemingly all moving around testing out different positions. All that is to say, I’m quite unsure where these guys are going to line up.

What I do feel fairly confident in is that Tyler Mercer, a Kansas transfer who previously played at UNT, will start at center, and some combination of these five guys will likely be around him in some order: Sexton, Nelson, Dickson, Lepo and Hanson. Whomever the odd man out is in that scenario, I’d expect him to be the first guy off the bench no matter the position (outside of maybe center).

Although I’m not entirely sure where this group is going to lineup, I’ve grown more bullish on the position group as a whole. Nelson, Dickson and Mercer have experience under Morris, while Sexton and Lepo have Power Five starting experience. Then Hanson was an All-Sun Belt selection at Coastal.

Even a younger guy like Torgeson has compiled a decent amount of experience at this point, having started all of Portland State’s (FCS) games at left tackle last season.

The official watchlist for the Maxwell Award, given to the best college football player in the nation, was released on Monday, and those two Cowboys earned a spot.

This probably won’t be the last award watchlist these guys land on, as this is just a continuation of what has been a very spotlight-heavy offseason for those two guys.

At Big 12 Media Days, linebacker Ethan Wesloski laughed when he saw Mestemaker and Hawkins surrounded by an army of cameras while he had maybe one pointed his way.

“It’s one of those things where they’ve deserved everything they’ve gotten, though,” Wesloski said. “So, I mean, it’s kind of their fault, right? They played too good to a degree.”

The full list includes 81 players, and Oklahoma State is one of only 14 programs in the nation with exactly two representatives while Miami and Ohio State lead the way with three each.

BYU (QB Bear Bachmeier and RB LJ Martin), Kansas State (QB Avery Johnson and RB Joe Jackson) and Utah (QB Devon Dampier and RB Wayshawn Parker) were the only other Big 12 programs to place two guys on the list.

After two years of not writing about a lot of winning, we here at PFB are excited at the prospect of some renewed energy reverberating around Boone Pickens Stadium this fall. But before a ball soars through the Oklahoma sky as fans jingle their keys in the air, let’s talk a bit of business.

I always feel awkward about this type of stuff (probably because I was a sports media major and not a business major), but nonetheless, funds are important. So, here are some ways you can help support what we’re doing this upcoming school year.

What We Do

There is a lot of good Oklahoma State coverage out there on this beat. So, I don’t want this to come out as putting anyone else down. A lot of people do a lot of great work getting your Cowboy news to you, and you should support as many of them as you can.

But here’s our angle of covering the Cowboys: we try to be everywhere.

Of course that means football, where we’ll again bring coverage of OSU as the Pokes traverse Morris’ first season. Two of us will be at each Morris luncheon and at every player availability we can. We’ll have all sorts of game coverage following each contest, and on a given week in football season, we’ll produce four podcasts (two via the Pistols Firing Pod and two via the Reload).

Past that, we’re at every home basketball game and even some on the road. We’re at every Steve Lutz media availability.

We’re at every David Taylor availability and every home Cowboy wrestling dual. I’ve become a bit of a wrestling sicko since Taylor took over, and I’d argue no one has written more OSU wrestling over the past five or so years than PFB.

Women’s basketball and the excitement Hoyt is bringing to GIA this year? We’re there. OSU Softball’s journey to get back to the Women’s College World Series? We’re there. Admittedly we were at less baseball this past season than we usually are (had some scheduling conflicts), but we’re still keeping ourselves, and you, up to date on the diamond.

We have two reporters (and a photographer) based in Stillwater working our tails off to get you OSU coverage. In terms of sheer content, I don’t think there’s a better place to get your news from than PFB.

We pride ourselves on hard work and showing up, and if that’s something you’re able to support, we’d greatly appreciate it.

Subscribe to PFB+ (Giveaway!!)

A major way you can help support what we do is through subscribing to PFB+.

The big benefit of PFB+ is access to our premium forum (here), a place with like-minded OSU fans talking year round about their favorite team. I’m readily available in there. If there’s ever a question you have, @ me in a thread or shoot me a direct message and I’ll get back to you. We recently had a lot of fun in there watching OSU basketball’s games in Puerto Rico in there, a place full of OSU sickos.

As part of this new era, we’re running a sale on yearly subscriptions for $50 (click here for the yearly sale), which I believe is the cheapest we’ve ever had a yearly subscription. Don’t want to commit long term? You can also get a monthly sub for $8 (available here), a price that hasn’t changed at least since I’ve taken over the site about six years ago.

And for an extra bit of fun, we’ll do a giveaway with three winners. All you have to do is get a subscription and vote on a poll in our premium forum as to how many games you think OSU will win this season (POLL HERE). You don’t even have to be right, as we’ll announce the winner of the giveaways at the end of the month. One winner will get a $50 gift card to Chris’ University Spirit. The others will win some PFB merch. Good luck!

Advertise with PFB

Own a business or know someone who does? One of the best ways to support what we do is advertising your business with us.

We’re currently looking for advertisements for the following pieces of content. If it’s something you or your business would be interested in, shoot me an email at pistolsfiringblog@gmail.com and we can discuss pricing and reach.

10 Thoughts: After each football game, I list 10 things that stood out most to me about the Cowboys’ game, whether that be a notable moment, an eye-popping stat or what that result means for the rest of the Cowboys’ season. This is almost always our most-read article of each week, and we can plug your business at the top of the story as well as place your company logo on the article’s photo.

The Pistols Firing Podcast: Carson and Colby have hit their stride with these, and it’s a must-listen for OSU fans (I might be slightly biased). The guys usually go twice a week during football season and once a week outside of football, sharing thoughts and insights on all that’s happening at OSU. The guys can do a read about your company in each pod.

Daily Bullets: This, to me, is the most underrated sponsorship opportunity we have available. Steven Mandeville handles bullets Monday through Saturday, and Kyle Cox takes the Sunday shift. It’s a daily recap on OSU news that gets posted here on the site and is shared with more than 1,000 people each morning. The sponsorship would again be at the top of each edition of Daily Bullets with your company’s logo on the photo.

The Reload: We’re a smaller podcast (which means cheaper advertising), but we’re full of heart. I started this last football season (not an ideal season to start a podcast about) alongside former OSU walk-ons Justin Southwell and Nathan Gilsleider. We record twice a week during football season and once a week outside of it.

Keep Reading/Listening

We get it, money is tight. If you’re unable to contribute to the cause monetarily, we hope you continue reading and listening (and sharing with others!) as we try to keep as much of our coverage as possible free in this world of paywalls.

It’s been one of the great joys of my life to follow around various OSU teams, a true dream come true for a kid who had the walls of his high school bedroom painted bright orange. Let’s have another fun year.

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OSU Bullets

• OKC Dave’s annual Cowboy fan survey is out, weigh in when you have a minute – fascinated to quantify the Eric Morris effect on fans (PFB)

• ICYMI – a Colorado judge made a ruling that could impact Parsa Fallah and other OSU athletes (247 Sports)

• In a “dream Big 12 road trip”, this crew has two games featuring the Pokes, OSU vs. Tech in Stillwater, and then hitting the road for a Halloween game in Ames, Iowa: 

It’s an old-school Big 12 matchup between these two (teams), and being in Ames on Halloween just seems like a fun time in general. The Cyclones might be out of the mix by then, but the Pokes could be surprising some folks… [HCS] 

• Drew Mestemaker – honorable mention as one of the most evasive quarterbacks in college football (CBS Sports)

•  High likelihood of fireworks this fall in Stillwater:

Most explosive offenses in CFB 2021-2025, per @PFF_College and @DaireCarragher

1. Ole Miss
2. Oregon
3. Georgia
4. North Texas
5. Ohio State

Notice anything? pic.twitter.com/dZXU3oidra

— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) July 30, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• What’s cheaper for weekly groceries – Costco or Trader Joe’s?

• This felt low – 91 percent of new parents experienced significant conflict in the baby’s first year  

Hudson’s survey is live now (click here) and will be for the next few weeks.

For the uninitiated, the survey asks for your confidence level for each of Oklahoma State’s games as well as your favorite players and which players you expect to have a breakout year. The survey also gets into approval ratings for various OSU coaches and figureheads and what you think about the future of OSU’s different sports.

With the Eric Morris Era getting rolling, Dave also poses questions about your patience level for the turnaround, what constitutes as success in 2026 and more.

Of late, the fanbase has been more optimistic than what the past few seasons have entailed. But what fanbase is going to predict its team to go 1-11? Last season, the fans predicted 6.4 regular season wins, which obviously didn’t happen. In fact, that fanbase gave OSU just a 0.1% chance of finishing with just one win. Perhaps the most painful thing looking back now, the 54% of the fanbase predicted Hauss Hejny would play more snaps than Zane Flores last season. We all know how that went.

So, be sure to take Dave’s 2026 survey today as we prep ourselves for another fall.

OSU Bullets

• The Cowboys kick off training camp on Tuesday. Before you know it, football will be here. 

• @Grok replace the green in this video with orange. 

If life allows it I’ll be watching every single Drew Mestemaker throw this season

You wouldn’t miss your favorite TV show, right? pic.twitter.com/ud5jMRRz5M

— Liam Blutman (@Blutman27) August 1, 2026

Give me more…

If he declares, I think Oklahoma State Quarterback Drew Mestemaker has the opportunity to be QB1 in the 2027 NFL Draft Class

If he declares after another strong season (now against better competition) where would you rank him in the class?
pic.twitter.com/IMNgb6OlWw

— The Draft Hub (@TheNFLDraftHub) July 31, 2026

• Speaking of more: How a Colorado judge’s ruling might impact some Pokes that we thought had exhausted their eligibility. [GoPokes]

• On former four-star recruit and Washington transfer Vincent Holmes and an opportunity that starts this week. 

After three years of college football Holmes needed a fresh start. He’ll get it with a brand-new coaching staff in Stillwater where nearly every position is in competition going into fall camp. [SI.com]

• Chuba breaking down film. 

Chuba Hubbard breaks down the complexity of the Panthers rushing attack🧠⬇️

Full video available 7/28 on my YouTube! pic.twitter.com/35tgbsnahy

— Film Watchers (@Filmwatchers1) July 27, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Scientists have found a potential way to test for CTE while someone is alive. [ScienceNews]

• Maybe they should try it on this guy.

Will pay any nfl player $1 million dollars if you can box me better than I run routes against you

Internet is judge

Will send my jet to pick you up who’s down?

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) August 1, 2026

Three Thoughts

• It’s hard to imagine being a blueblood in college football – but looking at college golf, OSU having the top amateur in college golf in Preston Stout and the top amateur with Oklahoma ties in Collin Bond is what a blueblood looks like (OKState.com)

• Peeking ahead to baseball season, where the Cowboys lose serious offense in Aidan Meola, Collin Bruggeman, and Alex Conover – the argument appears to be strength in numbers to replace them as the roster settles in. 

The offense may be deeper even if it isn’t as top-heavy. [O’Colly]

• Nine months ago, OSU had one of the worst offenses in college football. It’s fun to read lines like the below with that experience close by in the rear view: 

The Cowboys have the best collection of skill talent in the Big 12. Drew Mestemaker is a legitimate first-round talent. Caleb Hawkins was the best running back in the G-5 last year for North Texas. At receiver the Cowboys have one of the deepest rooms in the country with Wyatt Young, Chris Barnes, Israel Polk, Justin Bowick and Miles Coleman. Are there some questions about the o-line? A few.

But Eric Morris’ offenses come with an incredibly high floors, and it’s hard for that combination of skill talent not to produce, especially in a league like the Big 12 where the defensive lines aren’t overwhelming.  [CBS Sports]

Two Quotes

• It’s not a bad thing if Eric Morris is uber-successful and leaves in five years. 

And (if Eric Morris wins a lot) at OSU that’s a good thing. It means success has returned to Stillwater. [TulsaWorld]

• Updated odds on the Pokes’ first two games:

Live Vegas Betting Odds Oklahoma State.

Week 1: OSU (-13.5) @ Tulsa
Week 2: Oregon @ OSU (-18.5) pic.twitter.com/Zsh0iAoFUm

— OKSTProbs (@OKSTProbs) July 31, 2026

One Question

• Berry Tramel has Drew Mestemaker as a top-three quarterback in the Big 12 – does that generally lead to a finish in the top half of the league?

Most explosive offenses in CFB 2021-2025, per @PFF_College and @DaireCarragher

1. Ole Miss
2. Oregon
3. Georgia
4. North Texas
5. Ohio State

Notice anything? pic.twitter.com/dZXU3oidra

— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) July 30, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Medicocrity at scale

• Fascinating look into the political dynamics around the most recent college sports legislation

With the calendar about to flip to August, I thought it a good time to do a bit of a refresher on the Cowboys’ 2027 class to this point before football starts going. Here’s a quick look at all 11 guys committed to be Cowboys.

Israel Hammons

Position: Linebacker
High School: Choctaw (Oklahoma)
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 230 pounds
247Sports Ranking: 4⭐, No. 160 nationally
Rivals Ranking: 4⭐, No. 163 nationally
ESPN Ranking: 4⭐, No. 271 nationally
Highlights:

All of the recruiting services consider Hammons the top guy in the Cowboys’ class, and it’s easy to see why with his blend of size and physicality. North Texas (under Eric Morris) was actually Hammons’ first college offer, coming in January of 2025, but by the time he committed to the Cowboys, there was plenty of competition with the likes of Texas, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Auburn, Missouri and others also after Hammons’ services.

Carson White

Position: Quarterback
High School: Hightower (Texas)
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 205 pounds
247Sports Ranking: 3⭐
Rivals Ranking: 3⭐
ESPN Ranking: 3⭐
Highlights:

The Cowboys survived a late push from Georgia to keep White in the class a few months ago, and now we’ll see if there are any other major programs that try to swoop him away in the dash to signing day. White is a multisport prospect, also excelling on the baseball diamond. After throwing for 1,963 yards and 32 touchdowns last season at Iowa Colony High School, White is making the move to Hightower for his senior season, where his father will be the offensive coordinator.

TJ Lewis

Position: Running Back
High School: Bolingbrook (IL)
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 225 pounds
247Sports Ranking: 3⭐
Rivals Ranking: 3⭐
ESPN Ranking: 3⭐
Highlights:

With those measurables, size shouldn’t be an issue for Lewis at the next level. He was a First Team All-State selection as a junior, finishing with 1,808 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns.

Chayce Davis

Position: Safety
High School: Euless Trinity (TX)
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 173 pounds
247Sports Ranking: 3⭐
Rivals Ranking: 3⭐
ESPN Ranking: 3⭐
Highlights:

From the same high school that produced Ollie Gordon, Davis brings track athleticism with him to Stillwater, as he has recorded a 10.59 100-meter dash to go with a 6-foot-6 high jump.

Talan Scott

Position: Tight End
High School: American Leadership Academy (AZ)
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 225 pounds
247Sports Ranking: 3⭐
Rivals Ranking: 3⭐
ESPN Ranking: 3⭐
Highlights:

Scott stars on both sides of the ball in Arizona. As a tight end, he caught 45 passes for 468 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior, and as an outside linebacker, he made 44 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He chose the Cowboys over offers from SMU, Stanford, Utah, Auburn and others.

Sonny Mullen

Position: Offensive Line
High School: Troy (TX)
Height: 6-foot-7
Weight: 284 pounds
247Sports Ranking: 3⭐
Rivals Ranking: 3⭐
ESPN Ranking: 3⭐
Highlights:

Mullen certainly has the frame to develop into a quality Power Five lineman. He chose OSU over offers from Houston, TCU, Baylor, Kansas State and others.

Ake O’Neal

Position: Wide Receiver
High School: Argyle (TX)
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 195 pounds
247Sports Ranking: 3⭐
Rivals Ranking: 3⭐
ESPN Ranking: 3⭐
Highlights:

O’Neal has a nice blend of size and speed at 6-foot-3 with a 11.4 100-meter dash. O’Neal chose OSU over Utah, Duke, Texas Tech, Wisconsin and others.

Jake Baker

Position: Offensive Line
High School: Ensworth (TN)
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 290 pounds
247Sports Ranking: 3⭐
Rivals Ranking: 3⭐
ESPN Ranking: 3⭐
Highlights:

Baker is a relatively under-the-radar guy. He committed to OSU in June over offers from Tulsa, Memphis, East Carolina, UConn and others.

Cooper Hooker

Position: Wide Receiver 
High School: Pryor (OK)
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 165 pounds
247Sports Ranking: 3⭐
Rivals Ranking: 3⭐
ESPN Ranking: 3⭐
Highlights:

A smalltown, undersized receiver is someone after Morris’ own heart. Hooker is moving up divisions for his senior season of high school ball, going from 2A Salina up to 5A Pryor. He caught 50 passes for 850 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior.

Bryson Brown

Position: Defensive Back
High School: Broken Arrow (OK)
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 190 pounds
247Sports Ranking: 3⭐
Rivals Ranking: 3⭐
ESPN Ranking: 3⭐
Highlights:

The Cowboys new staff didn’t waste time pursuing Bryson Brown. Brown had offers to Miami, Ohio State, Penn State, OU and others, so he could make a big impact in Stillwater. He also brings the speed element with a 10.9 100 meters.

Jayden Vessell

Position: Edge Rusher
High School: Baton Rouge Catholic (LA)
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 230 pounds
247Sports Ranking: Unranked
Rivals Ranking: 3⭐
ESPN Ranking: Unranked
Highlights:

The latest pledge, Vessell made his commitment to OSU on Wednesday. Although he’s unranked by a few of the major recruiting services, that will likely be amended within the next few weeks.

Markius “MJ” Woods, a 6-foot-3, 305-pound defensive lineman, announced an Oklahoma State offer on Thursday. Out of The Lawrenceville School New Jersey, Woods made a commitment to Boston College on June 19 and also has offers to Missouri, Kansas State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Miami, Ole Miss and others.

Blessed to be Offered by OKSU! @CoachMikeOG @coach_ikeDL @CoachPoeWins @CoachSchorr2500 @LvilleBigRedFB @AllenTrieu#GoPokes🤠
🖤🧡 pic.twitter.com/SG73JGo8OQ

— Markius ”MJ” Woods 3⭐️ (@WoodsMarkius) July 30, 2026

Woods is the No. 513 player in the Rivals Industry ranking for the 2027 recruiting class, making him a Top 60 defensive lineman in the cycle. He was initially a member of the 2026 recruiting class, playing at Whitney Young High School in Chicago, before reclassifying.

That Whitney Young squad, nicknamed the Dolphins, went 9-3 with Woods on the defensive and offensive lines last season. Woods finished the year with 54 total tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Woods also forced four fumbles, recovered one and was credited with a 5-yard touchdown run last season, per MaxPreps.

The Cowboys added an edge rusher to its 2027 class this week when Jayden Vessell (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) pledged his commitment to the Cowboys, but to this point, he’s the only defensive line commit in the class.

As things stand the Cowboys have 11 total commits in their class with four of those guys being defenders.

OSU’s 2027 Commits

OSU Bullets

• OSU announced “themes” for the home football games this fall (PFB)

• Rickie Fowler is on the heels of the leader at the Rocket Open, trailing by two strokes, tied for second (CBS Sports)

• Love this line on OSU football from an ESPN writer:

“As with Virginia Tech, improvement is all but guaranteed in Stillwater, but the potential magnitude of the rebound really interests me. New head coach Eric Morris is grafting half of the best offense in the country onto what was the worst roster in the Big 12; his transfer haul is easily my favorite…” [ESPN]

• The Athletic rated Oklahoma State the fifth-most valuable football program in the conference (HCS)

• Lots of Pokes going pro in the last decade under Josh Holliday.

𝐏𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬 Making it happen #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/jTQNrF1iSc

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) July 29, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• There are four types of thinkers • Looking forward to this book coming out in November given this line – What if OKC had kept Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden?

I’m in love with this sentence:

“Discipline is when your identity is so clear, you stop negotiating with your feelings.” — Reads with Ravi (@readswithravi) July 30, 2026

“It just wasn’t like hitting me at the time because at the time I was in spring workouts, doing spring workouts by myself, dying,” Heard said. “So I didn’t really have any time to process it.”

Both Heard and coach Jacie Hoyt had some laughs at what it was like for the last Cowgirl standing to run through the spring by herself.

“Well, I mean, it was awesome,” Hoyt said. “She got all the attention from everyone, right? And sometimes I don’t know that she loved that, but I mean, she got it, and she worked hard, and it was really neat to see her understand that that was an opportunity for her to really grow her own personal game.”

Hoyt said 3-point shooting was a big point of emphasis for Heard in the spring, and it’s safe to say she had plenty of time to get shots up.

That area of Heard’s game regressed last season as she finished with a career-worst 30% from deep. Ahead of her sophomore year, that became a point of emphasis. Heard responded with a career-best 41% shooting performance, knocking down 59-of-143 shots behind the arc.

That was a huge jump in both attempts and percentage from her freshman season.

Heard from 3:
Freshman: 31-of-87 (35.8%)
Sophomore: 59-of-143 (41.3%)
Junior: 46-of-153 (30.1%)

“As good as it has been at some points, just trying to get more consistent,” Hoyt said of Heard’s progress as a 3-point shooter. “And I’ve seen that pay off this summer. She’s a knockdown 3-point shooter so far at this point. This spring was really good for her to grow in her confidence and just work on parts of her game that, you know, if she would have been with other teammates, maybe couldn’t have put as much attention on.”

As is usually the case, player and coach were in lockstep when it came to describing the spring.

“Going through my spring workouts, I was just focused on getting better myself, just because I knew I had all the talent coming to help me out,” Heard said.

Heard spent a lot of the spring working one-on-one with assistant coach Mandi Carver.

“All the managers and GAs they were helping out and rebounding and stuff,” Heard said. “But it was actually pretty fun. It was, you know, I got to know coach Mandi more just one-on-one. I got to know and have some fun with the managers and stuff, but it was a grind, but it was definitely very fun.”

At one point on Wednesday, someone hit Heard with THE question. Her loyalty to Hoyt and Oklahoma State has always seemed unshakable, but losing every other teammate is still an undeniable shift in the program’s foundation.

What kept her in Stillwater?

“I love this place, regardless of wins or losses,” Heard said. “I love the people I go to war with every day. I love being here, having the support staff that I have around here. There’s nothing really negative to say about this school, about this place. So, I don’t know why I would leave if there’s nothing negative.”

Here’s the full list:

Oregon (Sept. 12) — Roots & Boots
Murray State (Sept. 19) — Family Weekend
UCF (Oct. 10) — Stripe the Stadium
Colorado (Oct. 24) — America’s Greatest Homecoming
Texas Tech (Nov. 14) — Salute to Service
Kansas (No. 28) — Senior Day

Prepare yourselves! The 2026 game themes are here 🤠

Single game tickets go on sale tomorrow ⬇️https://t.co/3tUeLJ79me pic.twitter.com/5zQ4lrrx0t

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) July 30, 2026

Single-game tickets for the 2026 season go on sale Friday.

There’s no blackout, which drew the ire of some social media commentators, but for what it’s worth, the last blackout game resulted in OSU’s first home loss to Tulsa since the 1950s.

OSU hasn’t done a stadium striping since its last win against a Power Conference foe — back in 2024 when OSU beat Arkansas in OT. We’ll see if Eric Morris does a Mike Gundy impersonation and shows up in a ref shirt to help promote things like the ole ball coach did in 2018.

Here’s Mike Gundy’s comedic routine on stripe the stadium 😂 #Okstate pic.twitter.com/Ktt2rR1jod

— Carson Cunningham (@Carson_OKC) September 10, 2018

The “Roots & Boots” theme was used last year, and for a lot who frequent Boone Pickens Stadium, it’s everyday attire.

Sometimes the Salute to Service game comes with a fun uniform twist, but there was no sign of that in OSU’s graphic. The biggest of those twists came in 2019 when the Cowboys wore a one-time only gray uni:

At this point in the summer, I don’t care what anyone’s wearing, let’s play some football.

Oklahoma State won all three of its games during its preseason trip to the Caribbean, and despite the unknown level of competition, the Cowboys did a lot to excite.

Having compiled the box scores from the three games, here are five takeaways I have from OSU’s Puerto Rico trip.

GAME 1 THOUGHTS | GAME 2 THOUGHTS | GAME 3 THOUGHTS

1. Burks Was Good and Efficient

Without even looking at stats, you could tell UCF transfer Jordan Burks was one of the more impactful players on the floor this week, but he was also uber efficient while making that impact.

Burks, listed at 6-foot-9, was the Cowboys’ leading scorer, averaging 14.3 points in about 16 minutes on the floor each game. To score close to a point a minute, you have to be efficient. He went 14-for-18 (78%) from the field, 6-for-9 (67%) from 3 and 9-for-9 (100%) from the foul line.

On top of all the scoring Burks did, he also joined Ben Ahmed as the only guys with multiple blocks across the two games, and his 1.7 steals a game also tied the team lead with Ryan Crotty.

It’s three games in July in Puerto Rico, but Burks is the current favorite to be considered the best player on the team.

Showtime! 🪄 pic.twitter.com/EBadpmbuWO

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 29, 2026

2. Felesi and Natt Are Stat-Sheet Stuffers

I’m trying to not have this mirror my five thoughts from the final game, but we’re sort of on track to do that.

OSU’s two leading rebounders this week were guards.

Freshman Anthony Felesi, at 6-foot-5, averaged a team-best six boards a game, grabbing five in the first, six in the second and seven in the finale. He also averaged 6.7 points and 1.3 steals a contest.

That’s so A.I. 🤨@AnthonyFelesi4 pic.twitter.com/pJWiWHGo3M

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 28, 2026

Sam Houston transfer Kashie Natt, at 6-foot-3, came second on the team in rebounds, averaging five a game. He also averaged 6.7 points to go with 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals and went 3-for-4 from deep this week.

KASHIE NATT! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/rzykluNcUN

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 27, 2026

Those two could be a wing tandem Sam Presti would be proud of, two guys who are tenacious defenders and all-out hustlers.

3. Luka Bogavac Can Do A Lot Offensively

They don’t often let bad basketball players play at North Carolina, so Luka Bogavac was one of the guys I was most excited about seeing this week. Although he didn’t necessarily have a breakout game in Puerto Rico, it’s evident he can play.

Bogavac didn’t have his best shooting week, going 7-for-25 (28%) from the floor and 4-for-17 (24%) from 3, but in watching how smooth his jumper was, you can tell those numbers won’t last.

What was more impressive looking back at his numbers was how he facilitated. Listed at 6-foot-6, Bogavac led the Cowboys with 3.7 assists a game, and that came despite the fact that I don’t remember many instances when he was being used as the primary ball-handler.

He totaled 11 assists and just one turnover. Of the five Cowboys who averaged at least two assists a game this week, Bogavac was the only one to average fewer than 1.7 turnovers a game. (Turnovers were an issue for the Cowboys in Puerto Rico. For now, I give it a pass considering it’s July.)

Luka’s feelin’ it 🔥

End of 3rd | OK State 69, Fuerza 63 pic.twitter.com/LavFsJEfx0

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 27, 2026

4. Mekhi Ragland Took A Big Step Forward

Entering his sophomore season, I think Mekhi Ragland will probably be third on the Cowboys’ center depth chart this season, but that doesn’t change the fact that he took a big step forward this offseason.

Ahead of the trip, Steve Lutz told reporters that Ragland went to Arizona to get his body right this summer.

“I give Mekhi a lot of credit — he went in the month of May and part of June to Phoenix to, I don’t know the word to use, maybe get healthy and to really learn the nutritional aspect of how he needs to function,” Lutz said. “He dropped some weight, and he came back and he looked slimmer and trimmer than he has. So, I’m really proud of him.”

Ragland has always had a soft touch, especially for a man of his size, but he was notably trimmer and ran the floor much better in Puerto Rico than he did in his freshman season.

There was one point in Wednesday’s game where he came up to provide some help defense on a ball screen and opened his hips and kept a guard in front of him for enough time for his help to get back into position. I don’t know that he would’ve done that so smoothly last season.

On top of that increased mobility, Ragland’s soft touch in the post was on display in Puerto Rico. He averaged 9.3 points across the three games, going 13-for-19 (68%) from the field.

With Benjamin Ahmed and Julius Halaifanua also on the roster, I’m not sure what Ragland’s role will be for this particular team, but there is no doubt he is getting better.

5. 3-Point Shooting Can Come From Many Places

There were two guys who had rough shooting weeks in the Caribbean, but outside of that, that, the Cowboys appear to have a lot of options to hurt opposing teams from the outside.

Bogavac went 4-for-17 from deep and Jalen Montonati went 0-for-7. Scoring is what both of those guys do, so I’m not super worried about it. But outside of those two, the rest of the 14 Cowboys combined to go 28-for-68 (41%) from deep. That’ll certainly play.

Here are all the guys who shot better than 35% from 3 this week:

Jordan Burks — 6-for-9 (67%)
Ryan Crotty — 5-for-14 (36%)
Parker Robinson — 5-for-8 (63%)
Jacob Walker — 4-for-10 (40%)
Andrija Grbovic — 4-for-9 (44%)
Kashie Natt — 3-for-4 (75%)

Again, the competition is the competition, but that’s a lot of dudes that defenses have to be mindful of on the perimeter.

Final Stats

OSU Bullets

• Eric Morris’ crew dropped into Louisiana and added an edge rusher for the 2027 class (PFB)

• Pokes wrapped up a 3-0 road trip to Puerto Rico – five thoughts from the game here (PFB)

• Cowboy defender Iman Oates saw an encouraging update for his eligibility appeal for a sixth year: 

Iman Oates was granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, according to a report by On3’s Pete Nakos. It could clear the way for him to receive another year of eligibility if things play out favorably in the courts. Or if the courts take too long to get to it. [PFB]

•  Five offensive performances from 2025 + five defensive performances from 2025 that show what the Pokes have coming (PFB)

• I know the ratings were earned at a lower level of football but it feels so good to have some real talent coming back in the receiving game:

Highest Graded Returning Big 12 Wide Receivers🔥 pic.twitter.com/zX5RTCKgHn

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 28, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Super convicting (faith-based) take about losing my taste for God’s word • Enjoyed this novel, I’m a sucker for time travel and reflections around it  

Iman Oates was granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, according to a report by On3’s Pete Nakos. It could clear the way for him to receive another year of eligibility if things play out favorably in the courts. Or if the courts take too long to get to it.

Oklahoma State DL Iman Oates has been granted a TRO against the NCAA in Payne County, Oklahoma, his attorney Ryan Downton of @TexasTrialGroup tells @On3.

An injunction hearing will need to be set, but it opens up the path to playing CFB this fall. Posted 5 TFLs last two… pic.twitter.com/1bs37RLHa4

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) July 29, 2026

The issue with Oates’ eligibility stems from his playing his first year at junior college Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in 2022. The Tulsa native redshirted at OSU in 2023 before becoming a major part of the Cowboys’ defensive from the last two seasons.

In 2024, he started all 12 games for the Pokes and was second among defensive linemen with 25 tackles to go with three tackles for loss and two sacks. In 12 games last season, Oates earned an 81.2 tackling grade according to ProFootballFocus, good for fourth-best on the team. He logged 14 tackles, two TFLs, a forced fumble and a QB hurry.

It will be interesting to see how a judge rules in Oates’ case especially with the NCAA’s recent instatement of an age-based five-year eligibility, often referred to as “five-for-five.” It gives each athlete five years of to play with their high school graduation or their 19th birthday, whichever comes first, and eliminates the use of medical or traditional redshirt seasons. If things were to work out for Oates in earning that fifth year, he would likely be in competition for a starting role among OSU’s defensive interior.

This is a similar thing that happened with OSU basketball’s Kashie Natt. He was granted an ex parte order and was able to rejoin the basketball program.

Oklahoma State won again on Wednesday night, beating the LBP All Stars 100-92.

I’ll compile some box scores and probably provide some big-picture takes on Thursday, but for now, here are five thoughts from the final game.

GAME 1 | GAME 2

1. Jordan Burks Is Really Good

Jordan Burks was the last player added to this squad, and he might just be this team’s best player.

Burks’ late (relatively) commitment came as he was testing NBA Draft waters, so it’d make sense that he’d be in contention to be the team’s best guy.

He scored a team-high 18 points Wednesday, going 6-for-8 from the field and 3-for-5 from 3-point range.

Burks is smooth yet rangy. He’s a guy you can’t leave open on the perimeter but if your close-out is bad, he’ll float by you, like he did in the second half before a smooth finger-roll.

Any time he felt the need to take over a game this week, he did. He also shot 6-for-9 from 3. I don’t care who the competition is, that’s impressive.

2. Kashie Natt and Anthony Felesi Give Dribblers Hell

OSU freshman Anthony Felesi knocked a ball away from a dribbler near the top of the key.

The ball was rolling toward the halfcourt line when Felesi went penguin style across the floor. After a brief exchange, it looked as if the Puerto Rican player was going to come away with the ball when he turned to a full-sprint Kashie Natt.

Natt ran through the ball, knocking to toward the Puerto Rican goal. He had a breakaway dunk waiting on him, but Natt instead leapt in the air and left the ball just in front of the rim for Felesi, who soared in and dunked it home.

They were like piranhas, which google tells me are unusual in Puerto Rico.

Those two on the perimeter are going to be a nightmare for offenses this year.

Felesi had eight points and seven rebounds Wednesday. That alley-oop from Natt was one of two Felesi was on the end of, with the other coming from Jacob Walker in the second quarter. Not long after that, Felesi stuffed a shot and scored again. He did foul out sort of early, so that’ll be something he’ll have to hone in on. But I leave this week being super impressed with the freshman.

Natt didn’t score Wednesday, but he was still quiet impactful. He had four rebounds, five assists and that steal. OSU fans know tough basketball, and Kashie Natt has OSU fan-favorite written all over him.

3. Jacob Walker Looks Better and Better

Sam Houston transfer Jacob Walker had another stellar day.

Only a sophomore and the reigning Conference-USA Sixth Man of the Year, Walker scored 14 points on Wednesday, going 6-for-11 from the field and 2-for-3 from 3-point range. He also had six assists.

Trickeration 🥸@jacobwalkerrr pic.twitter.com/3sWq8akQV8

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 30, 2026

He was scoring at the rim, floating in the mid-range and scoring from 3.

Kanye Clary didn’t play a ton this week. Not sure if he’s dealing with a little injury or if Lutz just knows what he has with Clary, but with him not playing, Walker has looked really good.

4. Andrija Grbovic Has a Flamethrower

Arizona State transfer Andrija Grbovic played well in the first two games, but he put an exclamation point on his week Wednesday.

Listed at 6-foot-11, Grbovic had 12 points, going 2-for-3 from 3-point range.

He moves better than you’d think a 6-foot-11 guy should, as well, so he’s capable of more than just catching and shooting.

But he is certainly capable of catching and shooting. He went 4-for-9 (44%)  from 3 in the three games.

It’s just another weapon that teams will have to be weary of.

5. This Hailifanua Dunk Was Sick

Julius Hailifanua caught a ball in the short corner, turned and didn’t hesitate at all to throw it down over a smaller defender.

Juice is loose 🧃@HalaifonuaJ pic.twitter.com/L2g4JSoqGI

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 30, 2026

There have been quite a few fun dunks this week, but it was up there with them.

I think my favorite was still Kashie Natt jumping over Ben Ahmed in the first game.

KASHIE NATT! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/rzykluNcUN

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 27, 2026

But this Latrell Allmond dunk was cool, too. It was better from the broadcast angle, but still.

TRELL, THAT RIM HAD A FAMILY ‼️@_rxprell pic.twitter.com/uRDUzxrToE

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 28, 2026

Jayden Vessell, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound defensive linemen announced his commitment to Oklahoma State. He pledged to the Cowboys over offers from North Texas, Arkansas State, UNLV, Tulane and others.

IM HOME 🤠!!! All Praise To God pic.twitter.com/h7CrpSZc7q

— Jayden Vessell (@JaydenVessell) July 29, 2026

Out of Baton Rouge Catholic High School, Vessell isn’t yet ranked by the major recruiting services, but he took a trip to Stillwater for the Cowboys’ spring game, announcing his OSU offer after the fact.

His Catholic Bears made it to the semifinals of the Louisiana Division-I Select playoffs this past season before losing to eventual state champs Edna Karr. Catholic finished the year 10-3. Vessell was a All-District First Team selection and Second Team All-State selection as a junior, and viewing his highlights, it’s easy to see why.

His quickness appears to be a problem for many right tackles in Louisiana, but even when they are able to get hands on him, there are highlights of him bull rushing a lineman to the ground before finding the ball carrier.

Vessell becomes the 11th commit in the Cowboys’ 2027 recruiting class and is just the fourth defender to join the fold along with linebacker Israel Hammons (Choctaw, OK), safety Bryson Brown (Broken Arrow, OK) and safety Chayce Davis (Euless, Texas).

With Vessell not yet appearing in the rankings, his commitment doesn’t boost the Cowboys’ standing in the team rankings, but usually it’s only a matter of time between when an unranked guy commits to a Power Conference program and when he gets a ranking.

As for now, the Cowboys’ class ranks 82nd nationally and last in the Big 12, but some of that has to do more with quantity instead of quality. All 81 teams above the Cowboys in the national rankings have more pledges than the Pokes.

OSU’s 2027 Commits

Plus, many of these guys will be playing meaningful snaps at the power conference level for the first time.

The Cowboys offense is filled with players who put up eye-popping numbers last season. The defense doesn’t have quite as many guys who just went crazy in any one game last season, but most of the ones who did have familiarity with OSU’s defensive assistants since they followed them from North Texas.

Here are the five best individual performances by defensive players last season and what these guys might mean for the Cowboys this fall.

LB Jack Puckett

2025 vs Fort Hays State: 11 tackles, eight solo, three for loss and two sacks

Advanced stat: No PFF numbers for Puckett.

Last time an OSU player recorded double-digit tackles and multiple sacks: Malcolm Rodriguez vs Oklahoma on Nov. 27, 2021.

Based on media sessions during spring practices, the transfer from Central Oklahoma isn’t in the mix for serious reps this fall. However, he was one of 10 Cowboys to get three-plus tackles in the spring game, a stat which looks much better considering only four guys tied for first place with four tackles. Although there’s a lot of competition at linebacker, depending on how OSU handles its secondary rotation, this could be the best spot on the defense for a guy trying to crack the rotation.

LB Ethan Wesloski

2025 at Rice: 17 tackles, 10 solo

Advanced stat: Wesloski led the team in both total pressures (three, all hurries) and stops (six) defined by PFF as “tackles that constitute a ‘failure’ for the offense”

Last time an OSU player recorded 10-plus solo tackles: Trey Rucker vs Arkansas on Sept. 7, 2024.

Wesloski is a tackling machine, and that figures to remain true this fall. Even last season’s struggling defense had those. What the Cowboys lacked from the true linebacker position was a pass rush.

Against Rice, Wesloski rushed four times and hurried the quarterback three times. He also finished the season third on UNT with 19 total pressures (sacks, hits and hurries), which would have put him seven ahead of second place on last year’s Cowboy team.

LB Isaiah Chisom

2025 vs Utah: 17 tackles, five solo

Advanced stat: Chisom finished the game with a 79.9 grade as a tackler, his fifth-highest mark of the season.

Last time an OSU player recorded 17-plus total tackles: Trey Rucker vs Arkansas on Sept. 7, 2024.

Chisom could be the guy on this list with the largest range of outcomes this fall, as he might be one of the main guys or find himself a bit lost in the rotation. PFF didn’t love his tape against Utah despite the fact that 17 is just a silly amount of tackles.

Although not historically someone who impacts the game as a pass rusher, he was the only Bruin to record two pressures (both hurries) against Utah last season. He is also one of the few defenders with significant power conference experience after playing 546 snaps last season at UCLA. His season-long tackling grade of 80.5 would have put him sixth on last year’s Cowboy team overall but second among defenders who played at least 300 snaps.

DT Saadiq Clements

2025 vs South Florida: 7 tackles, two for loss and 1 sack

Advanced stat: Team-high four stops

Last time an OSU lineman recorded 7-plus tackles and 1 sack: Collin Oliver vs Kansas on Oct. 14, 2023.

PFF has Clements as North Texas’ highest-graded defensive tackle last season (66.4) by nearly five points. He also led the position in total pressures (11) and stops on the season (17) and ranked ninth or higher on the team in both stats. It also helps his case that arguably his best game of the season came during one of the team’s two losses.

DT Fatafehi Vailea

2025 vs Army: 10 tackles, forced fumble

Advanced stat: Vailea played 60 of his 155 snaps last season (39%).

Last time an OSU lineman recorded 10-plus total tackles: Obi Ezeigbo vs Utah on Sept. 21, 2024.

Vailea started the first four games for UNT before getting injured against Army. He’s a name that is starting to come up more within the program as a guy the Cowboys could lean on this fall.

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OSU Bullets

(Tre) Page has speed that can help stretch the field. His height and cutting ability will make him elusive. The question is durability, especially coming off last season. But with Hawkins as the lead back the Cowboys can use him like a Darren Sproles-type of back, getting him touches in offensive packages that help him do what he does best. [SI]

Highest Graded Returning Big 12 Running Backs🔥 pic.twitter.com/12XILKvsNh

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 24, 2026

Insane: Texas A&M unveils its brand new gameday suites that are just minutes away from the stadium. One of the best ideas we’ve ever seen. 🔥🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/f7AQ8eR3ba

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 28, 2026

“[Head coach Todd Monken] said he thinks he has two starting-level quarterbacks on this roster.”@DanielOyefusi with the latest surrounding the Browns’ QB competition ✍️ pic.twitter.com/bmkSHIz8DV

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 28, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

The new trailer for ‘TED LASSO’ Season 4 has been released.

The new season follows Ted Lasso as he returns to coach a women’s football team. Releasing August 5 on Apple TV. pic.twitter.com/f9RKadJXmO — DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 28, 2026

With kickoff just over a month away, here is a look at OSU’s schedule through the lens of opposing starting quarterbacks.

Tulsa: Baylor Hayes

2025 Stats: 186-for-316 (59%), 2,158 passing yards, 12 passing TDs, 6 INTs, 190 rushing yards, 3 rushing TDs
Year at Current School: 2

Hayes made the move from East Tennessee State to Tulsa along with coach Tre Lamb entering last season before the then redshirt freshman was able to win the Tulsa job and provide a solid foundation entering his second year with the program.

He ranked fifth in the American last season in big time throws with 17, per PFF, which is categorized as “a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.” For reference, Drew Mestemaker led the American with 24 big time throws.

Hayes led the Golden Hurricane to a win in Boone Pickens Stadium last season, Tulsa’s first win in Stillwater since 1951 and a game that will be remembered as Mike Gundy’s last as OSU’s coach. Hayes threw for 219 yards and a touchdown that day and also ran for another 23 yards on seven carries.

Oregon: Dante Moore

2025 Stats: 296-fot-412 (72%), 3,565 passing yards, 30 passing TDs, 10 INTs, 156 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs
Year at Current School: 3

No matter where you look, Moore is in the running to be the No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL Draft.

Moore was a blue-chip prospect coming out of Detroit, with 247Sports listing him as the No. 4 overall prospect in the 2023 class. H was committed to Oregon for about five months before flipping to UCLA ahead of signing day.

After appearing in nine games for the Bruins in 2023 where he threw for 1,610 yards and 11 touchdowns, Moore made the move up to Eugene and the rest is history.

Moore feasted on the Cowboys in that game in Eugene last season, throwing for 266 yards and three touchdowns on only 21 attempts.

Murray State: Jim Ogle/Baxter Wright

Ogle’s 2025 Stats: 165-for-276 (60%), 1,767 passing yards, 9 passing TDs, 13 INTs, 30 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs
Ogle’s Year at Current School: 3

Wright’s 2025 Stats: 69-for-92 (75%), 577 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 1 INT, 150 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs
Wright’s Year at Current School: 3

A 6-foot-2, 220-pound redshirt sophomore, Ogle got the Racers starting nod last season, but Wright also managed to play in nine games, including three starts to close the year with Ogle injured.

Ogle’s college career started in the FBS ranks, as he signed with Louisianan-Monroe as part of the 2023 recruiting class over offers from Troy, UAB, New Mexico and others. He is the son of Murray State Co-OC/running backs coach Jimmy Ogle.

Wright is more mobile than his counterpart, as he finished as the Racers’ third-leading rusher last season with 150 yards and two touchdowns.

West Virginia: Michael Hawkins

2025 Stats (Oklahoma): 15-for-27 (56%), 167 passing yards, 3 passing TDs, 0 INTs, 58 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD
Year at Current School: 1

A winner in West Virginia’s Michael Hawkins/Scotty Fox quarterback battle hasn’t officially been named, but signs would point to Hawkins, an OU transfer, winning the job.

Hawkins took part in nine games across his two seasons in Norman, where he completed 62% of his 147 attempts for 950 yards, six touchdowns and two picks while running for another 262 yards and two scores.

He was a four-star prospect in the 2024 class and committed to OU over an offer list that also included Alabama, Michigan, Penn State, Texas Tech and others.

Hawkins was thrown into the fire during that 2024 true freshman season, with the Sooners’ quarterback room being in as rough a shape as it had been in during some time. In the seven games Hawkins played as a freshman, the Sooners went 3-4, including a 1-4 mark in games he threw at least 10 passes in. It’s hard to pin all of those woes on a true freshman quarterback in the SEC, but it led OSU to going out and getting John Mateer going into 2025, displacing Hawkins. Perhaps a change of scenery was needed.

UCF: Alonza Barnett

2025 Stats (James Madison): 216-for-370 (58%), 2,806 passing yards, 23 passing TDs, 8 INTs, 589 rushing yards, 15 rushing TDs
Year at Current School: 1

Barnett is one of many star lower-level quarterbacks making the move up to the Big 12 this season.

Listed at 5-foot-11, 210 pounds, Barnett spent his first four seasons of college ball at James Madison, meaning he was with the Dukes during the Curt Cignetti Era.

Barnett’s last two seasons at JMU were outstanding, throwing for a combined 5,404 yards, running for a combined 1,031 yards and being responsible for a combined 71 touchdowns.

He was the Sun Belt’s Player of the Year last season as he led the Dukes to the College Football Playoff. Although JMU lost that playoff game to Oregon, Barnett still threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns while running for 45 yards and another score. He also had a performance against Old Dominion last season where he threw for 295 yards, ran for 153 yards and accounted for six total TDs.

Houston: Conner Weigman

2025 Stats: 232-for-356 (65%), 2,705 passing yards, 25 passing TDs, 9 INTs, 700 rushing yards, 11 rushing TDs
Year at Current School: 2

Weigman’s situation wasn’t too dissimilar to Hawkins’, but Weigman is a year further ahead.

Weigman was a blue-chip recruit coming out of the Lone Star State, being tabbed as a Top 25 player in the 2022 recruiting class. He signed with Texas A&M over offers from OSU, OU, TCU, Ole Miss, Florida and others.

He took part in 15 games across three seasons as an Aggie, throwing for 2,694 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions before hitting the portal and re-emerging at Houston last season, where he potential was almost immediately realized.

Weigman threw for 2,705 yards, 25 touchdowns and nine picks in his first year as a Cougar, leading the program to 10 wins for the first time since 2021. In their previous two seasons in the Big 12, Houston had won eight games combined before Weigman got to H-Town.

Colorado: Julian Lewis

2025 Stats: 52-for-94 (55%), 589 passing yards, 4 passing TDs, 0 INTs
Year at Current School: 2

Speaking of former blue-chip recruits, Lewis is entering his second season of college ball after being considered a Top 50 recruit in the 2025 class.

He took part in four games and made two starts as a true freshman, throwing for 589 yards and four touchdowns to no picks. All but eight of those passing yards came in November, as he started getting more run late in the season.

Lewis had his pick of the litter when it came to college programs, choosing Deion Sanders over offers to USC, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Notre Dame and many others.

Iowa State: Jaylen Raynor

2025 Stats (Arkansas State): 333-for-420 (66%), 3,361 passing yards, 19 passing TDs, 11 INTs, 423 rushing yards, 7 rushing TDs
Year at Current School: 1

Raynor is another guy making the move up from the Group of Five ranks after a successful career at Arkansas State.

He threw for at least 2,500 yards in all three of his seasons with the Red Wolves, including a Sun Belt-leading 3,361 yards this past season.

And it’s not just his arm you have to worry about. Raynor forced 41 missed tackles last season, which led all non-running backs in the Sun Belt, as he ran for 423 yards and seven scores.

Kansas State: Avery Johnson

2025 Stats: 204-for-341 (60%), 2,385 passing yards, 18 passing TDs, 6 INTs, 477 rushing yards, 8 rushing TDs
Year at Current School: 4

Johnson took a small step back in his third year with the program, but he’s been reunited with Collin Klein and is still one of the more dangerous runners at the position in the country.

Johnson was a true freshman the last time he worked under Klein. Johnson took part in eight games that season, making two starts while also being used as a dual-threat option. That season saw Johnson complete 37 passes for 479 yards, five touchdowns and no picks and run for 296 yards and another seven scores.

He started for the Wildcats the past two seasons. That experience gained plus getting back with Klein could mean Johnson is up for a big year.

Texas Tech: Will Hammond

2025 Stats: 69-for-109 (63%), 680 passing yards, 7 passing TDs, 3 INT, 299 rushing yards, 5 rushing TDs
Year at Current School: 3

It’s been an interesting offseason for the Red Raiders’ quarterback room to say the least, but after Brendan Sorsby’s exit, redshirt sophomore Will Hammond is set to run the show.

Hammond played in eight games last season before tearing his ACL, relieving an injured Behren Morton. He also got on the field in four games as a true freshman while redshirting.

He was a four-star quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class after a successful career at Hutto (TX). He ended up picking Tech over offers from Oregon, OSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Pen State and others.

Arizona State: Cutter Boley/Mikey Keene

Boley’s 2025 Stats (Kentucky): 198-for-301 (66%), 2,160 passing yards, 15 passing TDs, 12 INTs, 85 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs
Year at Current School: 1

Keene’s 2025 Stats (Michigan): DNP
Year at Current School: 1

Kenny Dillingham still hasn’t named a starter, though sifting through some things, it sounds as if Boley is the favorite to win the job.

Boley was a four-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, electing to stay in his home state with Kentucky over offers from Oregon (when Dillingham was the Ducks’ OC), Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Texas A&M and others.

He played in 15 games across two seasons with the Wildcats, completing 63% of his passes for 2,498 yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

Keene is a college football journeyman at this point. He spent last season sitting behind Bryce Underwood at Michigan but previously played at UCF (2021-22) and Fresno State (2023-24).

His best season to this point was his first year at Fresno, where he threw for 2,976 yards and 24 TDs.

Kansas: Cole Ballard/Isaiah Marshall

Ballard’s 2025 Stats: 10-for-22 (46%), 108 passing yards, 1 passing TD, 1 INT, 92 rushing yards
Year at Current School: 4

Marshall’s 2025 Stats: 3-for-3 (100%), 28 passing yards, 160 rushing yards
Year at Current School: 3

The Kansas job is still open, as well, and appears to be coming down to two returners who got a little bit of run last season.

Ballard walked on at KU and has gotten in 15 games across his first three seasons in Lawrence, with his best performance to date being a 162-yard game in a loss to K-State.

Marshall got in nine games last season but was primarily used as a runner, running five times more than he threw. He was a three-star prospect in the 2024 class and also had offers to Michigan, Ole Miss, Kentucky and others.

He put North Texas at or near the top of several offensive stats, and many of his core pieces followed him to Stillwater. At some point, the numbers all run together a bit, but some of the individual game numbers seem mind-boggling, especially compared to a Cowboys program that saw the starting quarterback top 200 passing yards only four times last season.

Here are five individual performances by offensive skill players last season that highlight what Morris could accomplish with both former UNT players and new players alike this fall.

QB Drew Mestemaker

2025 at Rice: 19-of-23 for 469 yards (82.6%), three touchdowns and no interceptions; two carries for one yard and a touchdown

Advanced stat: 9-of-11 on passes 10-plus yards downfield

Last time an OSU player threw for 400+ yards without an interception: Spencer Sanders vs Central Michigan on Sept. 1, 2022.

Mestemaker topped 600 yards against Charlotte, but the win over Rice stands out as his best performance from 2025 because of the yardage total, the lack of interceptions and a near-season-high accuracy.

It helps that Rice is a much better team on paper than Charlotte, plus Mestemaker made the Owls pay when he went for the big play. That’s something he thinks he can do a better job of in his second season as a starter. If true, his game against Rice could be a warning to the rest of the Big 12 for what is coming this fall.

RB Caleb Hawkins

2025 vs Navy: 33 carries for 197 yards and 4 touchdowns (6 YPC); 3 receptions for 9 yards (3 targets)

Advanced stat: Forced 10 missed tackles, the third-most by him on the season

Last time an OSU player scored four or more rushing touchdowns: Ollie Gordon vs BYU on Nov. 25, 2023.

Navy, of all teams, had no answer for Hawkins. Clinging to a 7-point lead with less than five minutes to play in the third, UNT again leaned on the then-freshman. Hawkins started the drive with a 6-yard reception. He added five more carries, two of which went for 9 and 10 yards, before putting the game just about out of reach with a 6-yard touchdown run in the final seconds of the third quarter.

WR Wyatt Young

2025 at Rice: Eight receptions for 295 yards and two touchdowns

Advanced stat: 196 yards came after catch, and he forced 6 missed tackles

Last time an OSU player topped 250 receiving yards: James Washington vs Pittsburgh on Sept. 17, 2016.

Although OSU fans haven’t seen it in a while, it’s not that crazy to see modern quarterbacks throw for 400-plus yards. It’s still much stranger to see receivers topping 250, and Young was pushing for 300. Washington’s 296 yards against Pittsburgh and Adarius Bowman’s 300-yard performance back in 2006 are the only times a Cowboy has topped 250 yards receiving in one game.

WR Jani Weir

2025 vs Orange Coast: Seven receptions for 267 yards and three touchdowns

Advanced stat: No PFF numbers for Weir, but he did average 38.1 yards per catch against Orange Coast.

Last time an OSU player averaged 38 yards per catch with at least three receptions: James Washington vs Baylor on Oct. 14, 2017.

Weir still has to prove he can get things done at the highest level of the sport after dominating junior college ball last season, but the fact that the Cowboys could potentially have a guy with this kind of performance in him running with the 2s or the 3s has to excite Morris. It sounds like the Cowboys will continue to use more than one group of receivers under the new regime, which means this kind of playmaker could come off the bench against a potentially worn-out secondary.

Tre Page

2025 vs Southern Utah: 19 carries for 198 yards and two touchdowns

Advanced stat: 11 missed tackles forced. For context, his other 94 carries resulted in 24 missed tackles forced.

Last time an OSU running back forced double-digit missed tackles: Ollie Gordon vs South Dakota State on Aug. 31, 2024.

Like everyone on this list, Page will have to prove he can remain dynamic now that he’s in the Big 12. Assuming he can earn a spot in the rotation, he will have the benefit of playing behind Hawkins, who should have no issue wearing out defenses on his own. For further context, though Page didn’t hit 200 yards, it’s still worth pointing out that Cowboys have only ever hit that mark in one game 50 times, and seven of those belong to Barry Sanders.

OSU Bullets

• The Cowboys won game two in Puerto Rico last night – and a big lineup that’s intriguing saw some time: 

The live stream of this game was down for much of the first quarter, but when it finally ticked on, Jordan Burks (6-foot-9), Latrell Allmond (6-foot-8) and Julius Halaifonua (7-feet) were all on the floor together.

Lutz prefers to run a man-to-man defense, but if that trio is at the bottom of a 2-3 zone, they might cover the entire width of the floor. [PFB]

• CBS Sports has the Pokes as one of the teams “poised to improve win totals in 2026” (CBS Sports)

• Important for the Cowboys this fall will be taking advantage of the slower start to conference play:

OSU has a winnable league schedule, especially on the front end.

Four of the first five conference contests come against schools ranked among the bottom in the beat writers’ preseason poll. [TulsaWorld]

• Digging into the Cowboy linebacker room (SI)

• One of the most efficient in the country:

Drew Mestemaker was among the most efficient passers in the country at North Texas last year. Can he replicate that success at Oklahoma State? #cfbqbs26 pic.twitter.com/Jo6ASHIEgP

— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) July 27, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Why reading matters • A statistical analysis of the most evil Disney villains

“Plenty of growth can be found in removing your vices, but the real leaps are unlocked when you stop clinging to your comforts.” James Clear

Oklahoma State won its second game in Puerto Rico 120-92 on Monday night. OSU has Tuesday off before playing a different team Wednesday night.

If you missed it, here are Five Thoughts from Game 1. Now, here are Five Thoughts on Game 2.

1. Hello Latrell Allmond

After playing just eight minutes on Sunday night, Oklahoma State’s latest McDonald’s All-American had his fingerprints all over this one.

Listed at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan, Allmond scored 17 points in 22 minutes on Monday, going 8-for-9 from the field. He also brought in seven boards and had two steals.

He was scoring from all over the place, but his most impressive bucket came when he drove the lane in the first half and threw down a tomahawk jam. With how long Allmond’s arms are, it looked as if this thing was thrown down from the heavens.

TRELL, THAT RIM HAD A FAMILY ‼️@_rxprell pic.twitter.com/uRDUzxrToE

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 28, 2026

He also hit a smooth pair of midrange jumpers in the first half. And in back-to-back possessions in the second half, Allmond hit a 3 and scored on a breakaway in which he was also fouled (missed the free throw).

2. Parker Robinson Is Super Interesting

From one freshman to another: Parker Robinson, at 6-foot-4, led the Cowboys in scoring Tuesday, dropping 18 points in 17 minutes of action.

He hit a couple of 3s late, finishing 2-for-3 from deep.

Robinson is playing more point guard than I initially thought he might. It’s July in Puerto Rico, but Lutz hasn’t been afraid to throw him out there without Kanye Clary or Jacob Walker on the floor to be the team’s primary ball-handler.

Robinson provides a little bit of everything, a combo guard in the truest sense. He finished Monday’s game with the 18 points (8-for-10), three rebounds and three assists.

3. Ryan Crotty Getting Going

It was only a matter of time before Ryan Crotty started finding his rhythm in an OSU uniform.

Crotty went 4-for-7 from 3-point range Monday, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

The calmest man in the room is always the most dangerous 😑@ryan_crotty32 pic.twitter.com/4HkLbB3FLS

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 28, 2026

Crotty was an uber-prolific 3-point shooting prospect coming out of the high school ranks. He hit 247 3s across his last two seasons of high school, including a Virginia state record 142 on 46% shooting as a junior.

But with inconsistent minutes as a freshman came inconsistent shooting, as he went 16-for-54 (30%) in his first year of college ball.

Everyone you speak to about Crotty tells you how often he is in the gym. That goes all the way back to Lutz meeting with the media last football season before Crotty had ever played in a college game. So, like I said, it was only a matter of time.

4. Jacob Walker Having Little Issue Getting to the Basket

Jacob Walker is perhaps the most unheralded addition of the offseason, which goes to show how well Lutz and Co. did in the portal considering Walker is the reigning Conference-USA Sixth Man of the Year.

This could have something to do with the level of competition, but thus far, Walker has looked great when attacking the basket.

After scoring 11 points on Sunday, Walker again had 11 Monday, going 4-for-7 on 2-point attempts and 1-for-5 from 3.

It hasn’t been super flashy getting to the basket, but rather a nice controlled gather and lay-in. Sort of feels like a Chris Paul-esque scorer.

5. Another Fun Lineup

The live stream of this game was down for much of the first quarter, but when it finally ticked on, Jordan Burks (6-foot-9), Latrell Allmond (6-foot-8) and Julius Halaifonua (7-feet) were all on the floor together.

Lutz prefers to run a man-to-man defense, but if that trio is at the bottom of a 2-3 zone, they might cover the entire width of the floor.

Burks was playing the small forward in that group, I believe. Another example in how versatile he is despite his length.

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Caleb Hawkins’ name has grown to be widely known in Stillwater, but the league’s talent at the position doesn’t stop there.

As August draws ever closer, here’s a look at what I like about the league’s rushers.

The Big 3

This is obviously subject to change when live bullets start flying (and in OSU’s case, hopefully Bullet starts running), but there seems to be an early delineation among Big 12 backs: Hawkins, LJ Martin (BYU) and Cam Cook (West Virginia).

Hawkins and Cook were each named Walter Camp Preseason All-Americans, while Martin was named the Big 12’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. And those preseason accolades have merit.

Hawkins led the nation in touchdowns as a true freshman with 29 and finished fifth nationally in rushing yards (1,434). Cook led the nation in rushing while at Jacksonville State, toting the rock 295 times for 1,659 yards and 16 scores. Meanwhile, Martin led the Big 12 with 1,305 rushing yards, good for 11th nationally, en route to being named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year.

And it isn’t just traditional stats that standout.

A good offensive line is paramount to a successful ground attack, but that trio is good at creating its own breaks, as they all finished in the Top 7 nationally in yards after contact, per PFF.

And they all ranked in the Top 15 nationally in missed tackles forced:

And they accounted for three of the Top 4 in terms of first downs rushed for:

So, they’re hard to tackle and good at moving the chains? This feels like a really good top tier of backs.

K-State’s Rushing Attack Looks Lethal

Although the Wildcats maybe don’t have a guy in that upper echelon of Big 12 backs, the Wildcats have two dang good ones.

Joe Jackson joined the Kansas State contingent at Big 12 Media Days after he ran for 911 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He’s the league’s third-leading returning rusher behind Martin and Texas Tech’s Cameron Dickey.

On top of that, K-State added Rodney Fields, who finished ninth in the Big 12 in rushing last season as a redshirt freshman. Fields was probably the biggest heartache OSU fans suffered when the portal opened after he ran for 614 yards and a touchdown on an otherwise woeful offense last season.

That tandem combined with Avery Johnson’s ability to run (1,378 rushing yards across the past three seasons) give new coach Collin Klein multiple options to attack foes on the ground.

The Sunflower State Switcharoo

Speaking of the state of Kansas: A transfer I haven’t seen many discuss outside of the Sunflower State is Dylan Edwards’ move from Kansas State to Kansas.

Edwards left K-State after four games last season before entering the transfer portal and turning his Wildcat purple into Jayhawk blue. Because he didn’t do a ton last season, the move has mostly flown under the radar.

But before last year, Edwards turned in a good season in Manhattan, running for 546 yards and five touchdowns on just 74 carries (7.4 yards per carry) in 2024. He also returned a punt for a touchdown that season.

That year led Edwards to being on the Doak Walker and Maxwell watch lists entering last season before his four-game exit.

Edwards also started six games as a freshman at Colorado in 2023.

How Teams Reloaded from Notable Losses

The league did, though, lose some of its better rushers from last season to the transfer portal.

After finishing second in the Big 12 in rushing last season, Raleek Brown moved from Arizona State to Texas. Iowa State had two guys rush for more than 700 yards last season in Carson Hansen and Abu Sama. Hansen followed Matt Campbell to Penn State, while Sama also moved to the Big Ten to Wisconsin. Then after running for 1,816 yards and 18 touchdowns across the past two seasons at Baylor, Bryson Washington jumped to Auburn.

So, how did each of those situations reload?

Arizona State: The Sun Devils appear to be promoting from within, as Kenny Dillingham brought Kyson Brown with him to Big 12 Media Days earlier this month.

Brown has spent all three of his college seasons to this point at Arizona State, running for 563 yards and two touchdowns in that time. An ankle injury saw him miss most of last season.

He’ll likely be complimented by Delaware State transfer Marquis Gillis, a 210-pound back who ran for 1,182 yards (13th in FCS) and nine touchdowns in 2025.

Iowa State: The Cyclones were hard done by the fact that Penn State took forever to hire Campbell, meaning the roster could (and did, for the most part) leave when Campbell got the job.

Jimmy Rogers brought redshirt sophomore Aiden Flora to Big 12 Media Days. Flora played sparingly at Iowa State as a redshirt freshman last season but showed promise, running for 58 yards and a touchdown on only four carries and returning a punt for a touchdown.

There’s also Cameron Pettaway, who was the MAC Freshman of the Year while at Bowling Green last season after running for 365 yards and 72 carries. He’s a weapon in more ways than one, as he returned a kick for a touchdown last season and also had eight catches for 139 yards (17.4 yards per catch) and two touchdowns.

Baylor: Despite losing Washington to the portal, Dave Aranda stood pat at running back this offseason, and you could see his reasoning as to why.

Dawson Pendergrass returns after missing last season because of a preseason injury. OSU fans will remember Pendergrass as the guy the Cowboys could not tackle in that 2024 game in Waco. Pendergrass turned six carries into 142 yards (23.7 yards per carry) and a touchdown that day.

Caden Knighten also returns after being the Bears’ second-leading rusher last season. He ran 104 times for 469 yards (4.5 yards per carry) and a touchdown while adding another 134 yards in receptions.

OSU Bullets

• Pokes won their first game on their trip to Puerto Rico Sunday night (PFB)

• In December, the Cowboys and Cowgirls will play OU back-to-back in basketball in OKC (PFB)

• David Taylor announced over the weekend that OSU will play host to wrestling athletes from the Army moving forward:

“Stillwater is the new home for the Army WCAP wrestling program,” he said. “The Army World Class Athlete Program is a program where you join the Army, you get the benefits of being in the Army. It’s a non-deployable unit, where your job is to wrestle.

“First, you serve your country. You build a career. And you do so while pursuing world and Olympic medals. I think that combination is so special.” [GoPokes 247]

• OSU’s biggest possible trap game this fall – home against UCF (HCS)

• Quite the mixed bunch (backgrounds) Eric Morris has put together: 

Oklahoma State has had a rough past couple of seasons, but things may change in a big way this fall in Stillwater 👀

The Cowboys brought in North Texas head coach Eric Morris, who led the Mean Green to their best season in program history last year (12-2 record).

Morris brought… pic.twitter.com/gUF1XaE2qh

— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) July 26, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Ranking the 15 best and worst movie football coachesd

•  Denver matched on Spencer Jones contract – why does it now feel like the Thunder need a player like him?/

Oklahoma State opened its Puerto Rico trip with a 94-88 victory on Sunday night. Here are five thoughts from this group’s first (unofficial) game.

1. The First Starting Lineup

This is obviously subject to change given this team just got together, but the first starting lineup of Lutz’s third team was:

Kanye Clary
Kashie Natt (Sam Houston transfer)
Luka Bogavac (North Carolina transfer)
Jordan Burks (UCF transfer)
Julius Halaifonua (Georgetown transfer)

That, for what it’s worth, is about as experienced as Lutz’s roster can get, with Halaifonua being the only non-senior. And he’s a junior.

Things that stand out about that group:

It features an elite perimeter defender in Natt (who we’ll talk a lot more about in just a sec) and a long, versatile post/wing defender in Jordan Burks. Off those two alone, you’re in a pretty good spot defensively.

Clary is the group’s point guard, but Bogavac is a more-than-capable playmaker. And Natt averaged 2.4 assists a game last season, which would’ve ranked third at OSU. So, a lot of people could get things moving.

The group also provided this early highlight:

¿Cómo se dice “𝘓𝘰𝘣 𝘚𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺” en español? pic.twitter.com/AU2cFIRgki

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 27, 2026

2. Kashie Natt Is A Lot of Fun

Please don’t let this be the latest example of the NCAA not allowing OSU basketball to have any fun.

Kashie Natt was everywhere, finishing with 11 points, six rebounds, three steals, a block and an assist in 23 minutes.

He was an NAIA All-American, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Natt was a dawg despite the fact that this game was being played in Puerto Rico and didn’t even count for anything.

This biggest example I can think of for Natt’s tenacity came in the first half when he started clapping as he was waiting for one of the opposing players to dribble the ball up for floor. It was the type of clap that might as well have been him slapping the hardwood to get in his defensive stance. Not long after those claps echoed through the building, Natt was stuffing a shot off the backboard at the rim to disrupt a breakaway.

He also dove for a loose ball in the first half that he had no business getting to, and he did. In fact, he thought he knocked it out of bounds off the opposition, but it was ruled to go the other way.

A few minutes after that, he soared over (nearly landing on) a Puerto Rican player’s head for a ball on the sideline, and Natt was heads-up enough to throw the ball down off the opposing player, giving possession to the Cowboys.

Oh, and then he did this in the second half.

KASHIE NATT! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/rzykluNcUN

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 27, 2026

3. Jordan Burks Took Over Late

The Puerto Rican team clawed back into things in the second half until Jordan Burks slammed the door shut.

The 6-foot-9 UCF transfer poured in a pair of 3s late to put the game to rest, finishing with a team-high 16 points.

Burks is a guy with NBA upside. The Athletic listed Burks as a Top 100 NBA Draft prospect for this most recent draft, as he spent some time early this offseason testing NBA waters.

Burks appears agile enough to defend wings on the perimeter, but he’s long enough that his ranginess could also give some centers some trouble. On top of that, he stretches the floor on the other end. Just an all-around player, and he should be one of OSU’s biggest pieces this season.

4. All-Marshall Team Selection Anthony Felesi

If you listen to The Reload or are in The Chamber (25% off), you’d know I had the opportunity to watch about 15 minutes of a practice last week and that my biggest takeaway was that I liked what I saw with freshman Anthony Felesi.

I, again, liked what I saw from Anthony Felesi.

A 6-foot-5 freshman, Felesi finished with four points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists in 15 minutes, doing most of his work in the first half.

Not long after checking in, Felesi had a steal and slam, a put-back layup, an offensive rebound that led to a Ryan Crotty 3, and he forced an illegal screen.

Defense ➡️ Offense@AnthonyFelesi4 pic.twitter.com/mhBXnoxvUk

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 27, 2026

Like Natt, he was all over the place.

The All-Marshall designation is something I started handing out in The Chamber. It amounts mostly to types of guys who excel in their roles and has previously included players like Thomas Dzaigwa (3-point shooting), Isaac Likekele (being a jack-of-all-trades) and more recently Ben Ahmed (a hustling big man).

5. This Team Is Long

Steve Lutz wasn’t lying when he told us this last week:

“I like our size,” he said. “Let’s just say that you started either Jacob (Walker) or Kanye. Jacob’s probably 6-(foot)-1, and Kanye, he tells me he’s 6-feet all the time. After that, though, you literally could start 6-5, 6-8, 6-10, 7-foot. Your size is so much different.”

Lutz rotated lineups hot and heavy early. One of those was:

Jacob Walker (6-foot-1)
Anthony Felesi (6-foot-5 with almost a 7-foot wingspan)
Andrija Grbovic (6-foot-11)
Latrell Allmond (6-foot-8)
Julius Halaifonua (7-feet)

Then he momentarily switched to a lineup that was:

Parker Robinson (6-foot-4)
Jalen Montonati (6-foot-7)
Andrija Grbovic (6-foot-11)
Latrell Allmond (6-foot-8)/subbed to Jordan Burks (6-foot-9)
Julius Halaifonua (7-feet)

This is one game in July in Puerto Rico, but it appears as if a different level of athlete will be on the floor in orange and black this winter.

The hottest take I’m willing to offer given the circumstance of the game is that I’m unsure what this group’s ceiling is, but I believe it’s floor is much higher that Lutz’s previous teams’.

Here’s a quick roundup.

Drew Mestemaker Throws Out First Pitch

The Texas Rangers celebrated OSU Night on Friday, where the Cowboys’ new QB threw out the first pitch.

Drew Mestemaker threw out the first pitch at the Texas Rangers game to kick off the Rangers’ Oklahoma State University Theme Night.

(video via Texas Rangers) pic.twitter.com/VmqwLDFGXi

— Scott Wright (@ScottWrightOK) July 25, 2026

The play nowadays for social media teams is to stay zoomed in on the celebrity pitcher as to avoid the potential embarrassment of following a poor throw. But while Mestemaker didn’t rear back and fire one in there full speed, based on his reaction and quickly meeting up with Rangers assistant coach Travis Jankowski, who caught the first pitch, the ball was on target.

The Rangers would go on to beat the Seattle Mariners 5-4 on OSU night.

Carson Benge Throw Out Former MVP

Friday night also saw former Cowboy Carson Benge heave a rope in from right field and got former MVP Freddie Freeman out at the plate.

Miguel Rojas flied out to right field in the sixth inning of the Dodgers eventual 4-2 win. Benge caught the flyout moving forward and threw home to keep the game tied.

Carson Benge delivers a one-hop strike to the plate 🎯 pic.twitter.com/7nNcE9JBk8

— MLB (@MLB) July 25, 2026

A two-way star in Stillwater, Benge is in his first Major League season at 23 years old. Through 101 games, he’s hitting .260 with 11 home runs and 40 RBIs.

McLean Makes National TV Start

Speaking of that Mets-Dodgers series, Game 2 was played Saturday night on national TV. Not only was a Cowboy playing in right field for the Mets, but another was on the bump.

Nolan McLean is in his second MLB season (but is still considered a rookie), and he’s already developed into the Mets ace, recently celebrating his 25th birthday.

The Mets are struggling relative to their season expectations, but McLean has undoubtedly been a bright spot. The Dodgers beat New York 4-3 on Saturday night, where McLean was issued the loss after throwing six innings where he allowed two earned runs off seven hits. McLean is now 7-7 on the season.

He leads all Mets in innings pitched with 119 1/3, posting a 3.32 ERA. That ERA ranks sixth among qualified rookies in MLB. He also leads the Mets in wins (7) and strikeouts (142).

OSU Bullets

• Eric Morris on the challenges of recruiting in Year 1, and what OSU fans could expect moving forward.

“It’s hard during this first cycle, I think, because we don’t have a product to show people from Oklahoma State yet,” Morris said. “Everywhere I’ve been. Incarnate Word … in year two and three, it was so much easier to recruit than year one. North Texas, it was so much easier to recruit as you build a winning program. They’re watching your film and they see it. We’re selling a vision right now.” [Tulsa World]

  • BPS ranked fourth among Big 12 stadiums by USA Today.

 Also, a great experience is always in store since it was named the best stadium in a USA TODAY Sports analysis of online reviews. Bonus point for this being where the tarps off tradition began, sparking a nationwide movement when the Cowboys were at their lowest point. When they return the prominence, the home crowd will again have a big influence.

• Five Red Raiders that OSU fans need to know about before the two teams meet this fall. [SI.com]

• Two Cowboys landed on this list.

Highest Graded Returning Big 12 Running Backs🔥 pic.twitter.com/12XILKvsNh

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 24, 2026

• Checking in on practice at Cowboy RTC.

Practice like a Cowboy Watch the boys wrestle live, Cowboy RTC workout now on YouTube 🤠 🔗 : https://t.co/q5HC0Eb9lF pic.twitter.com/ZqkZrvWySZ

— stillyboys (@stillyboys_) July 25, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Why LeBron’s final decision is a massive plot twist for the NBA. [The Ringer]

• This literary map of the U.S. is pretty neat. [Big Think]

Three Thoughts

• Will OSU have its best point guard since Cade this year?

“I expect (Kanye Clary) to be one of the better point guards across the United States this year. I’m gonna be really disappointed if he’s not.” [PFB]

• Cowboy alum Austin Eckroat made a run up the leaderboard, landing at six-under, eight strokes back of the leader at the 3M Open (PGA Tour)

• Music to a Cowboy fan’s ears listening to pundits optimistic about Cowboy Basketball: 

What an offseason for Steve Lutz. This Oklahoma State roster has made an about-face and enters 2026-27 with loads of playable depth after it found usable pieces in every area of roster-building… This is a tournament team that could sniff the top-25 with the right breaks. [CBS Sports]

Two Quotes

• Cowboys in action in the Caribbean starting tomorrow: 

Coming to you LIVE from Puerto Rico 🏝️📲

Stream all three games from next week’s foreign tour free on @BallerTV.

Details ➡️https://t.co/oh0ISPD9FV pic.twitter.com/po1yE7YCXs

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 22, 2026

• Drew Mestemaker making some appearances for the Cowboys:

Drew Mestemaker threw out the first pitch at the Texas Rangers game to kick off the Rangers’ Oklahoma State University Theme Night.

(video via Texas Rangers) pic.twitter.com/VmqwLDFGXi

— Scott Wright (@ScottWrightOK) July 25, 2026

One Question

• “Still think the returners in your program are most important” – interesting quote from Tulsa coach Tre Lamb. What do you think is more important – development in the program or getting the most talent in as possible?

“When I got the job here about 17 months ago, there was not one single player on our roster who had ever been paid a dollar in NIL/Rev Share… where we are now, is light years away from where we were.”

Tre Lamb at @American_Conf Media Days on progress made in his first… pic.twitter.com/H3OIaAmA51

— Cayden McFarland (@caydenmc) July 24, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Get to action as quickly as possible • Only Millennials can name these Nickelodeon shows • Your brain gets tired making too many decisions

One of those offers went to a Class of 2027 receiver who is currently committed to Tulane, and another went to an offensive tackle at NEO who is pledged to another Big 12 school. Here’s a little bit on each guy.

Ray’Quan Williams

Williams is the No. 917 player in the 2027 recruiting class, per the Rivals Industry ranking, which also tabs him as the No. 123 receiver in the class and the No. 26 player from the state of Louisiana.

Listed at 6-feet, 170 pounds, Williams committed to Tulane last month. He had built up quite the impressive offer list over the past few years, with Texas, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Florida State, Tennessee, Texas Tech, LSU, Florida and others extending offers.

He plays at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, where he caught 31 passes for 647 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior last season, according to MaxPreps. He also had a 26-yard touchdown pass.

Jack Clayborne

Clayborne is a behemoth at 6-foot-7, 330 pounds.

He, too, is already committed to a Division-I program, pledging to Kansas State in April. Along with offers to OSU and K-State, Clayborne has also announced an offer to Arkansas.

247Sports lists Clayborne as a three-star prospect, with the 247Sports Composite ranking tabbing him as the No. 6 player in junior college football.

Clayborne is initially from Wisconsin by way of Madison East High School.

He played at right tackle for the Norsemen last season.

OSU’s 2027 Class

The Cowboys have 10 pledges in their 2027 class as of writing.

Two of those players are receivers in Pryor’s Cooper Hooker and Argyle, Texas standout Ake O’Neal.

The Pokes also have two offensive linemen committed in Sonny Mullen (Troy, Texas) and Jake Baker (Nashville).

The Cowboys’ class is technically last in the Big 12, but some of that has to do with the fact that they have at least two fewer commits than anyone else in the conference (Kansas State has 27, for reference). In terms of average prospect rating (247Sports), OSU’s class is tied with West Virginia and Utah for eighth in the league.

On Monday, presale tickets for Oklahoma State’s Cowboy-Cowgirl hoops doubleheader at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Dec. 12 go on sale at this link.

Although television assignments have yet to be announced, a release from OSU athletics says that one ticket to the event is good for both games.

POSSE members will have priority access to premium locations while OSU students will have access to discounted tickets but both groups will need to check their email for more information.

Whatever tickets remain will go on sale to the general public on Aug. 7.

This will be the third annual showdown between the Cowboys and the Sooners at the Paycom Center. Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz is currently 0-2 losing by 15 points his first year and by nine last season.

The Cowgirls joined the neutral site event last season where they too lost to the Sooners, 92-70.

The Cowboys and Cowgirls are looking to snap respective four- and seven-game losing streaks in the rivalry this December.

Although not officially released, here’s a look at the Cowboys reported non-conference schedule. Bolded games have been confirmed by PFB or otherwise announced. The remaining games are reported by Rocco Miller.

Cowboy Nonconference Schedule

Nov. 2 vs Incarnate Word
Nov. 6 vs Queens
Nov. 12 at Texas A&M
Nov. 16 vs Central Arkansas
Nov. 20 in Charleston, South Carolina vs Virginia Tech OR Minnesota
Nov. 22 in Charleston, South Carolina vs Virginia Tech OR Minnesota
Nov. 25 vs Jackson State
Nov. 29 vs Tennessee State
Dec. 2 vs Grand Canyon
Dec. 5 vs Saint Mary’s
Dec. 12 in OKC vs Oklahoma
Dec. 16 vs Oral Roberts
Dec. 20 in OKC vs Northwestern
Dec. 29 vs Houston Christian

Class of 2027 commit Tyson Pogi, son of former OSU quarterback Aso Pogi, had a more-than-solid season on Nike’s EYBL circuit. With Peach Jam wrapping up this past weekend, Pogi averaged 13.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists across 21 EYBL games while shooting 42% from 3-point range.

247Sports considers Pogi a four-star prospect, the No. 133 player in his class and the top player in the state of Oklahoma. He committed to OSU in May over offers from Saint Louis and Weber State.

“It meant a lot to me just because that’s where my dad played football,” Tyson told PFB when he received his OSU offer last summer. “And then just from them recruiting me for such a long time throughout like eighth grade all the way up to the point right now. They’ve been loyal to me, is what I would say.”

Pogi’s MoKan Elite squad, the same program that produced OSU freshman Jalen Montonati, made the Peach Jam bracket after winning its group before bowing out in the quarterfinals. Across six games at Peach Jam, Pogi averaged 13 points while going 21-for-51 (41%) from 3.

His Peach Jam run included a 24-point outing against Indy Heat, where Pogi was 9-for-14 from the field and 6-for-10 from 3 while also dishing six assists. He attempted at least seven 3s in all of those Peach Jam games and shot above 40% from deep in four of those six contests.

Pogi particularly shined in the EYBL’s second and third sessions. At Session II, taking place in May in Memphis, Pogi averaged 16.3 points across four games, scoring in double figures in each of those games, including a 23-point outing against CP3 where he went 6-for-11 from 3. A week later in Kansas City, he averaged 15.8 points and 5.0 assists across four games.

Pogi’s summer also included a trip to his future home at Oklahoma State’s team camp along with his Southmoore squad. Based on the highlights he posted, that also went well.

Future HOME COURT vibes 🔥🔥@OSUMBB @LutzSteve @KeitonPage

Thanks for having us @SouthmooreHoops @DMSportsMM pic.twitter.com/pVxbs7Ux1L

— Tyson Pogi (@pogi_tyson) June 8, 2026

OSU Bullets

• Eric Morris is bringing in a “robotic solution” to help quarterbacks (PFB)

• Sam Stevens is six shots back, Austin Eckroat is seven after round one at the 3M Open (PGATour) 

• Comparing Drew Mestemaker to his Big 12 quarterback peers (PFB)

• Justice Hill was listed as half of a top-three running back duo in the NFL, highlighted by a couple of premium skills: 

And while Hill looks like he’s a jitterbug back who will shake you up in space, his best skill is actually pass protection, where he is one of the best in the NFL. He’s an effective receiver as well, which makes him a strong complement to (Derrick) Henry. [CBS Sports]

• Steve Lutz’s squad is headed to Puerto Rico next week (PFB)

• Pundits projecting the Pokes in the middle of the league:

Here’s @GoodmanHoops’ preseason Big 12 rankings! Who’s too high and who’s too low? 🤔 🎥: https://t.co/9N67BWm1Yy pic.twitter.com/xFU1Ogjuop

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) July 21, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• The Avengers: Doomsday trailer was released • The most useful ways to link ChatGPT/Claude to apps

1. The curiosity to experiment and explore. 2. The honesty to observe the world as it is, not as you wish it to be. 3. The humility to kill your favorite ideas when you learn something new. 4. The consistency to repeat this cycle for life.

James Clear

Mestemaker’s numbers on his deep shots look great on paper, but the first-year Cowboy actually said he felt like he played things a little too safe last year.

“I think I could have taken a few more shots,” Mestemaker said at Big 12 Media Days. “And so I think this spring was really the time for me to like try that out and see what throws I could and couldn’t make.”

To put Mestemaker’s numbers in context, let’s start with the top six Big 12 quarterbacks organized based on their Pro Football Focus grade as a deep passer (20-plus yards downfield).

NOTE: All stats on 20-plus-yard throws unless otherwise specified.

Jaden Craig (TCU)- 95.9 grade as deep passer

Attempts: 76

Accuracy: 42%

Adjusted accuracy (for drops): 51%

Yards per attempt: 15.1

Craig tops all expected Big 12 starters in attempts, accuracy and adjusted completion percentage while finishing top three in yards per attempt.

PFF also singles out big-time throws (BTT) defined as “a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window” and turnover-worthy plays.

Craig continues to shine in these more subjective metrics as he was second in both categories among quarterbacks with 20-plus deep attempts last season. His BTT rate was 34% while his turnover-worthy play percentage was only 4%.

The biggest mark against Craig is his lack of power conference experience as he transfers in from Harvard, which on paper represents a much bigger jump than the one Mestemaker will have to make.

Julian Lewis (Colorado)- 93

Attempts: 15

Accuracy: 40%

Adjusted accuracy (for drops): 47%

Yards per attempt: 14.1

Lewis only saw time in four games last season, although it’s worth pointing out three of those opportunities came against Big 12 opponents Arizona, West Virginia and Arizona State. That gives him a slight edge over most of his competition in the top six.

Lewis’ BTT rate of 40% leads the conference, but should be viewed with some skepticism given his lack of deep attempts. Of the 14 quarterbacks included in this story, only Lewis and Texas Tech’s Will Hammond finished with fewer than 40 deep shots last season.

In his small sample size, Lewis avoided making any turnover-worthy plays according to PFF, something that could elevate him and the Buffaloes to the top of the conference if he can stick to that over an entire season. Lewis finished third in completion percentage, and while his other stats didn’t jump off the page, he was well above average across the board.

Noah Fifita (Arizona)- 90.3

Attempts: 61

Accuracy: 36%

Adjusted accuracy (for drops): 39%

Yards per attempt: 11.2

Fifita took 61 deep shots last season, putting him third in the conference, but unlike the two guys ahead of him, he did it all while playing Big 12 football. He’s easily the conference’s most established thrower of the football.

Fifita’s turnover-worthy rate of 1.4% is second only to Lewis with his small sample size. That should be worth a lot considering the defenses he faced, which were substantially more talented than those faced by many of his new peers.

Unlike most of the others on this list, there’s real evidence Fifita has hit a ceiling of sorts. His deep passing grade was exactly the same in 2024.

Drew Mestemaker (OSU)- 88.8

Attempts: 49

Accuracy: 39%

Adjusted accuracy (for drops): 45%

Yards per attempt: 15.5

Some will doubt Mestemaker’s ability to transition to power conference football, but the quarterback’s numbers are incredible to date.

He leads the way, averaging 15.5 yards per deep shot. Mestemaker also ranks third in BTT rate (31%), and his adjusted completion percentage is a blistering 45%, putting him third in the conference behind only Craig and Kansas State’s Avery Johnson among quarterbacks who attempted at least 20 deep shots last season.

The biggest thing you could ding Mestemaker for from a stats standpoint is that 8.6% of his plays were deemed turnover-worthy. That puts him eighth out of 14 quarterbacks examined, but considering he’s completing 2.5% more of his deep shots for what is nearly three extra yards per attempt than the average Big 12 quarterback, I think the Cowboys will happily live with a slightly higher chance of a turnover.

Avery Johnson (Kansas State)- 86.1

Attempts: 47

Accuracy: 40%

Adjusted accuracy (for drops): 49%

Yards per attempt: 14.7

Everything seemed to unravel for Kansas State last season. Johnson’s involvement in that is something of a chicken-egg debate. His nearly 9-point gain in adjusted completion percentage does suggest the quarterback was perhaps the victim of some poor execution by his teammates.

Even without that adjustment, Johnson’s regular completion percentage was good enough to put him second in the conference entering this fall. His yards per attempt are good enough for fourth, as is his BTT rate of 30.6%. Every quarterback remaining on this list has a BTT rate of 24.2% or lower, so there’s a sizable gap here.

Similar to Fifita, Johnson’s stats deserve a bit of a boost considering they came against a schedule filled with power conference foes.

Alonza Barnett (UCF)- 80.5

Attempts: 54

Accuracy: 37

Adjusted accuracy (for drops): 38.9

Yards per attempt: 13.9

Average depth of target doesn’t feel that useful considering all 14 quarterbacks averaged between 29.6 and 31.1 yards per attempt, but Barnett was one of two to hit the high number.

The James Madison transfer also finished third in turnover-worthy plays after recording only 1.7% of such attempts when looking deep. Unlike any other player on this list, Barnett also has experience in the college football playoff.

In the opening round against the Ducks, Barnett completed 4-of-8 deep shots for 111 yards and a touchdown. Those completions are a big reason that lopsided playoff game took forever to truly feel completely out of reach despite Oregon holding a sizable lead throughout.​

There’s a clear gap between the top group and the next eight when it comes to deep attempts.

Although it’s worth noting the conference’s two favorites for the Heisman Trophy, Texas Tech’s Will Hammond and BYU’s Bear Bachmeier are both in the lower grouping. Currently, FanDuel has those guys in a four-way tie for 18th in the Heisman at +5,500 odds.

Bachmeier in particular seems primed for a breakout season after landing the Cougars’ starting job rather late.

Hammond’s adjusted completion percentage of 47.1% puts him third entering the season, and his turnover-worthy play rate (5.6%) has him sixth.

Houston starter Conner Weigman feels like the most proven option of the remaining eight, and his turnover-worthy rate of 4.8% ranks fifth among Big 12 quarterbacks.

It’s worth noting that Arizona State’s Mikey Keene was not included in the top six despite his grade of 82.9 for two reasons. First, he has yet to win the Sun Devils’ job, and second, all of those numbers reflect his 2024 season at Fresno State since he failed to record stats in 2025.

Both Kansas quarterbacks competing for the job remain off the list since they combined for seven total deep attempts last season. Former Sooner Michael Hawkins, now at West Virginia, also wasn’t included because he has few deep attempts in his career.

Around January, Lutz said Clary truly started to buy in. The Oklahoma State coach didn’t mean that in a manner that would cast doubt on Clary’s character but rather compared it to being in a new job where you sort of have to feel out the order of things before feeling to comfortable with what you need to do.

Clary’s numbers from last year reflect Lutz’s hypothesis.

In the dozen games the Cowboys played in November and December, Clary averaged 8.0 points and 4.4 assists a game. In the 22 games he played from January on, Clary averaged 12.1 points and 4.7 assists a game. He failed to score in double figures eight times before January and did so just seven times from January on, when the competition got tougher as the Big 12 schedule started rolling.

Clary played some of his best basketball late in the year, scoring a season-high 23 points in an overtime win against UCF before dropping 20 on Davidson in the first round of the NIT.

The close to the season and start to Clary’s offseason have led to Lutz expecting a lot out of his point guard this upcoming school year.

“I think that he kinda had a turning point somewhere around January of last year,” Lutz said. “This is just part of where we’re at in today’s basketball world. I think that’s kinda when he turned the corner and started trusting the staff and buying into what we’re doing. … After January, February last year, I really thought he bought in. He’s continued to do that. He’s continued to try and help the young guys. He’s continued to try and help the new guys, especially those that need it and be a leader.

“I expect him to be one of the better point guards across the United States this year. I’m gonna be really disappointed if he’s not.”

Clary, or any college basketball player, returning to a school isn’t a given. He’s one of just four returners on Oklahoma State’s roster from last season’s squad.

Lutz shared earlier in the summer that Clary made it known to him he wanted to stay so long as the money offered could be fair compared to what others might offer him to lure him away.

Clary gave his side of that story this week.

“(Stillwater has) been treating me real well,” Clary said. “This is a place I feel like is kinda my second home. I’m from Virginia originally, but when I’m here it feels like when I’m back at home. There’s a lot of good people here who want to see me be a good person on and off the floor.”

What also ought to help Clary’s final season are the pieces Lutz and his staff assembled around the point guard.

The Cowboys had a Top 25 portal class, per 247Sports and paired that with a Top 10 traditional recruiting class. This is, on paper, Lutz’s best team to date, and he’s been bullish about the group even in the summer.

“We’ve got a better sense about the game of basketball,” Lutz said. “Things that maybe you had to coach and teach in previous years, this group picks up on very well. There’s certain things you don’t even have to teach, they just understand that hey, here’s the play to be made, let’s go make the play — rather than help somebody learn to make that play. So, the basketball feel is a lot better.

“I like our size. Let’s just say that you started either Jacob (Walker) or Kanye. Jacob’s probably 6-(foot)-1, and Kanye, he tells me he’s 6-feet all the time. After that, though, you literally could start 6-5, 6-8, 6-10, 7-foot. Your size is so much different.”

OSU Bullets

• Here’s what former Cowboys are on rosters heading into pre-season NFL fall camps (GoPokes247) 

• Take a look at Steve Lutz’s squad loaded with freshmen and sophomores (PFB)

• GoPokes 247 has the offensive line as their most intriguing position group going into fall camp: 

(OL Coach Cody Crill) has guys who could be on the right or left, could be guard or tackle. He has guys he’s familiar with from North Texas, guys who stuck around Stillwater after last season and guys coming in with significant Power Four experience. Even the best offenses can be derailed by poor or incohesive line play. With so many other proven aspects on the offense, solidifying the line is Priority No. 1 in August. [GoPokes 247 $$$]

• Five Pokes made the Shriner’s pre-season watchlist (PFB)

• “Most underrated team”

Who’s the most underrated team in the Big 12 this season? 👀

“I like Oklahoma State. Too many people are going to pick them towards the bottom of the league” – @GoodmanHoops

🎥: https://t.co/vWv1CgFe3A pic.twitter.com/KSNSgUqo0z

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) July 22, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Charts on why Americans are unemployed • Tasting Heaven (faith-based)

“What gives you opportunities is other people doing dumb things. And I’d say that in the fifty-eight years that we’ve been running Berkshire, there’s been a great increase in the number of people doing dumb things.”

Warren Buffett

@MonarcSport Best in the business!! 🎯 https://t.co/qN2X8EH5tt

— Eric Morris (@__CoachMorris) July 22, 2026

Monarc is a tech company that touts its Seeker as “the world’s first robotic QB & practice automation solution.”

It is essentially a JUGS machine that can be extremely fine-tuned to throw precise routes and modified to emulate certain quarterback tendencies including time of the release and speed of the ball through the air.

While not as headline-grabbing the Seeker can also be used to simulate punters as well. At first-glance the main beneficiary of this device will be Oklahoma State’s skill players, but it should also help quarterback Drew Mestemaker avoid over-working his arm headed into the season this fall.

None of those things were top of mind for point guard Kanye Clary when he was asked what he hopes to get out of the upcoming trip on Tuesday morning.

“A sense of like you know unity just becoming one,” Clary said. “You know we’ve been practicing against each other for the last two months, so you really haven’t played nobody else. So I’m kind of eager to see how we react when facing adversity. You know, maybe we playing people say (in) the game they go on a 10-0 run. You see how we react to the little things.”

Oklahoma State will compete in Puerto Rico Sunday, Monday and Wednesday in games against a professional team recently eliminated from the playoffs. All tipoffs are scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and fans can stream the games live on either the BallTV app (search Oklahoma State) or on BallerTV.com using the following links.

Watch Game 1.

Watch Game 2. 

Watch Game 3.

“Basically what we do is we pay more money to get those guys to stick around,” Lutz said. “So then instead of playing, like a lot of times you’ll go over there and you’ll just play whoever’s in the country that is a professional, and they’ll just kind of throw them all together. We’ll have an actual team, and the coach will coach that team. … So it should be good competition, at least two out of three games.”

The Cowboys have already gained one of the biggest benefits of the trip before even leaving. The NCAA lifts practice restrictions normally imposed during the summer and allows 10 practices ahead of foreign tours.

Lutz compared these to “Christmas in July” and said these in combination with live games should allow the Cowboys to take the floor for exhibition games in September and October well ahead of schedule. The trip will also allow the coaches to experiment with multiple lineups that could change at the start of every quarter since the Puerto Rican Professional Basketball League uses FIBA rules.

“Now our goal is to win,” Lutz said. “Like don’t mistake this. We’re going over there to compete and to win. But I also want to see who plays well together and try the different lineups out.”

Practices are the top benefit, but Lutz said the chance for the team to bond in a meaningful way comes second. The Oklahoma State coach even said he would ban phones from the activities to encourage the guys to really focus on each other.

“And that’s where the jokes start to come out, and you really get to know one another on a personal level,” Lutz said.

When discussing Clary’s impact as a returner, Lutz said saw a huge change in Clary around January last season. He believes this trip could help first-year Cowboys make similar jumps sooner in the season.

“This is just part of where we’re at in today’s basketball world,” he said. “I think that’s kind of when he turned the corner and maybe started trusting the staff and buying into what we’re doing. And again, you asked about you know what does the summer and the foreign trip help with? That should help with that.”

There were technically seven underclassmen on last season’s Oklahoma State roster, but two of those underclassmen were 22-year-old freshmen (Lefteris Mantzoukas and Daniel Guetta). Lutz’s new squad has eight traditional underclassmen:

Benjamin Ahmed, sophomore
Ryan Crotty, sophomore
Mekhi Ragland, sophomore
Jacob Walker (Sam Houston transfer), sophomore
Latrell Allmond, freshman
Jalen Montonati, freshman
Anthony Felesi, freshman
Parker Robinson, freshmen

Despite the team’s youth, this looks (on paper) like Lutz’s best team to date.

OSU’s class of freshmen ranked seventh nationally, according to 247Sports. That ranks second in the Big 12 behind only Kansas with the outlet naming all four of the Cowboys’ freshmen as four-star prospects.

Allmond leads the group in accolades, coming in as the program’s 11th McDonald’s All-American. A pickup late in the cycle, Felesi came in at No. 34 in 247Sports’ national rankings. Meanwhile Montonati was the state’s best prospect for some time, and Robinson averaged 18.1 points a game last season at Overtime Elite while shooting a season-best 39% from 3.

As good as that group might be, college practices are no joke — especially Lutz practices.

“They’re all beat up a little bit right now,” said a smiling Lutz. “They’re freshmen. It doesn’t matter if you were the 500th-ranked player or you were a McDonald’s All-American — it’s hard. It’s hard when coach is not telling you that everything you’re doing is correct. It’s hard when you come across the lane and somebody lays you out and you’ve never been hit like that before. So, they’re all beat up. They spend a lot of time in the training table, but they’re all wonderful human beings and they’re gonna be good basketball players.”

The freshman class is experiencing what the trio of Ahmed, Crotty and Ragland went through last season.

Ahmed made the biggest impact among that class last season, playing in 21 games (seven starts) while averaging 4.9 points and 3.6 rebounds a contest. Ahmed was noticeably more trim when he met with reporters on Tuesday.

“I think just learn from last season,” Ahmed said. “You know what to work on, you know how practice is gonna go. We have the experience now. We know what Coach Lutz wants. …

“From last year to this year, I’m getting my body right. Lost weight, getting in better shape, too, because I had an injury on my foot. So, I think I’m just getting in better shape, and that’s like the biggest deal for me right now, to be in better shape to play more.”

Lutz also noted Ahmed bettering his body, and the Cowboys’ coach also pointed to Ragland as another guy who has gotten in better shape this offseason.

Ragland was listed at 6-foot-11, 330 pounds as a freshman. There were moments last season where you could see the potential with his soft touch around the rim, but he no doubt needed to trim down to have success at this level.

“I give Mekhi a lot of credit — he went in the month of May and part of June to Phoenix to, I don’t know the word to use, maybe get healthy and to really learn the nutritional aspect of how he needs to function,” Lutz said. “He dropped some weight, and he came back and he looked slimmer and trimmer than he has. So, I’m really proud of him.”

Lastly, Crotty played the most minutes of OSU’s freshmen last season, totaling 281 minutes on the floor. That came after a high school career that saw Crotty hit 247 3-pointers across his junior and senior seasons.

His opportunities were inconsistent last season, and he wasn’t able to truly get into his rhythm from 3. But bettering other aspects of his game would likely lead to more consistent minutes, thus more consistent 3-point opportunities. And it sounds as if he is also moving in the right direction heading into his sophomore year.

“Ryan has done a good job with his body,” Lutz said. “He’s in great shape. It’s the best shape I’ve seen him in since he’s touched foot on campus. I expect big things out of all of them.”

You can also find this podcast on Spotify and Apple.

PFB+ Sale: ⁠PFB+ subscriptions are 25% off when using this link

OSU Bullets

• Steve Lutz talked about life coaching at OSU in the NIL era – among other differences (PFB)

• Desmond Mason was charged yesterday with multiple fraud charges after not delivering art he was paid to make (News 9)

• Loved that the odds showed OSU winning at least 6 games, simulating through the season 100 times:

Chances of winning X games: Speaking of bowls, OSU won at least six regular season games in 56% of the simulations. Here’s how that breaks down further (again, only regular season wins):

at least one win — 100%
at least two wins — 100% (better than last year)
at least three wins — 98%
at least four wins — 91%
at least five wins — 76%
at least six wins — 56%
at least seven wins — 31%
at least eight wins — 14%
at least nine wins — 6%
at least 10 wins — 1%
more than 10 wins — 0%  [PFB]

• Mestemaker drawing rave reviews:

https://t.co/OaRQcbLV72 pic.twitter.com/mmDpFEkBGx

— BuffalOKstate (@BuffalOKstate) July 21, 2026

• Pokes up top in the QB tiers:

2026 FBS QB Tiers according to @TheAthletic survey: https://t.co/i77ixqatKp pic.twitter.com/FzNiRdfC1Q

— parker fleming (@statsowar) July 21, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• New side-hustle: sitting in lines at restaurants • When life gets busy, keep abiding (faith-based)

Five Cowboys were named to the Shriners Children’s 1,000 Watch List. It’s the start of a process of recognizing players with talent and NFL potential for consideration in next year’s Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl, a premiere pre-NFL Draft scouting event.

Named were quarterback Drew Mestemaker, linebacker Ethan Wesloski, edge Jaleel Johnson, offensive lineman Johnny Dickson III and wide receiver Wyatt Young. Of the five Pokes listed, only one (Johnson) returns from last season’s roster. The other four followed first-year head coach Eric Morris from North Texas.

Here’s a look at what they liked.

Drew Mestemaker (QB): FBS’s reigning passing leader. On one hand, he’ll be doing his best to live up to the step up in competition. On the other, he’s the nation’s leading passer stepping up into a Power Four program with his offensive coaches and system from last year, a good chunk of his weapons and a Top 15 transfer portal class. He could be ready for that sophomore surge.

Ethan Wesloski (LB): The redshirt senior comes to OSU from North Texas. He broke out as a junior in 2025, grabbing the third-highest PFF grade among FBS linebackers last season. He ranked in the Top 25 among tacklers in the nation.

Jaleel Johnson (Edge): The list’s sole returning Cowboy might be the least credentialed of the group (stats-wise, that is). Johnson only played four games last season but in those limited snaps he was rated the Pokes’ best defender by PFF.

Johnny Dickson III (OL): A seasoned vet with starting experience and honors to boot, Dickson earned all-conference honors in the American last year as a junior. He boasted more than 750 snaps on the year and will be a part of the Cowboys’ O-Line as it tries to gel and facilitate all their offensive potential.

Wyatt Young (WR): Ending the list with a not-so-hidden gem. Young was a First Team All-American as a sophomore for the Mean Green and ranking third in the FBS in receiving yards.

The 2027 Shriners Children’s East-West Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. and will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

As has become a bit of a tradition since EA Sports has resumed making college football games, we’ve simulated Oklahoma State’s season 100 times on College Football 27.

Let’s get this out of the way early, this is not meant for anything other than a little July fun. It’s silly, I’m fully aware of that. Live a little.

If you’d like to look back at how the previous years went, here’s the 2024 season and 2025 season.

Without further ado, here’s what happened when we simulated Oklahoma State’s 2026 season 100 times.

Overview

Average regular season wins and losses: The Cowboys, on average, went 5.7-6.3 during the regular season in this exercise.

For reference, when we first did this ahead of the 2024 season, it came out to an average of 8.1-3.9 — just for the Cowboys to finish that season 3-9. Then last season, the game had OSU’s average at 4.2-8 before OSU went 1-11. Important to note, I included bowl games in previous years’ records but didn’t this year because there were many instances where OSU would win six games (or more) and not get in a bowl.

Chances of winning X games: Speaking of bowls, OSU won at least six regular season games in 56% of the simulations. Here’s how that breaks down further (again, only regular season wins):

at least one win — 100%
at least two wins — 100% (better than last year)
at least three wins — 98%
at least four wins — 91%
at least five wins — 76%
at least six wins — 56%
at least seven wins — 31%
at least eight wins — 14%
at least nine wins — 6%
at least 10 wins — 1%
more than 10 wins — 0%

Big 12 Title Chances: OSU won one Big 12 title in these simulations (Sim 74) and made it to the title game on two other occasions, losing to BYU in both instances. We’ll break down where the rest of the Big 12 titles went here in a bit.

College Football Playoff Chances: The Cowboys twice made the College Football Playoff First Round, losing in both of those instances. One was Sim 74, where OSU won the Big 12. The other was Sim 5, where OSU lost in the Big 12 title game to BYU after a 10-2 regular season.

Bowls the Pokes went to: As noted, there were instances OSU would win enough games to be bowl eligible then not be selected for a bowl. I’m guessing the game doesn’t have enough bowls available for all the possible six-win teams.

With that said, there were 46 instances of OSU making a bowl. Here’s a breakdown of the bowls:

College Football Playoff First Round — two times (0-2)
Alamo Bowl — five times (4-1)
Pop-Tarts Bowl — four times (2-2)
Texas Bowl — seven times (0-7) (one was a loss to OU)
Liberty Bowl — four times (1-3)
Rate Bowl — nine times (2-7)
Frisco Bowl — six times (4-2) (one was a win against North Texas)
Independence Bowl — five times (4-1)
New Mexico Bowl — four times (2-2)

Game-by-Game Percentages

Here’s a look at OSU’s game-by-game win percentages:

at Tulsa — 77%
Oregon — 17%
FCS (Murray State) — 97%
at West Virginia — 63%
UCF — 40%
at Houston — 46%
Colorado — 37%
at Iowa State — 55%
at Kansas State — 31%
Texas Tech — 27%
at Arizona State — 32%
Kansas — 52%

Notes: 

After being in Eugene last September, I’ll take a 17% chance of something wild happening because boy, that was ugly.

The two most surprising percentages from that chart for me were Colorado and Kansas State. You’ll see here shortly how much the simulation loved K-State. Although Colorado won just one Big 12 title during these sims, they had the Pokes’ number in Stillwater. I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was like 50/50, but 37% seemed low if you ask me.

Big 12 Champion Percentages

Here’s a look at which teams won Big 12 titles and how many. First, in written form, then in a nice graph:

BYU — 33
Texas Tech — 31
Kansas State — 16
Utah — 10
Baylor — 2
Houston — 2
UCF — 2
Arizona — 1
Arizona State — 1
Colorado — 1
Oklahoma State — 1

Notes: 

See, I told you the sims loved Kansas State. For reference, K-State is fifth in FanDuel odds to win the league this season.

BYU and Texas Tech accounting for 64% of league titles tracks, though I imagine many would’ve picked Tech to finish with the most. You wonder how much the Sorsby situation late in the game’s production cycle might’ve messed with things.

Notable Simulations

Darkest Timeline: Sim 4

There were two simulations in which OSU finished 2-10. I give the darkest timeline nod to Sim 4 because it would involved, for a second straight season, the Cowboys losing to Tulsa. OSU’s only wins in Sim 4 were against FCS (Murray State) and at Houston.

Brightest timeline: Sim 74

OSU finished the regular season of Sim 74 at 9-3, which isn’t their highest win total of these simulations, but this simulation gets the nod because it’s where OSU won the Big 12. It also included a cheeky win against Texas Tech. The only regular season losses were to Oregon, at Houston and home vs Kansas.

Somewhat Realistic Optimism: Sim 34

Sim 34 wasn’t the Cowboys’ best simulation, but it might’ve made the most optimistic sense of any of these whacky things.

It saw OSU have a 9-3 regular season with losses to Oregon, at Houston and Texas Tech. Tech would go on to win the league, while OSU would suffer a defeat in the Texas Bowl. Still, solid year considering the previous two seasons.

Weird Ones:

Sim 99 — OSU went 6-6 in the penultimate simulation by starting off 6-0 (including a win against Oregon) before losing six straight. I’m not sure what I’d think about a season like that.

Sim 69 — OSU went 4-8, losing to Tulsa and Murray State but beating Oregon. It was one of three instances where OSU lost to Tulsa but beat Oregon but the only where OSU lost to Murray State while beating Oregon.

Sims 24 and 29 — Both of these simulations saw OSU go 7-5 but beat Oregon and Texas Tech. That might feel like the 2018 season when Taylor Cornelius led OSU to wins against Texas and that solid West Virginia squad while otherwise being rather average.

That’s the modern life of a college basketball coach juggling NIL, eligibility — oh, and basketball.

At the forefront of Oklahoma State’s offseason this year is Sam Houston transfer Kashie Natt and returner Parsa Fallah seeking one last year of eligibility and having to go through the courts to do so.

Early this month, Natt was granted an ex parte order that made him eligible to return to team activities. Fallah is reportedly in a group of 45 athletes included in a lawsuit against the NCAA seeking eligibilty.

The college coaching job was at one point to recruit good players, develop them and try to win basketball games. All of that is still expected now, along with an ability to navigate what is essentially a salary cap while also being plugged in on legalese at least well enough to understand some of the big picture stuff that’s going on.

“Now you start with the litigation process, and that’s a whole other animal,” Lutz said Tuesday. “I don’t know the exact number, but I wanna say that the NCAA has spent $350 million last year alone in defending themselves. The system currently has some things that need to be tweaked, and until those are tweaked and until there is some sort of backing by the government, I think we’re going to just continue to see people trying to exercise these loopholes.

“I think that the five-for-five is a good step forward. I think that will eliminate some of this, but because of the timing of they’re rolling it out, in the summer, it’s just gonna be chaotic in between here and October, it really is.”

For now, Natt is on the roster and practicing with the Cowboys ahead of their summer trip to Puerto Rico. There’s a world where he and OSU get through the season before the legal side has the chance to take its course, but there’s also a world where a court date gets set and a ruling gets made where he is or isn’t eligible.

If it isn’t obvious by all the hoopla, Natt’s eligibility isn’t exactly straight forward, having spent time at the junior college level, the NAIA level and last season being his first at the Division-I level (you can read more about that here).

Following Natt being granted the ex parte order, the NCAA released the following statement via Chief Legal Officer Scott Bearby:

“The order in the Natt case, issued without the NCAA having any opportunity to respond and by a judge not even assigned to hear the case, is demonstrably flawed and the latest instance of an environment where litigation has become a tool to avoid playing by the rules that everyone has agreed to follow. The student-athlete at issue already benefited from the ‘Pavia waiver,’ which provided him the opportunity to play for a fifth season, and nobody, including the institution where he seeks to compete next year, has ever expressed any doubt that his collegiate career ended when the Pavia waiver expired. We will pursue all remedies to seek reversal of this decision, which contributes to the instability in college sports that only Congress can solve.”

That’s the type of stuff you probably don’t get into coaching for. And I imagine when Lutz was an assistant at SMU in 2006, he probably wasn’t thinking about someday having to divide money up among a roster, trying to determine how much a returner is worth vs. how much an incoming freshman is worth vs. how much a transfer from the lower level was worth.

“The things that we’ve learned as a college coach in terms of contracts, in terms of negotiations, in terms of revenue sharing and NIL — it’s unbelievable,” Lutz said. “I understand — and we don’t have a general manager here mostly because of budgetary restrictions — but I understand why people have general managers. Because if you don’t a business sense or you don’t have people to help you, man, you’re gonna have a hard time navigating it by yourself. Luckily our staff, especially (associate head coach) James (Miller), does a great job of helping with all of that. But I’m very, very hands on.”

OSU Bullets

• OSU’s nominated candidates for Big 12 athlete of the year (PFB)

• Updates on the three OSU athletes challenging for extra eligibility (GoPokes 247 $$$)

• National pundits are talking about the Cowboys – check out this talk about the Pokes as the biggest turnaround candidates: 

“I think it’s Oklahoma State,” Danny Kanell said. “I don’t think it’s close. Obviously they have the low win total from last year. I think they should make significant improvement. I would probably say out of all of these teams (in all of the leagues), even going back to UCLA, out of the Power Four, I would expect Oklahoma State to be the biggest jump of all the Power Four schools.” [PFB]

• Former Cowboy De’Zhaun Stribling made the watchlist for offensive rookie of the year (247 Sports) 

•  A little misguiding with Craig coming from the Ivy League and Mestemaker from the American, but still, solid QB play incoming in 2026: 

Highest Graded Returning Big 12 Quarterbacks🎯 pic.twitter.com/y7DCof9Clk

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 20, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Rest is a thing to be received, not bought (faith-based)  

This is a super interesting concept: 

This map re-imagines the states of the #USA. Each state is now home to approximately the same number of people and is of similar size. States are also largely named in a more culturally sensitive way. You’ll find me in Bayou or Yosemite. pic.twitter.com/hOayiI09jZ

— Simon Kuestenmacher (@simongerman600) July 20, 2026

Stout wrapped up the season as the top male collegiate golfer in the country thanks to a hole-18 birdie. He then powered the Pokes to a semifinal appearance where they lost to eventual national champion Auburn.

Stout was obviously a First Team All-American and ranked as the top amateur in the world. He finished last season with five wins, a program record for juniors, and now sits only three short of tying Lindy Miller’s school record of 11 career wins.

Jepkirui, a senior, earned All-American honors after finishing fourth at the Indoor NCAA Championships in the mile and eighth in the 3,000 meters. She also ran what was then-considered the fourth-fastest mile in NCAA history to wrap up the Big 12 title two weeks prior to the championship race.

Jepkirui also finished third among Cowgirls at the NCAA Cross Country Championships to help the team place 12th overall.

Winners of the Big 12 Athletes of the Year Award will be announced Thursday. Each school nominates a male and female athlete of any classification who competed this past school year. Nominees are required to be in good academic standing and must have participated in a league-sponsored sport.

Some of the nominees still haven’t been revealed, but here’s a look at those who have been announced:

Arizona – Sydney Stewart and Jay Friend
Arizona State – Kenzie Brown and Jonny Kulow
Baylor – Tyler Isgrig and Devin Badenhorst
BYU – Jane Hedengren and AJ Dybantsa
UCF – Sierra Humphreys and Themus Fulks
Cincinnati – Juliette Laracuente-Huebner and Quinton Coats
Colorado – Maddie Shoup and Hunter Swanson
Houston – Michelle McLeod and Kingston Flemings
Iowa State – Mercyline Kirwa and Joshua Jefferson
Kansas – Shiyun Lai and Tyson LeBlanc
K-State – Shaylee Myers and Tah Chikomba
Oklahoma State – Billah Jepkirui and Preston Stout

How will Eric Morris do in the Big 12?

How will Drew Mestemaker adjust to the jump in competition?

Just how good is this roster made up of almost entirely new pieces?

Those questions, to this point, are unanswerable until the Cowboys kick off their season Sept. 5 in Tulsa at the earliest.

So, as we’re insulated in this Oklahoma State bubble, I often find the opinions of national pundits rather interesting this time of the year. Although we see how much better of a spot OSU seems to be in entering the Morris Era as compared to the past two seasons, what do those who keep their eyes on many teams see?

Well, within the past month, two of the most recognizable national college football podcasts have mentioned the Pokes as some sort of sleeper candidate.

The guys of the Cover 3 podcast noted college football’s biggest turnaround candidates last week and spent much of their Big 12 discussion talking about the Cowboys.

“I think it’s Oklahoma State,” Danny Kanell said. “I don’t think it’s close. Obviously they have the low win total from last year. I think they should make significant improvement. I would probably say out of all of these teams (in all of the leagues), even going back to UCLA, out of the Power Four, I would expect Oklahoma State to be the biggest jump of all the Power Four schools.”

They then discussed win totals and whether Oklahoma State could get up to seven wins in 2026. They got to six or so wins somewhat smoothly, picking the Pokes to win games against Tulsa, Murray State, Colorado, at Iowa State, Kansas and one of at WVU and UCF.

The UCF/WVU discussion led to those schools also being tabbed as Big 12 turnaround candidates before Chip Patterson asked Bud Elliott who was the better team among OSU, UCF and West Virginia.

“I think they’re all pretty similar if (UCF quarterback Alonza) Barnett is actually healthy,” Elliott said. “… I think (OSU’s roster outside of Mestemaker) will be, like, very competent. I worry about the ceiling, but they clearly have the best quarterback of those three. Like, Mestemaker does get some real NFL buzz.”

“He’s legit,” Kanell added.

The Cover 3 guys aren’t the only ones drinking the Mestemaker Kool-Aid this offseason, which is an exciting thing for a fanbase that has gone through it’s quarterback struggles in recent seasons.

Late last month, Josh Pate also named his dark horse teams for each conference.

“Give me Oklahoma State in the Big 12,” Pate said. “You wanted dark horse — it can’t possibly have been darker in Stillwater, Oklahoma.”

And he wasn’t talking about the neon black skies over a big night game in Boone Pickens Stadium.

Pate went on to point out that Oklahoma State is 1-20 over its past 21 games.

“So, what did they do?” Pate said. “Well, they looked across the G5 landscape, as everyone’s doing these days, and they said, ‘Where’s the best head coach and best offense that we can import?’ And they looked down in Denton, Texas at North Texas and saw, well, Eric Morris is there. He’s really good. The Mestemaker kid, man — that Drew kid at quarterback, he looks good, too. Bring him on — it’s like picking up hitch hikers at this point. Bring them all.

“North Texas was No. 1 in points per game last year. They hung 45 or more nine times. Mestemaker is a legit future NFL guy, and Oklahoma State had the 130th scoring offense in the country last year. So, they’re a dark horse.”

So, what can we glean from these national takes?

For starters, some of the turnaround/dark horse status the Cowboys have has to do with how bad they’ve been the past two seasons.

From the outside, a jump from 1-11 to 7-5 would be a big boon. Is that the same from within the fanbase, or are the expectations Mike Gundy built over the past two decades to the point where even that might be considered somewhat meh? I think the answer to that question probably has a lot to do with how big of a toll the past two seasons have taken on the fan answering the question.

The excitement of  the Morris’ hiring has sparked many possibilities in the minds of OSU fans. The win total (OSU sitting at 6.5 on FanDuel as of writing) and national pundits aren’t exactly ready to put the Pokes back in the Big 12 title picture, but they do see the Cowboys getting off the mat after two rudderless seasons.

There is certainly a renewed energy reverberating from Stillwater. It’s just a matter of how big those waves can get.

OSU Bullets

• Former Cowboy big Moussa Cisse got another contract from the Dallas Mavericks (PFB)

• Another former Cowboy big, Parsa Fallah, joined a lawsuit against the NCAA for eligiblity (GoPokes 247)

• Liked this take from AI analyzing a chart posted about how Cowboy Football has performed against expectations: 

Oklahoma State has spent the past quarter-century making preseason voters look pessimistic, outperforming its starting position in nearly three times as many seasons as it has fallen short. [ChatGPT]

Here’s a ranking of the 10 most overrated CFB teams since 2000. For a more comprehensive analysis, see my data from Jan.

My analysis gave an unranked team a “rank” of 30th (for both pre/post season) whereas this analysis gives them a rank of 26th… so that’s the reason for… https://t.co/9M0oVWD7E5 pic.twitter.com/VkGEuqk9D0

— Jeff Fuller (@jjfuller72) July 19, 2026

• Carson Cunningham and Colby Powell talk Eric Morris retaining play-calling duties and look at OSU’s strength of schedule (PFB)

• Fun rabbit trail to go down – just reading about simulations of this Cowboy Football season: 

We’re starting our 100 sims of #okstate’s season on College Football 27.

Hope to get through 25 today. I’ll share some interesting findings in this thread 🧵 pic.twitter.com/h8HDEzYQ13

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) July 17, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• It was tough to read Presti on the Lu Dort trade – logical reason to move is to let other players develop, but money/getting assets for a player are hard to get excited about 

•  Let me dwell in your tents forever (faith-based)

Moussa Cisse took part in 38 games as a rookie with the Dallas Mavericks this past season, averaging 4.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks a contest.

He was a restricted free agent this offseason, and the newly crowned NBA champs showed interest in him. But in the end, he’ll remain in Dallas. The Mavericks matched the New York Knicks’ two-year, $4.7 million offer sheet to retain Cisse on Saturday night.

Cisse spent two of his five college seasons in Stillwater, joining the Pokes in 2021 before leaving in 2023. He earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in his first season as a Cowboy and was on the league’s All-Defense team in both of his seasons.

He played 61 games with OSU, which marked the best stint of his college career. Cisse averaged 7.0 points, 7.3 boards and 1.9 blocks a game as a Cowboy.

Cisse’s 62 stuffs during the 2022-23 season mark the ninth-most in OSU’s history. Meanwhile, his 116 blocks across his two seasons as a Cowboy rank 10th in an OSU career. His 1.9 blocks a game as a Cowboy rank third all-time.

Cisse transferred to Ole Miss after his stint in Stillwater and then back to Memphis (his first college) for his last season. He took a visit back to Stillwater ahead of Steve Lutz’s first season but elected to return to Memphis instead.

At a rangy, athletic 6-foot-11, Cisse’s potential has always been evident. He was a Top 10 prospect in the 2020 recruiting class when he signed with Memphis, picking the Tigers over offers from Kansas, Kentucky and others.

He scored in double figures on five occasions for the Mavericks this past season. His season-high came in April when he scored 17 points and ripped down 20 rebounds in a win against Chicago.

Moussa Cisse (17 PTS 20 REB) vs. Chicago Bulls | April 12, 2026 pic.twitter.com/MkqoK8ngbW

— LetMeTeachYouBall (@LMTYBall) July 9, 2026

It makes sense as to why the Knicks were interested in Cisse’s services. In Madison Square Garden in January, Cisse scored 15 points, brought in nine rebounds and stuffed four shots.

The Mavericks have officially launched into their new era led by reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg. The franchise parted ways with coach Jason Kidd this offseason and hired Dusty May from Michigan (which led to the Wolverines hiring Mike Boynton).

You know what helps the show and helps us make more shows? When you rate us on Apple Podcasts or subscribe to our pod: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | SoundCloud.

As always, we appreciate our sponsor Chris’ University Spirit and Echo Contracting.

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OSU Bullets

• The Cowboys are projected to have one of the toughest schedules in the Big 12. [PFB]

• How OSU won an offseason of huge change. [SI]

• More big numbers projected for Drew Mestemaker this season. [Pokes Report]

• There were several Cowboys on-site for UFC OKC on Saturday.

DC and John Smith #Okstate pic.twitter.com/HfycR5m3uZ

— Colby Daniels (@Colby_Daniels) July 19, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• A mad, mad world (of CFB).

Is it more weird that Cal and Clemson are part of the same conference, or that they only play two common conference opponents, or that Notre Dame has more common ACC opponents with each of them without being a conference member? https://t.co/0lXTQ9yx45

— Brian Fremeau (@bcfremeau) July 15, 2026

• For your viewing pleasure.

Every Unassisted Triple Play in Baseball History pic.twitter.com/gbWyd9qKds

— MLB Replays (@MLBReplays_) July 18, 2026

But college football is a show-me culture and even with all that is different in Stillwater, the Cowboys are garnering dark-horse status at best his offseason.

It’s a lot harder to predict year-to-year success with the advanced metrics when it’s common for half a roster to be turned over by February. In the Cowboys’ case, you’re looking at practically a new team with a whole new coaching staff. In fact, even the most dialed-in outlets like BCFToys aren’t including coaching and player changes in the projections. It’s just too hard to quantify.

But it’s the offseason and talking heads have to talk (and typing hands have to type), so let’s check in with a couple of outlets that foresee a tough road for the new-look Cowboys.

College Football News does an offseason ranking every year, and from that they extract a crude strength of schedule ranking. We’re not talking deep data analysis here. If a team is ranked 10th in their ranking, you get 10 points for facing it. So, the lowest overall score makes for the toughest schedule. This is all based on offseason projections, but — especially with the amount of turnover that’s common these days — it might be as good as anything at predicting success or, in this case, toughness of slate.

In this ranking, the Cowboys get a score of 487.5, good for 29th nationally and second among Big 12 teams behind only Colorado (431.5). For reference, in this ranking Texas Tech has the lightest schedule load with a total of 614.5. The Red Raiders are consensus favorite to win the league if you can have those in the Big 12 these days.

If you look at ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Cowboys come in with the No. 44 strength of schedule. That’s third in the league behind Arizona State (30th) and Baylor (42nd). The FPI is a more technical system which includes projecting a score above or below the average against a nameless opponent on a neutral field. So, maybe more quantitative but less predictive. It doesn’t help that the Cowboys have to face the No. 4 (Oregon) and No. 10 (Texas Tech) teams in the FPI this year.

If we look to desert, the oddsmakers are also predicting a tough go for the Cowboys, probably in large part due to that slate. Let’s look at the chief talking points on that schedule.

OSU has just two home games in the first four weeks. One is against a CFP contender in Oregon and the other against an FCS opponent in Murray State. In conference play, the Cowboys have Texas Tech at home, which is better than going to Lubbock, as well as visits from UCF, Colorado and Kansas. I think a 4-2 home finish is more than ambitious.

On the road, the Cowboys face West Virginia, Houston, Iowa State, Kansa State and Arizona State. There’s a decent chance the Cowboys are underdogs in all of those come kick time depending on how the season goes. It probably helps that OSU skips BYU and Utah in the regular season.

We haven’t even reached way-too-early status yet. But as it sits, the Cowboys are only favored in their season opener at Tulsa (Stillwater-lite) and one of six Big 12 teams with an over/under of 5.5 wins in 2026 according to BetMGM.

The Cowboys are T9th at +3000 to win the Big 12, paired with TCU according to DraftKings. Again, take all of this with a grain of salt, but in case you were wondering like I was, here’s the parsed-out odds (that Google could find) for OSU’s schedule.

Tulsa (road): 12.5-point favorite
Oregon (home): 19.5-point dog
Murray State (home): N/A
West Virginia (road): 1.5-point favorite
UCF (home): N/A
Houston (road): 13.5-point dog
Colorado (home): N/A
Iowa State (road): N/A
Kansas State (road): 19.5-point dog
Texas Tech (home): N/A
Arizona State (road): 1.5-point dog
Kansas (home): N/A

The one conference game the Pokes are favored in, would probably flip if it kicked tomorrow with no other data. If we could twist the arms of someone in Vegas, I’m not sure OSU would be favored in more than three or four of these games total, on paper.

The Big 12 eschewed an official preseason poll, but the unofficial ranking saw the Cowboys land at ninth in the league, and ESPN’s continuity table (includes FBS starts for all rostered players) that has OSU at eighth. The tough slate, along with all the unknowns of a rebuild, probably contribute to those rankings.

So, what does all of this mean when it comes to the cleats hitting the turf this fall? Not much. Arizona State finished 10th in the Pac-12 in 2023 and then won a Big 12 championship in 2024. Texas Tech was seventh in 2024 and then won it last year. The thing both teams share with Oklahoma State, is that most of their players were playing in the Big 12 for the first time when they hoisted the trophy.

I’m not quite ready to predict a trip to Arlington for OSU, but things swing fast college football — especially in this league. These projections and schedule rankings do provide some context for just how tough a slate this rebuilt roster will face with many of its best players also facing a step up in competition.

Three Thoughts

• Love that so many Cowboys are on this list of most impactful transfers. Will it be enough to overcome a lack of previously rostered impact players? (X)

NEW: Top 10 Most Impactful Big 12 Football Transfers for 2026💥

(via @Brett_McMurphy) https://t.co/VsY61zEoOO pic.twitter.com/2RxAwJ6jZb — On3 (@On3) July 16, 2026

• Regression is expected (braced for?) for guys like Caleb Hawkins – but he can still have a massive impact if he even gets in the ballpark (PFB)

• Receiver Chris Barnes is a serious x-factor for this Cowboy offense – can you imagine the single coverage he’ll get with Justin Bowick and Wyatt Young? (PFB) • These are the games Mike Gundy routinely won in his prime – can Eric Morris beat teams like a middling Colorado squad?

In the Big 12 preseason poll conducted by the Tulsa World, OSU was a solid ninth, 36 points ahead of 10th-place Baylor and only 42 points behind sixth-place Texas Christian. Meanwhile, Colorado was 15th, ahead of only wiped-out Iowa State.

 

I wouldn’t say gimme, not yet. But that does look like a likely win for Eric Morris’ first team. [TulsaWorld]

Two Quotes

• Not surprising here – Pokes’ viewership is number one with a bullet:

🚨 Average TV viewership of all current Big 12 teams over the last decade 👇 pic.twitter.com/T9qSDrReOv

— Salt City Sports (@saltcitysportut) July 17, 2026

• What a flex – having an alum’s Nike-branded shoes for your players:

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) July 17, 2026

One Question

• Drew Mestemaker is rated an 89 on NCAA Football’s new version (a number he felt was a hair too low) – where would you have him?

Non-OSU Bullets

• Failing is common, trying is rare • LeBron James, by deduction, isn’t likely headed for Oklahoma City

As we crawl ever closer to the start of the Eric Morris Era at Oklahoma State, here is an offensive and defensive X factor for the Cowboys entering 2026.

Offense: Chris Barnes, WR

For good reason, Wyatt Young is the most highly publicized OSU receiver heading into the 2026 season.

He’s coming off a year in which he caught 70 balls for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns in this same offense with Drew Mestemaker slinging the pill.

Chris Barnes isn’t exactly coming out of nowhere, as he was a four-star prospect coming out of the transfer portal via Wake Forest. But it’s safe to say he’s flying a little under the national radar when it comes to this team with much of the offseason talk about this offense centering on Mestemaker, Young and running back Caleb Hawkins.

But Barnes has all the potential to be a star in Eric Morris’ system. He’s a 5-foot-7, 169-pound redshirt sophomore with blazing speed and catlike quickness. After redshirting at Washington State in 2024, Barnes caught 39 passes for 547 yards and four touchdowns at Wake Forest last season as a redshirt freshman. He also tallied 143 rushing yards and a kick return touchdown.

And Morris has long been interested in getting Barnes into his system, as the speedster was committed to Morris at North Texas for the better part of five months before Washington State swooped in ahead of signing day.

“He’s so electric,” said Morris of Barnes at Big 12 Media Days. “He ran a 10.2 100-meter dash. He was committed to me in high school at North Texas and ended up flipping late, but a kid I knew the family, I knew his personal makeup, I knew he could fit our system, can really stretch the field vertically.”

Whether it’s the standard passing game, the return game or some gadget-type stuff in between, I expect Barnes to have a big year in orange and black.

Defense: Braylon Rigsby, DT

Defensive tackle is perhaps the Cowboys’ biggest question mark entering 2026, but some Big 12 Media Days comments might soothe some of those worries.

At different points of the long day of interviews, defensive end Jaleel Johnson and linebacker Ethan Wesloski each sat down with The Sports Animal’s Mike Rodgers and Cale Gundy. They were each asked about guys to watch out for on the defense, and the first name out of each of their mouths (independently of each other) was Braylon Rigsby.

Rigsby is a 6-foot-3, 283-pound redshirt junior who transferred from Texas Tech this offseason. He took part in all of Tech’s games last season, winning a Big 12 title and making the College Football Playoff. Across the past two years, he’s played in 26 games and made 24 tackles, and three tackles for loss.

“I really like Braylon Rigsby,” Johnson said. “He came in from Tech. The way that man plays football is astonishing. I really admire his game. He’s able to work past these offensive linemen with ease. I just enjoy the way he plays the game.”

There isn’t a ton of glory available for interior defensive linemen, as most times they are successful if they eat enough blocks for someone else to make a play. But you can’t deny the importance of a good interior, and if Rigsby is standing out to a defensive end who plays next to him and a linebacker who plays behind him, that’s probably a great sign.

Maybe the offseason worry about this group was unjustified. The room does have some nice pieces like North Texas transfers Saadiq Clements and Fatafehi Vailea II (returning from injury) and Louisville transfer Jerry Lawson. You also can’t mention this position group without noting that returner Iman Oates is still seeking another year of eligibility, a situation Morris still didn’t have an update for at Big 12 Media Days.

“I wish I had more information for you on that,” Morris said. “It’s all out of our hands and in the court’s hands right now.”

But if Rigsby is a dude, he probably unlocks quite a bit in terms of what’s possible for the OSU D this season.

Quarterback Drew Mestemaker, running back Caleb Hawkins and receiver Wyatt Young all finished top five at their respective positions in yardage.

Although that trio should benefit from another year on the field together, plus what seems like a better supporting cast, they also have to face tougher competition on a weekly basis.

Mestemaker can afford to take a somewhat expected step back and still light the country on fire with his arm.​

As a running back, predicting Hawkins’ production is less straightforward.

He finished fifth in the nation in rushing yards with 1,434 while averaging 6.2 yards per carry.

Nine running backs, including former Cowboy Ollie Gordon, returned and carried the ball at least 100 times following a top 10 season in either 2023 or 2024.

Three of them gained roughly 8% more rushing yards, while the other six combined to lose 31% of their production.

Note: bold stats mark percentages that improved.

Unlike the quarterbacks, the data is a bit scattered here. Hawkins’ rushing total last season would have ranked 16th in school history in total rushing yards and just outside the top 10 in yards per rush.

Even with a 31% drop-off, which feels like close to a worst-case scenario without factoring in missed games, Hawkins would still rush for 990 yards this fall. And if he can achieve even a 5% increase, then he’d finish 14th all-time with 1,506 rushing yards.

Oklahoma State’s history of success on the ground skews the context for these numbers a bit, as 990 yards would have ranked 38th among backs nationally last season and fourth among the Big 12.

So many different factors impact total rushing yards, such as games played and workload splits, to name two.

Yards per carry should be a more stable stat, and that is proven true by the nine running backs examined here. Three hit the same mark exactly, while two increased their yards per carry, in one case thanks to a dramatically reduced workload in terms of rush attempts per game.

Altogether, the nine backs changed their yards per carry numbers by 9% on average. For Hawkins, that would put him somewhere between 5.6 and 6.8 yards per carry. Even the low number would have ranked 34th at the position last season and sixth within the Big 12, but the back was vocal at Big 12 Media Days that he’s determined to show off his improved speed this fall while maintaining his strength.

Hawkins would need to average 6.5 to put himself in the program’s top five, while rounding up to 6.8 would put him third all-time, as Oklahoma State just has so many good backs.

OSU Bullets

Players said Oklahoma State’s Boone Pickens Stadium was the toughest place to play two years ago in a very close vote. Last year, BYU’s LaVell Edwards Stadium easily won; Boone Pickens finished eight votes behind in second. This year’s winner is…LaVell Edwards Stadium once again. [Open for Business]

Oklahoma State Football win probabilities according to ESPN’s FPI: at Tulsa 78.5% Oregon 9.2 Murray State 99.0 at West Virginia 50.9 UCF 65.9 at Houston 32.1 Colorado 53.6 at Iowa State 56.2 at Kansas State 38.6 Texas Tech 14.2 at Arizona State 37.4 Kansas 58.0

— Cayden McFarland (@caydenmc) July 16, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

“When you meet someone new, don’t ask: What do you do? It limits what people share about themselves to a job description. Instead, try: What do you love to do? It ignites curiosity and invites people to express their distinctive interests.” Adam Grant

The Cowboys’ overall rating of 83 puts them in a multi-way tie for 21st in the game, led largely by the strength of the offense, which ranked 17th overall and second in the Big 12 behind only BYU.

Quarterback Drew Mestemaker starts the game with an overall rating of 89, putting him in a tie for ninth best among quarterbacks.

“It’s good, they did me pretty good, but a 90 wouldn’t hurt,” Mestemaker said last week at Big 12 Media Days.​

Mestemaker isn’t the only Cowboy rated among the very best at his position. Running back Caleb Hawkins is seventh at his position with an initial rating of 91 overall.

“I did not know that, nice to hear, though,” Hawkins said.

Edge Jaleel Johnson will have to earn a high rating in the game with his performance on the field this fall, but he’s okay with that. Johnson said he can’t disagree with the rating, given how little he played last season.

“I’m hard on myself,” he said. “I feel like I didn’t play to the standard that I wanted to be at anyway, so I feel like that is fair.”

Johnson said fellow defender Malik Charles is one of the better players on the team at playing the game. Johnson, Hawkins and Mestemaker all seemed excited for the game’s release.

“The team definitely gets excited,” Johnson said. “We all crack jokes ‘oh how are you that low’ or ‘how you that high?’ We just make fun of it. It is all fun and games.”

Five Cowboys start the game ranked top three at their position among Big 12 teams.

WR Wyatt Young- First Team, WR No. 3 (90 rating)

RB Caleb Hawkins- Second Team (91)

WLB Ethan Wesloski- Second Team (87)

QB Drew Mestemaker- Third Team (89)

CB Mo Horn- Third Team, CB No. 2 (86)

It’s no secret that Mestemaker led the nation in passing yards, throwing for 4,379 last season.

Since 2022, 12 quarterbacks have returned and played at least 10 games the year after finishing inside the top 10 in passing yards. ​

Their passing yards the following season decreased between 10-30%, with two players actually throwing for roughly 5% more yards thanks to two additional games. On average, top 10 quarterback passing yardage changed by 15%.

For the most part, those decreased totals were due to playing fewer games in the follow-up seasons, either because the programs didn’t earn the same level of postseason opportunities or perhaps because quarterbacks chose to protect their futures, something Mestemaker could certainly face after playing in two postseason games last year.

If you account for the discrepancy in games played, then the average top 10 quarterback yardage changed by only 9%.

The only quarterback on the list to make the jump to the power conference level was former Eric Morris’ quarterback, Chandler Morris (no relation). His production dropped off quite a bit, but he also no longer had Eric Morris calling the offense. While the jump up in competition likely played a role in that drop off, and could be a problem for Mestemaker, it’s impossible to quantify the impact that comes with changing coaches, play callers and offensive weapons none of which should impact Mestemaker this fall.

Should the Oklahoma State quarterback’s totals dip by 15%, then Mestemaker would finish the 2026 season with 3,722 passing yards, which would still rank seventh all-time, less than 50 yards behind Mason Rudolph’s total in 2015.

OSU Bullets

• The British Open starts today – according to FanDuel odds, Viktor Hovland is the Cowboy with the best odds to win at +3,000 (CBS Sports)

• Eric Morris brought all new assistants to North Texas – except for Patrick Cobbs. He talked about why he retained him and brought him with him to Stillwater (PFB)

• ESPN’s Bracketology currently has the Pokes as the “last team in” as an 11-seed (ESPN)

• Berry Tramel points out that OSU is the king of grass – that Sunday’s match of Spain vs. Argentina will feature the Pokes’ turf (TulsaWorld)

• Cowboy all-star Justin Wrobleski pitched well for the winning NL squad earlier this week:

Final line for former #OkState southpaw Justin Wrobleski in the 2026 MLB All-Star game: 5 Ks, 1 H, 0 BB and 1 ER through 2 IP.

His lone blemish was a one-out solo bomb surrendered to Miguel Vargas in the top of the eighth. Notably, he struck out the side in order in the… — Daniel Allen (@bydanielallen25) July 15, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• This is cool – map of where Americans came from • Making the Christian life more complicated than necessary (faith-based) • Can you rank all seven continents, largest to smallest? Love how OKC relates to (current and former) players:

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault showed up to Isaiah Joe’s golf tournament today and delivered a story about he and Isaiah’s first interaction after being sent from Philadelphia to OKC. pic.twitter.com/3yBO8IA8Qp

— Addam M. Francisco (@SuaveCEO_) July 13, 2026

“I had heard great stuff about him and interviewed him,” Morris said last week at Big 12 Media Days. “Patrick’s the best running backs coach I’ve ever been with, and it’s not even close. His knowledge of the game, I think he’s gonna make a great coordinator someday and then eventually head coach.”

Selling Cobbs, a Tecumseh alum who rushed for 4,279 yards back in high school, on returning to work in his home state, was critical in securing the commitment from another in-state star as running back Caleb Hawkins made it clear he wanted to continue being coached by Cobbs.

“I fully committed to following coach (Patrick) Cobbs to Stillwater,” Hawkins said. “Because he’s the one that really gave me the chance on playing Division I football, so I feel like I owe my loyalty to him and everything he’s done for me.”

Cobbs was the only FBS coach to offer Hawkins, who finished his freshman season with an all-time freshman record for touchdowns scored (29).

Of course, Morris made the decision to retain the UNT legend long before Hawkins appeared on the scene. What did the Oklahoma State head coach see in those early days that led him to keep Cobbs around?

“I’d done enough research on him (to) figure out he understands ball and concepts and is a good coach, a good communicator, a good teacher,” Morris said. “I just really wanted to see if our personalities meshed, and during that process, there was a lot going on.

“He didn’t know if he had a job, if he didn’t have a job, this and that. You really don’t know until you get into battle with these people. I think just really growing and spending time with him, quality time, and watching him work and putting together these running back groups that he has. I’ve got the most confidence in the world in him.”

Various national media analysts, metric-driven sites like Pro Football Focus, the new video game from EA Sports and others have identified Hawkins as an even bigger deal than quarterback Drew Mestemaker.

While Hawkins is something of a proven commodity these days, Morris is trusting his running backs coach to get the most out of the sophomore and identify a capable rotation of backs that can spell him when needed.

“He understands all these concepts so well,” Morris said. “And he sees it from a holistic viewpoint, not just the run game, not just the stuff he’s involved in, but he understands the big picture of what we’re trying to accomplish. Patrick and I, because we’re so competitive, I would say our relationship wasn’t always great, and we’ve kinda grown so much closer and closer together as time goes on. I really respect the way he communicates with his players, I respect the way his players play, and so he gets a ton out of them. So, we’re lucky to have him.”

OSU Bullets

• A former Cowboy pitcher was named an MLB all-star – he joins these seven other Cowboys named all-stars: 

Allie P. Reynolds, Mickey Tettleton, Robin Ventura, Jeromy Burnitz, Mike Henneman, Joel Horlen, Scott Williamson, and Justin Wrobleski [CowboyBrew]

• How hard is it to tackle Caleb Hawkins? (PFB)

• I’ll keep beating this drum – landing Drew Mestemaker is a massive deal. Mestemaker may be the highest-profile recruit OSU has ever landed.

And he should end up closer to Brandon Weeden and Mason Rudolph (program GOATs)  than Bobby Reid and JW Walsh (highly-touted but not as good as advertised).

Landing Mestemaker was a program-changing win for Morris, who embarks on his first tenure as a Power Four coach. The zero-star product was rated the No. 4 overall transfer in the nation and one of two five-star quarterbacks. After Mestemaker’s commitment, the rest of North Texas’s star-studded offense followed. Seventeen players transferred overall, including top-50 transfers RB Caleb Hawkins and WR Wyatt Young. [CBS Sports]

• Eric Morris is expecting a breakout season from Jaleel Johnson (PFB)

• Couple of baseball draft updates – Aidan Meola signed with the Rockies and a handful of others are returning: 

𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗯𝗲

Putting pro careers on hold to return to the Pokes in 2027 #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/yar3SxML7p

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) July 14, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• It’s sometimes around sales but this newsletter has been really good lately

• Finished what will be my favorite book of the year yesterday – so good. What a story about the impact a person can have.   

“I was nervous,” Johnson said. “I actually tried to get out of it. I went up to him and was like ‘Hey man, you can find someone else to do this.”

Morris said he could tell Johnson was still a little nervous when they boarded the plane for the quick flight down to Dallas, so he gave the defender a pep talk of sorts.

“He obviously had a little anxiety speaking in front of people, and I said, ‘Well, you’re really good at it, Jaleel,’” Morris said. “And he said, ‘Well, I don’t like it.’ And I said, ‘Well, you should suck at it then, and I wouldn’t ask you to do it.’ … He has a great personality. It’s been a lot of fun getting to know him.”

Although he wouldn’t have volunteered for the trip initially, Johnson said it was a blessing both to find himself representing the Pokes and to hear Morris express that kind of belief in him.

“He told me, ‘No, I want you to represent our team,’” Johnson said, recalling the moment he tried to get out of attending Big 12 Media Days. “Hearing him say that, I was like, okay.”

That simple statement carried a lot of weight with Johnson, considering the defender stressed that the coaching turnover would result in him getting sidelined in favor of guys Morris had known prior to his arrival in Stillwater last December.

To say the exact opposite happened might still be an understatement, as Morris spent a lot of his time in front of reporters last week singling out Johnson as perhaps the defender most worthy of praise.

When Morris was asked about the defensive side of the football, the first player the head coach mentioned was Johnson, and he arguably received the highest praise of all Cowboys highlighted at the time.

“Jaleel Johnson, who I think is an all-conference-caliber player,” Morris said. “He has the size, the talent to play on Sundays.”

If anything, Morris’ comments about Johnson got even more positive throughout the day.

“He was probably our most disruptive player over the course of spring practice,” Morris said. “And somebody that I think can change a football game for us. Just watching the way he’s worked, the way he’s accepted the new coaches, the way he’s accepted the new teammates, being one of the leaders that understands Oklahoma State. He’s been here his whole entire career. We don’t have many of those on this roster.”

Morris said he anticipates a “breakout season” ahead for Johnson, who only played four games last season. Pro Football Focus judged Johnson to be the team’s best defender with an overall grade of 78.2.

He finished the season with 12 total pressures, which put him in a tie for second-most on the Cowboys. Johnson also recorded 16 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, which nearly put him even with his final 10-game stat line in 2024, when he finished with 21 tackles, including 2.5 for loss and a pair of sacks.

Morris admitted that he had to learn how to be happy when guys like Johnson have good practices. Because that usually means he, as the offensive playcaller, watched his guys struggle somewhat.

“I think just he has this unique size and speed and power that God just doesn’t make people that big, that athletic and that strong,” Morris said. “He can beat you with speed, and then he’ll set you up with speed, and then he uses power the next time and puts an offensive tackle on skates. I think this scheme will really fit him well to play that strong side end, and he’s really good in the run. He’s gained weight, he’s 275 pounds right now, and so he’ll really be able to anchor down and set the edge for us.”

Oklahoma State third baseman Aidan Meola inked a deal with the Colorado Rockies it was announced Tuesday as an undrafted free agent. This makes him the sixth Cowboy to hook up with a pro team after five Cowboys were selected in the 2026 MLB Draft this past weekend.

Congrats Aidan!

Aidan Meola has agreed to a free agent deal with the @Rockies #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/ptyxySUFvk

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) July 14, 2026

Meola dealt with injury issues at times during his five years in Stillwater, including an unceremonious ending to his final year. He was sidelined for the Tuscaloosa Regional with what was reported as a broken wrist. He last appeared against Kansas on May 22.

The fifth-year senior garnered Big 12 Player of the Week honors back in February for his dynamic performance in the series win over Grand Canyon which included home runs in all four games and 12 runs batted in. That included a grand slam to seal the win in Game 4.

Bases FOC. Bases no longer FOC.

Aidan Meola now has 5⃣ RBIs through four innings today#GoPokes | @aidanmeola1 pic.twitter.com/7oaDD1K1HG

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) February 22, 2026

Despite making only 50 appearances, Meola was second on the team with 17 home runs, behind only Kollin Ritchie, the Big 12’s leader. He was also second (and T5th in the league) with 69 runs batted in. In 2026, Meola batted .320, had an on-base percentage of .424 and posted a slugging percentage of .644. In five years at OSU, he turned in .316/.399/.583 and sent 32 bombs over the fence with 152 RBI.

OSU Bullets

• Pro Football Focus has Caleb Hawkins as their No. 36 player in college football (PFF)

• Viktor Hovland has the seventh-best odds to win the Open Championship this weekend (CBS Sports)

• While 5.5 wins seems like a bearish wins prediction given the current optimism around the program, seeing how Vegas is picking lines for OSU’s first two games is something of an indicator:

Oklahoma State is a 13.5-point favorite at Tulsa in week one. For context, in the days before last season’s home loss, OSU was only an 11.5-point favorite over TU. The Cowboys are 17.5-point underdogs at home to Oregon in week two, but that’s a significant improvement from last season’s meeting when the Ducks were favored by 28.5 points before the Tulsa loss sent the program into a complete tailspin. [PFB]

• Completely unsure about the credibility, but this take on why Kollin Ritchie stayed at OSU feels rational in the NIL era (X)

• Little Aso feels like a solid pickup for Steve Lutz and Co.:

Tyson Pogi — Mokan Elite 17U | Nike EYBL Pogi averaged 15.3 points per game during Mokan Elite’s 3–1 run in Las Vegas, scoring 9, 18, 18, and 16 points across four games. He enters Peach Jam averaging 14.2 points per game on the EYBL circuit. Legitimate floor general with a… pic.twitter.com/pKOmPzFrtt

— HOOP DAWGS (@dawg_hoop) July 12, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• More discourse on whether or not the Big 12 got a good deal from Monster • See how your values compare against the rest of America (WSJ)

“Spend each day trying to be a little wiser than you were when you woke up. Discharge your duties faithfully and well. Step by step you get ahead, but not necessarily in fast spurts. But you build discipline by preparing for fast spurts … In the end, most people get what they deserve.”

Charlie Munger

Morris last called plays for Texas Tech back in 2017. His Red Raiders hung tough in there but eventually fell short to the Mason Rudolph- and James Washington-led Cowboys 41-34. Somewhat pedestrian for some OSU-Tech games we were used to seeing. The last time Oklahoma State won a game with at least 70 combined points was in 2023.

A lot has changed about the league since Morris left, and not just its revolving door status of incoming and outgoing schools.

At Big 12 Media Days, Morris talked about how different those offenses looked to the ones in the new-look Big 12.

“The one thing that’s different for me from a schematics standpoint is when I was in the Big 12 last – I think it was 2017 – this league was so wide open,” said Morris. “Fast-paced offenses, throwing the ball all over the place, high-scoring games. And I’ve gone back and watched tape more and more this summer, and it’s really reversed roles.

“There’s a bunch of people that everything’s condensed, we’re using a lot more tight ends, 12-, 13-personnel, playing a possession game, playing good defense.”

Such is the nature of progression. Defenses have gotten more agile and better at slowing down those spread concepts and quick schemes.

It’s no secret that Morris has buttered his bread on the offensive side of the ball. During his steady rise up college football’s ranks, he’s rubbed elbows (and shared clipboards) with some of the top offensive minds the sport has seen this century, serving on staff with the likes of Mike Leach, Lincoln Riley, Sonny Dykes and current Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire. But while he cut his teeth in the air-raid, his own brand of offense is much more balanced and complex.

Last year, Morris’ North Texas team led the FBS in scoring offense and total offense and was second in passing yards. But they were also Top 25 in rushing, chewing up over 194 yards per game. They ranked 17th with 5.3 yards per carry and led the country in rushing scores.

The question is whether or not that firepower will translate to the next level of competition. Morris expects it to translate just fine and that’s in large part thanks to the stars he brought with him, namely returning all-FBS-everything Drew Mestemaker, who Morris seems to have complete trust in.

Mestemaker was still in middle school when Rudolph and the Cowboys were hanging 50 points on defenses, but he’s proven he can sling it with the best of them. He threw for 469 yards and three TDs in a win over Rice last season and then set a career an American Conference record with 608 yards and four passing TDs in a win over Charlotte.

But as impressive as his physical skillset, is Mestemaker’s football IQ which he showed off as a freshman and which he’s apparently honed even more this offseason. He knows how to win both ways, which includes knowing when to take what defenses are giving you and when to air it out.

“I think it’s knowing your situation and kind of getting a feel on what we’re doing well in that game,” said Mestemaker. “If you look back at the Navy game, we handed the ball off a lot, and Caleb [Hawkins] fell forward for like seven yards every play. Whenever you’re rolling like that, there’s no need to take that shot. If the run game’s not doing super well, and like we’re winning on the outside, and we need a spark, that’s kind of the time that you want to take that shot.” 

Morris is confident in his team and in his scheme and seems more excited than worried about transitioning back to calling plays in the Big 12.

“It’ll be interesting for me to get back in that mold,” said Morris. “Just, it’s not what I remember. But I’ll win a football game. I don’t care how I have to win a football game.”

It’s safe to say his teammates have spent the offseason, and in some cases the last year-plus, learning how difficult that can be.

“It is not easy,” linebacker Ethan Wesloski said. “He falls forward. He’s a heavy runner.”

Although not exactly what Wesloski meant, Hawkins is literally a heavier runner this season, adding roughly 19 pounds despite “running faster” this offseason than last. The former North Texas back from North Rock Creek High in Shawnee put himself on the map last season when he set an FBS record for freshmen with 29 touchdowns.

That also happened to be five more touchdowns than any other single player scored last season. In fact, Hawkins beat second-place scorer Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy by five touchdowns despite the fact that Lacy played in two additional games.

“I know I’m playing one of the best backs not in the Big 12, but in the country,” Wesloski said.

Wesloski got to know Hawkins last season at North Texas, and the linebacker will likely need to be one of the more successful linebackers in the conference if Oklahoma State is going to truly make some noise in the Big 12 this fall.

While neither Wesloski nor Hawkins has yet to play a snap in the conference, teammate Jaleel Johnson is perfectly capable of speaking to the Big 12’s strength as a power conference.

“He is definitely probably one of the hardest runners I’ve ever gone against in my entire career,” Johnson said of Hawkins. “If you don’t wrap his legs up, he’s not going down, and I’m so glad that he’s on our team and I don’t have to face him on Saturday.”

Johnson has faced off with several talented backs, including former Cowboy and Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon. So it’s safe to say he knows what excellence at the position looks like.

When asked if there’s a running back he would compare himself to, Hawkins suggested an active NFL legend.

“I wouldn’t necessarily compare myself to any running back because there’s a lot of great ones, but I would say my game probably replicates Derrick Henry, maybe, the most,” Hawkins said.

Henry is often praised for his relentless ability to drive forward regardless of how well the defense is positioned once he gets going.

It didn’t take long for Johnson to realize what all the hype was about this offseason.

“It was spring ball, our first scrimmage, first play, we thought we had him down,” Johnson said. “He was surrounded by like five different people and all of the sudden you see him take off down the edge, taking off down the field. So from then on, I kind of knew. Okay, this guy is legit. He is for real.”

As a defender, that play was a frustrating reminder that the Cowboys can still get better at tackling, but it wasn’t all bad.

“It gives me a lot of confidence that we can definitely be in contention for this Big 12 title this year,” Johnson said. “Seeing all our guys constantly winning. It goes back and forth. Offense wins some, defense wins some, just really competitive.”

The Pokes have spent the last seven months checking boxes, starting with a dominant haul in the transfer portal that gave them a top 15 portal class.

Then, placement inside too-early-top 25s followed.

Recent headlines include quarterback Drew Mestemaker’s invitation to the Manning Passing Academy and Oklahoma State’s ranking in EA’s College Football 27 video game, which puts OSU in a multiway tie for 21st overall and third in the Big 12.

Of course, none of it means anything, but given the program’s lack of success the last two seasons, it certainly feels like Oklahoma State has a lot more reason for optimism.

Oddsmakers like FanDuel certainly seem to agree. While the Pokes remain decent favorites (-176) to clear their win total of 5.5 games, OSU is also the first team in the conference to have lines set for its first two games.

Oklahoma State is a 13.5-point favorite at Tulsa in week one. For context, in the days before last season’s home loss, OSU was only an 11.5-point favorite over TU.

The Cowboys are 17.5-point underdogs at home to Oregon in week two, but that’s a significant improvement from last season’s meeting when the Ducks were favored by 28.5 points before the Tulsa loss sent the program into a complete tailspin.

The change in venue certainly plays a role, but much of the shift likely has to do with the belief that Eric Morris and Mestemaker will field an offense capable of keeping up with Oregon to some extent.

FanDuel has Oregon tied with Texas for the third-best national championship odds in the country, and for good reason. The Ducks return starting quarterback Dante Moore, currently tied for the fifth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy.

Last season, he led the Ducks to the CFP semifinals, where Oregon lost to eventual national champion Indiana after rolling past Texas Tech 23-0 in the quarterfinals.

Other key starters and contributors returning include the Ducks’ center, TE2, WR2, WR3 and RB2. The returning defensive cast is a lot more fleshed out with the top two edges, Matayo Uiagalelei and Teritum Tuioti, leading a group that includes the team’s top two defensive linemen, top two corners, No. 2 safety, LB2 and LB3.

While that matchup will be challenging given the talent on Oregon’s roster, the line swinging somewhat modestly toward OSU is just another signal that the Cowboys this fall project to be a lot closer to the teams Morris remembers playing and coaching against while at Texas Tech than the program that took the field that last two seasons.

“Oklahoma State was so good in my memories,” Morris said last week at Big 12 Media Days. “I remember going to Boone Pickens, how rowdy it was, the paddles slapping against the wall, the student section on fire. You know, my memories are always good, and obviously during those times, there were a bunch of eight-win teams, nine-win teams, 10-win teams, won the Big 12 in 2012. I didn’t have any of these bad memories.”

OSU Bullets

• Four Cowboys were selected on day two of the MLB Draft – to go with one yesterday on day one of the draft (PFB)

• …Even better news, the Pokes are getting their All-American outfielder back for another year (PFB)

• Bill Haisten chatted about the OSU-Oregon matchup:

OSU over Oregon: it’s not a total impossibility. With 87 new players, there’s no way to know what to expect from the Cowboys — just like there was no way to know what to expect from the 2024 Indiana Hoosiers, after Curt Cignetti became their new head coach. [TulsaWorld]

• Drew Mestemaker impressed at Manning Passing Academy (NewsOK)

• Kind of a fun graphic – Tech could probably be out of the trees into the desert.

📍Big 12 Country pic.twitter.com/h9vON8I7Bg

— Barstool Big 12 (@BarstoolBig12) July 10, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• The idea of these World Cup-inspired overtime methods applied to football sound fun • The ten most popular dog names in the US – see if you can guess

Oklahoma State saw four players drafted on Day 2 of the 2026 MLB Draft. Here’s a look at who was drafted and where they’re going.

Cowboy outfielder Alex Conover was taken by the San Diego Padres on Day 1. 

Hudson Barrett | Colorado Rockies | Round 8

The Cowboys’ ace southpaw was the first Poke off the board on Sunday, being taken No. 224 overall by the Rockies.

The 6-foot-5 lefty spent three years at UC Santa Barbara before coming to Stillwater last offseason. In one year with the Pokes, he logged a 2.58 ERA and was 6-1 in 13 appearances and nine starts. He lands in a listed slot value of $258,400.

Marios Pesca | Cleveland Guardians | Round 9

The Pokes’ right-handed pitcher was taken with the No. 273 pick to Cleveland on Sunday.

After two seasons at St. Johns, Pesca spent his junior and senior seasons in Stillwater, posting a 14-8 record. In 2026, he logged a 5.86 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 19 appearances and 10 starts. His listed slot value is $205,800.

Avery Ortiz | Washington Nationals | Round 18

Ortiz was taken by Washington with the No. 526 pick overall.

The junior infielder has made 92 appearances over the last three seasons for the Cowboys, dealing with injury throughout his time in Stillwater.

Kollin Ritchie | St. Louis Cardinals | Round 20

Ritchie slid all the way to the No. 594 pick overall, but that might have been due to a decision that was soon announced.

The Big 12’s leading bomber announced that he was returning for his senior season at OSU shortly after being drafted.

Oklahoma State slugger Kollin Ritchie was drafted Sunday, but then he quickly announced that he was sticking around at OSU.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kollin Ritchie (@kollin.ritchie)

The rising senior outfielder is coming off a career season which saw him bat .326 and log an on-base percentage of .804 and a slugging percentage of .804. His 31 home runs ranked fourth nationally this season and led the conference. He also ranked third in the league in RBI (75) and second in runs (81).

He was one of five Cowboys drafted in the 2026 MLB Draft, led by fellow Cowboys outfielder Alex Conover who was drafted No. 134th overall in the fourth round.

Ritchie lasted all the way to the 20th round of the 2026 MBL Draft, but his drop very well may have been a result of his decision to return for his senior season. He was selected No. 594 overall by the St. Louis Cardinals.

𝘼𝙞𝙣’𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚

Can’t wait to add to the Ritchie Rich highlight reel in 2027#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/8v8h4LVmEv

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) July 12, 2026

OSU Bullets

• The Padres took Alex Conover in Round 4 in Day 1 of the MLB Draft. [PFB]

• That leaves a long list of Cowboys waiting to hear their names, highlighted by the likes of Kollin Ritchie, ace pitcher Hudson Barrett and Colin Brueggemann.

• Also former OSU pitcher Justin Wrobleski was the first Poke to be named an All-Star in over 20 years.

𝑩𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒊𝒈𝒔

Wrobo becomes the 8th Cowboy to be named a @mlb All-Star and the first since 2002#P4L pic.twitter.com/FhStVuYFyR

— OSU Cowboy Baseball (@OSUBaseball) July 11, 2026

• Bill Haisten talks about the upcoming visit from a Top 5 Oregon team, and why last year’s result may have less effect than you might expect on the Pokes. [Tulsa World]

Non-OSU Bullets

• What we lose when we stop reading physical books. [Big Think]

• This is crazy.

Insane: Former Bills DT Gable Steveson just made his UFC debut and won by first-round knockout.

One of the best KO’s of all time.

🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/kNMJBcblvg

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) July 12, 2026

Oklahoma State outfielder Alex Conover was selected by the San Diego Padres in the fourth round of the 2026 MLB Draft. He was taken 134th overall.

The Tuttle, Okla. native came to OSU as a sophomore after spending his freshman season at Cowley Community College before spending the last two season in Stillwater. As a junior this past season, he went .357/.476/.625 with 14 home runs and 16 steals. He had as many walks as he did strikeouts (44).

He started 56 of his 58 appearances in 2026. In 99 games over two years for the Cowboys, Conover batted .322 and had 20 home runs.

Conover was the only Cowboy selected during Day 1 of the draft. His pick value is slotted at $563,900 according to MLB.com.

There are still a number of Pokes still on the board including outfielder Kollin Ritchie and pitcher Hudson Barrett. Day 2 (Rounds 5-20) will start at 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

Three Thoughts

• Couldn’t be more excited for the guy – Coach Mike Boynton landed the head coaching job at the University of Michigan after retaining key pieces of the squad and additions (PFB)

A championship foundation. A familiar leader.

Mike Boynton Jr. has been appointed head coach of Michigan Men’s Basketball. Read more about the next chapter in Ann Arbor. ⬇️ https://t.co/RRpjUwYEnH#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/JQmm2giggo — Michigan Men’s Basketball (@umichbball) July 10, 2026

• Here’s your family roadtrip/lawn mowing playlist for the weekend – Carson and Colby talk Eric Morris + Marshall and the Crew on the Reload talking Big 12 media days, over two hours of Oklahoma State sports audio content (PFB)

• There’s been discourse about how the Big 12’s $20M deal with Monster is a bad one – this article points to the market defining pricing and how it’s a good deal (for a school like Oklahoma State):

The Trailblazers are in market for their on-uniform for $1.25M/YR.

That’s a professional NBA team!

I like the Pokes, so this isn’t a shot, you guys were just randomly picked as the example here.

OK St has 176K instagram followers. Portland has 2.9M!!!

Are we sure they will be commanding the same price? [X]

Two Quotes

• Great to see this Cowboy doing so well – can’t imagine how hard it is to get onto the Dodgers’ roster though:

Former #OkState standout outfielder Zach Ehrhard is producing heavily in Triple-A with the Oklahoma City Comets.

> .284 batting average (.296 in June/.333 so far in July) > Thirteen home runs > .874 OPS > Logged a hit in six of his past seven games > Currently ranked as the… pic.twitter.com/QrqdOgRgNz — Daniel Allen (@bydanielallen25) July 8, 2026

• I hope you and I can fill our days with things we enjoy as much as Eric Morris does playcalling:

Former #OkState standout outfielder Zach Ehrhard is producing heavily in Triple-A with the Oklahoma City Comets. > .284 batting average (.296 in June/.333 so far in July) > Thirteen home runs > .874 OPS > Logged a hit in six of his past seven games > Currently ranked as the… pic.twitter.com/QrqdOgRgNz

— Daniel Allen (@bydanielallen25) July 8, 2026

One Question

• Super curious to see how this guy plays in the slot in 2026 – will he better or worse than Brennan Presley?

Preseason honors for @wyatttyoung 🤠 pic.twitter.com/rgUb7xcGQ0

— Oklahoma State Athletics (@OSUAthletics) July 10, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Ranking the most “ethical” NBA champions – OKC is one of them • This Jon Acuff book gave some insight on how to push through procrastination, good stuff • Why America is “unhappy” (faith-based)

The University of Michigan announced Friday that Boynton has agreed to a two-year contract to lead the Wolverines’ program following Dusty May’s departure to the NBA.

“I’m grateful to Warde (Manuel, Michigan’s AD) for his confidence and thankful for the opportunity to lead this program,” Boynton said in Michigan’s release. “We have built a championship culture and a standard that everyone associated with this program takes great pride in. We have an outstanding group of players, and I’m excited to get to work and continue the success we’ve established together.”

This marks the second college program Boynton has been in charge of after spending seven seasons as Oklahoma State’s coach following the abrupt departure of Brad Underwood.

After his firing from OSU in 2024, Boynton joined May’s staff in Ann Arbor and put together the top defense in the nation as the Wolverines went on to win an NCAA title this past season.

When the Dallas Mavericks hired May late last month, Boynton was initially given the interim tag. In the weeks since, he’s kept that Michigan squad together despite a late portal window opening up because of May’s exit. Michigan also had the No. 2 recruiting class in the country when May left, and Boynton was able to keep them all.

“Mike is a veteran assistant with strong head coaching experience and a clear understanding of the standard we expect at Michigan,” Manuel said. “Over the past two seasons, he has been an invaluable member of our staff, bringing stability, leadership and perspective during an important period of success. Our players and staff believe in his vision, are committed to his leadership and are excited for the opportunity to pursue great success together this season.”

Boynton’s tenure in Stillwater was a roller coaster. He went 119-109 in his seven seasons, making a lone NCAA Tournament appearance. But, shortly after he took the OSU job, the FBI’s probe into college basketball put the program under sanctions. His tenure also saw the pandemic and the introduction of NIL into college sports. There were also some ups, like that NCAA Tournament run led by eventual No. 1-pick Cade Cunningham — a season that took place in limited-capacity arenas.

It’ll be interesting to see what a Boynton program could look like flush with resources in this modern world.

Some of Oklahoma State’s new stars shared the spotlight in Frisco this week at Big 12 Media Days. It was the first opportunity for media and fans to get some facetime with the new faces of Cowboy football.

As freshmen at North Texas last season, Drew Mestemaker led the nation in passing, and Caleb Hawkins scored more touchdowns than any other tailback in the FBS. But when it came to talking about this fall, they seemed more like seasoned vets ready to run it back than a pair of sophomores heading into a new locker room.

When asked about his prep this offseason, Mestemaker talked about OSU’s offense improving on “our weaknesses from last year.” Hawkins talked about “getting to see these new guys and especially the old guys coming back.”

With the huge Mean Green contingent that followed Eric Morris to Stillwater — both players and staff — it might be easy for these two to confuse OSU for North Texas 2.0, but I’m not sure these were slips of the tongue.

It’s also natural for players to group up with those they are comfortable with, but Morris knew he needed to do something drastic. He started his time in the job with a concerted effort to integrate all the incoming pieces with those returning to establish a new OSU. He touched on this point in an interview with WWLS from Media Days.

“It was very important for me the first month of two to make sure we didn’t have a North Texas crowd and Oklahoma State guys that stay crowd, and then all these guys funneling in and they’re going to pick which side,” Morris said. “That was really important for me to squash. The first team meeting [I] squashed it. … I looked up in the meeting, you know, North Texas kids are here, Oklahoma State here and I’m like before I even start this meeting, we’re not starting it off this way.

“I think trying to build everybody and bring them in together that ‘Hey this isn’t all these old teams, this is Oklahoma State ’26 team. We need everybody to come together, and winning footballs is freaking hard.'”

Mestemaker echoed that experience and said the whole team is bought in.

“In the first team meeting, Coach Morris made us sit next to someone we didn’t know, and you’re introducing yourself to everyone,” said Mestemaker. “You have a season to play in half a year, like eight months or whatever it was. The strides we’ve made in the past two to three months have been huge. Even since the start of spring, I think this team came together a lot, and we can be really special.”

Although he and his former Mean Green teammates are coming into a new situation, that culture under Morris helped direct Mestemaker and his teammates as they gel in Stillwater.

“Whatever we got to do to win,” said Mestemaker. “Even those guys who have been here and been through those not great seasons here at Oklahoma State, they’ve been here for a long time, so they’ve been a part of the great seasons at Oklahoma State, too. I feel like we have a lot of guys on our team who have played a lot of football and who have won a lot of games. I really do think that’ll help us once we get into the season in those tough games.”

We’ve listed all the reasons, on paper, that OSU could have success, but Morris knew the challenges that could arise from a bifurcated locker room as well as the step up in competition to the Big 12. For the new-look Pokes to live up to their potential, it had to be all hands-on-deck, as Cowboys.

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OSU Bullets

• Fascinating to watch if Eric Morris maintains playcalling (he explains his logic here), guy clearly has skill in this area – thrilled to see a top-shelf playcaller on the sidelines after how terrible the offense has been the last couple of years (PFB)

• Drew Mestemaker talks about what he got out of the Manning Passing Academy (PFB)

• CBS Sports had one of the rosier outlooks on the Cowboy Football season than you’ll see around – beating Tech in Stillwater is bullish:

Oklahoma State

Projected record: 9-3, 7-2 Wins: at Tulsa, Murray State, at West Virginia, UCF, Colorado, at Iowa State, at Kansas State, Kansas, Texas Tech Losses: Oregon, at Houston, at Arizona State [CBS Sports]

• On3 has Drew Mestemaker as the third-best quarterback in the Big 12 – three spots ahead of K-State’s Avery Johnson (X)

• As much as it would have been nice to keep Wendell Gregory, this graphic tells me OSU made a decision here on edge rushers, and it’s pretty justifiable analytically:

Top 🔟 pressure rate leaders entering 2026 ⬇️🏈 pic.twitter.com/Xk9WTOdgVf

— Cody Nagel (@CodyNagel247) July 9, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• US can’t get better around the World Cup until we fix the youth programs • How to spiritually lead your family (faith-based)

“Everyone wants better results. Skill precedes results. Practice precedes skill. Attitude precedes practice. It’s the willingness to try (and keep trying) that leads to ability.” James Clear

That signature win has been remembered for a lot of reasons, one of which was Gundy sitting on equipment crates thumbing through his offensive play sheet while his defense was on the field. That was life as a play-caller head coach.

Two years after that win in Missouri, Gundy handed play-calling duties over to Dana Holgorsen and never looked back. In Gundy’s first season away from the program all this time later, the Cowboys again have a play-caller head coach.

Gundy was 43 when he gave up-play calling duties. Eric Morris is 40 (a man’s age) entering his first season coaching the Cowboys, and as he steps into his first year as a Big 12 head coach, he said he doesn’t see him delegating those duties any time soon.

“It’s still my favorite thing to do,” Morris said at Big 12 Media Days. “There’s nothing that still motivates me, keeps me involved in the game-planning, keeps my brain activated trying to come up with different ways to attack people on the offensive side of the ball.

“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it, calling people. There’s not a ton of people (head coaches who call plays) left. That’s probably what Lincoln (Riley) and I talk about the most is are we saving enough time for all these different parts of the organization when you’re spending so much time calling the plays? I think you gotta hire good people that you trust to do some other things, but yeah, it’s what I love the most.”

There is more than one way to skin the proverbial cat, so it’s not as if one way is right and the other is wrong. Plenty of head coaches who don’t call plays have had success, just like play-calling head coaches have. Of late, it’s seemed like the in-vogue thing for NFL teams is to have a young, hotshot coach who also directs his team’s offense.

Morris made mention to Lincoln Riley as a guy he confides in about being a play-calling head coach. Morris was there for the genesis of Riley’s coaching career, as Morris was a player at Texas Tech as Riley worked his way up from student assistant to overseeing Morris as the inside receivers coach.

Having led the Sooners for five seasons, Riley isn’t all too popular in Payne County. Say what you will about Riley not having a national title ring on his finger, but he won four Big 12 titles in five seasons as the Sooners’ coach. So having success in this league in that architype is certainly possible.

Gundy’s transition into his program’s CEO felt natural, especially in his later years atop the program, but when that transition initially started to happen, he too noted his enjoyment of that aspect of the game.

“I don’t know that it’ll ever be easy to accept because I just like to do that,” Gundy said after Holgorsen’s hiring. “But I understand the role that I’m gonna play now.”

Who knows what the future holds for the Morris Era, but the plan is for Morris to continue to call plays, just as he did at Incarnate Word and North Texas as he climbed the coaching ladder.

A literal wall of cameras pointed at the table where quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins were scheduled to sit, with other reporters gathered behind, underneath and beside those same cameras.

“Look where all the mics are,” Wesloski said to fellow defender Jaleel Johnson.

Although somewhere north of 15 reporters initially fought for the chance to direct questions toward Oklahoma State’s two offensive stars, maybe four or five total reporters walked over to speak with Wesloski, who recorded 113 tackles last season, and Johnson, who head coach Eric Morris repeatedly praised as the team’s ‘most disruptive defender’ in spring camp.

“Oh, for sure, for sure, I feel like our defense is definitely getting slept on,” Johnson said when asked about the disparity in attention between OSU’s offense and defense not just on Tuesday, but throughout the last six months. “But like you said, no disrespect to them guys, they deserve everything that they are getting right now. I’m not hating on that at all, but our defense is really, really solid as well, and I feel like y’all are going to see that this fall.”

Johnson said the focus on Mestemaker (now the preseason Big 12 Newcomer of the Year), Hawkins (the No. 19 player in the entire transfer portal and seventh-ranked RB in the whole nation according to EA’s latest video game), receiver Wyatt Young (OSU’s only player on the All-Big 12 preseason team) and Morris’ general reputation as an offensive guru which shines a brighter light on that side of the ball has created an opportunity for the Pokes’ defenders.

“You want to prove to everybody that we’re the best as well, like we can compete with the best,” Johnson said.

Wesloski wished Mestemaker luck as the media session got started on Tuesday. Although there was zero animosity in his voice, the linebacker delivered the line as though he was watching the quarterback walk in front of a firing squad.

Not that the Oklahoma State quarterback heard any of this, as his attention was already being pulled in several directions.

“I’ve said it a couple times today, it’s a thing, right, they deserved everything they’ve gotten. … (but) we’re a really good defense, too,” Wesloski said. “It’s not that they don’t deserve everything they’ve got coming.

“But come November, late November, when we’re making a run for this thing. Everyone is going to look like we know they have a really, really good offense, but here’s this defense that’s really good in yards per game, pass yards, run yards, they’ve got a huge turnover margin. They were really good scoring defense. So we’re going to play defense. We know how to play and create a lot of chaos, and we’re going to get the ball back for those guys over there.”

For what it’s worth, Wesloski led a UNT defense last season that finished fifth in turnovers gained, eighth in pass yards allowed per game, but 76th in scoring defense, 77th in total defense and 130th against the run.

A bit of a mixed bag there, but given that UNT led seven opponents by 21-plus points entering the fourth quarter, it makes some degree of sense that the Mean Green would be overly focused on limiting the pass.

Now those same defensive coaches and several key defenders, headlined by Wesloski, are in Stillwater.

“It feels like that 2023 season when we went to the Big 12 Championship,” Johnson said. “You can just tell that the guys are close, like we all got nicknames for each other, making fun of each other, laughing.”​

Even being in contention for a Big 12 Championship game appearance would be a win for the Cowboys in Morris’ first season, but the players have made it clear they aren’t treating this season like some slow wind-up to a successful run.

“I want to have dominant wins,” Johnson said. “I want to prove that we are the best team in this conference.”

When asked how the Cowboys, particularly those on defense, can prove that this fall, Johnson kept it simple.

“Ultimately it come down to winning games,” he said. “Like defense wins games. Yeah, offense can put up as many points as they want, but if we can’t get a stop, it don’t really matter. So, I feel like if we can put some stops together and make the offense look even better than what people are saying, that is a win in our book.”

“There was a little meeting we had that Peyton (Manning) and Eli (Manning) just stood up there, and you know, talked about their approach to the game and everything, and I thought that was really cool,” Mestemaker said Tuesday at Big 12 Media Days.

Mestemaker was one of a select number of high-level college quarterbacks invited to serve as counselors at the Manning Passing Academy from June 25-28.

Other quarterback counselors included CJ Carr (Notre Dame), Arch Manning (Texas), Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss), Julian Sayin (Ohio State) and Gunner Stockton (Georgia). Together, that group represents the first, second, fourth, sixth and ninth favorites for the Heisman Trophy based on current FanDuel odds.

Mestemaker was also joined by fellow Big 12 starters Noah Fifita (Arizona), Bear Bachmeier (BYU) and Conner Weigman (Houston).

“Yeah, it was fun,” Mestemaker said. “It was good being around all those guys, and kind of comparing up next to them and throwing with them, and just being around a bunch of guys that have played a lot of football at a high level.”

Perhaps it was just Mestemaker’s humility on display Tuesday, but his head coach seemed even more excited about the opportunity.

“So the cool thing for Drew is, I think, finally starting to get the notoriety,” Morris said. “And then you go to camp, and you’re around some of the best quarterbacks in the nation at your level, and you see yourself against these guys, and then all of a sudden you know these guys that are mocked up to be the, you know, number one, number two, number three pick in the draft mix, and you’re like, ‘Oh, I can do it just as good as this guy.’

“The cool thing about that camp was I got a lot of texts about how he performed and how well he did, but it made me more proud of how many texts I got about what kind of person he was, how humble he was, how he interacted with everybody, and so I think that just speaks volumes about the character that the young man has.”

Mestemaker also discussed his future in the NFL on Tuesday and the potentially tough choice he will have to make concerning the 2027 NFL Draft if everything goes to plan on the field this fall.

On the subject of Mestemaker’s future, Morris has no doubts his current quarterback is destined for the NFL. He said as much to Archie Manning earlier this year.

“Archie Manning called me a couple months ago and started asking questions about Drew, and I’ve known Archie for a while,” Morris said. “So I was like, ‘Listen this kid is a no-brainer. This kid will play for a long time on Sunday.’”

New Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker has quickly become a favorite for NFL Draft folks. Here he is at Manning Passing Academy. pic.twitter.com/YDtw2Phj3V

— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) June 27, 2026

Mestemaker said he felt like he performed well but added the counselors didn’t throw as much there as he expected going in. He still really enjoyed getting the chance to be around so many other talented quarterbacks.

“Good opportunity to kind of meet all those guys and meet all these big names that are just normal dudes out there,” Mestemaker said. “It’s been a good kind of getting to know those guys and starting a relationship with them that, honestly, at the end of the day, is going to go a lot further than football. It was more about the opportunity to know those guys and just be around high-level performers every day, and just kind of work, see how they operate, like compare yourself up to that.”

This is what Morris thinks will be the long-lasting benefit for his quarterback, who is preparing to start at quarterback for only the second season ever in both his high school and college career.

“Think just growing his confidence,” Morris said. “I mean, I think he’s someone that, you know, didn’t play in high school, wasn’t recruited, came in, made a name for himself, had the year he did, led the nation, it all hit so fast for him.

“And so I think just reaffirming what he’s always believed and the confidence, and I think you go out there and you stand in line with the best 15 guys in the nation, from what you know all these experts are saying on the mock draft stuff, and then all of a sudden I think his confidence was built on.

“It’s like, OK, yeah, like, I got what it takes to make it at this level. So, yeah, I mean, I just think not only is it cool experience, you just, as a quarterback, you see it your whole life, and all these quarterbacks come through and working with, obviously, Eli and Peyton, and building those relationships. The quarterbacks have a tight bond. It’s a small fraternity, and I think it’s something that he’ll grow in really, really well.”

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OSU Bullets

• Drew Mestemaker talked about the NFL Draft and Caleb Hawkins talked about how the resources of a Power Four school are remaking his game (PFB)

• Viktor Hovland and Wyndham Clark both make this list of the top-18 golfers in the world based on recent play (CBS Sports)

• Goodness, this comment from Drew Mestemaker, alluding to some of the meat he left on the bone during a season he led the nation in passing, is enticing. Worth noting, it’s a totally reasonable progression for a quarterback to feel more comfortable in his second full season starting and to take more chances.

“I think last year, I was honestly a little more conservative than I could’ve been,” Mestemaker said. “I think I could’ve taken a little more shots, so I think this spring was really the time for me to try that out and see what throws I could and couldn’t make. Obviously I know, like, this one’s gonna be tight, I’m gonna try it. I know that in the spring, and I talk to Coach Morris and Coach (Sean) Brophy about that. They give me the freedom to go out there and see what throws I can make… “I think last year, I missed a few opportunities I could’ve taken.” [PFB]

• YouTube video here of Eric Morris’ comments from earlier in the week if you want the full talk (YouTube)

• Need to beat Tech and UCF this year for the all-time records: 

Oklahoma State’s all time record vs each Big 12 team! pic.twitter.com/yAhAHC0tFT

— College Football Zone (@CollegeFBonX) July 8, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• Loved Kyle Porter’s comments on the World Cup here, which describes the feeling of watching Cape Verde-Argentina well

• 4th of July photos around the US  

Morris was at North Texas’ indoor facility while Cobbs was conducting drills out on the field. So, Cobbs sent a graduate assistant on a 100-yard jog over to Morris.

“He said, ‘Hey, you gotta come see this guy — Coach Cobbs loves this running back,'” Morris recalled.

So, Morris walked over to see what all the hubbub was about. At the end of his walk awaited a young Caleb Hawkins entering his senior year of high school.

“I watched Caleb, and Coach Cobbs was so adamant afterwards, like, that’s who he wanted, sticking to his guns,” Morris said. “I watched him for 10 minutes and said absolutely this is somebody we can build off of.

“Didn’t know a ton about Caleb. Caleb is probably one of the Top 3 players I’ve ever coached in my career, not just because of what type of player he is but what kind of person he is, how he attacks every day. I mean, he’s a coach’s dream. The way he prepares, very low maintenance, extremely tough, will do the dirty work, never asks for anything special.”

Twenty-five months to the day after that camp, Morris, Hawkins and three of his teammates crawled onto a private jet to fly down to Big 12 Media Days after a season where Hawkins set an FBS record for touchdowns scored by a freshman (29). Hawkins is a preseason All-American entering his sophomore season after having that lone FBS offer coming out of North Rock Creek High School in Shawnee.

The impact Hawkins was making on the field might’ve somewhat overshadowed the fact that he was only a true freshman last season, so he is still only getting better. Added to that is the fact that this was Hawkins’ first true offseason, as he was playing other sports in high school that took up his would-be offseason time.

Hawkins has seemingly made the most of the time off. He was listed at 200 pounds last season at North Texas, and he checked in at 219 pounds in OSU’s newly released 2026 Media Guide.

“I’ve been on a whole new nutrition-based things,” Hawkins said. “I eat a lot more than I used to, but it’s worked out a lot for me because I’m lifting heavier weight, running faster, jumping higher, so it’s all worked out for me well. …

“Being able to take a step back from not necessarily football, but just from games in general and not having the stress of having a game this week, it was great to recoup and make sure I can progress and be even better the next year.”

As he noted, it’s not just size that Hawkins has added. He’s getting faster, saying he wants to showcase that he’s capable of ripping off long touchdowns.

Hawkins had 20 rushes of at least 15 yards last season, according to PFF. That ranked ninth in the country. He also had a 179.0 elusiveness rating, per PFF, which led the nation among backs with at least 153 carries. So, if he’s getting faster, yikes.

“You gotta go straight to mechanics, knowing what kind of steps need to be taken, what kind of running style you are,” said Hawkins of how you add speed. “And of course get with the strength and conditioning coaches because obviously they know the science behind it.”

​That probably sounds like a mild take, perhaps even a boring one, given that Mestemaker led the nation with 4,379 passing yards while tossing 34 touchdowns and only nine interceptions.

Since transferring to Oklahoma State this offseason, the buzz surrounding his story has only grown in anticipation of his first season of power-conference football.

​But just remember, Mestemaker never started at quarterback during his high school career, and the only thing stopping him from starting his career at the junior college level was a last-second walk-on offer from North Texas.

“That has always been the goal (the NFL), and there were definitely times where I was like this goal is looking real far away right now,” Mestemaker said on Tuesday at Big 12 Media Days. “But I didn’t know how it will work out, but I always knew somehow it would work out. People probably call me crazy for it, but I always knew somehow I would find a way to make it work.”

ESPN had Mestemaker down as the fourth quarterback taken in the first round in a way-too-early 2027 mock draft. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler projected Mestemaker as the third quarterback taken in 2027, going as high as eighth overall.

That kind of chatter has caused speculation among some Oklahoma State fans wondering how realistic it is that Mestemaker departs for the NFL so soon after arriving in Stillwater. Lighting the college football world on fire one year at North Texas is one thing. Putting together high-quality tape against power conference opponents is another task altogether.

If Mestemaker can dominate against a schedule filled with both Big 12 opponents and the national title-contending Oregon Ducks, then he could have a tough call to make come December. Even if he doesn’t quite emerge as a top-five guy at the position this fall, Mestemaker seems like a lock to contend for a first-round selection in one of the next two draft classes.

And if there was any more doubt that Mestemaker, the former zero-star prospect forced to walk-on, has put himself on the map as a potential first-rounder, he was asked about the 2027 NFL Draft during Big 12 Media Days on Tuesday.

“I think it all depends,” Mestemaker said. “Obviously, that is the end goal, but I think that is a decision for after the season. That is definitely not something I am focused on right now because I got something big sitting right in front of me. And so it is not a decision I am looking at right now but something I will have to talk about with my friends and family after.”

OSU Bullets

• Eric Morris praised Mike Gundy at Big 12 media days yesterday (PFB)

• Announced yesterday, Monster energy drinks bought Big 12 rights and will be featured on all men’s football, basketball, and women’s basketball jerseys – as well as on the field/court:

The new licensing deal is expected to pay Big 12 member schools around $1 million annually, per Sports Business Journal, with Monster covering the costs of installing all new logos on courts and fields.  [On3]

• Eric Morris didn’t spare many words talking about defensive end Jaleel Johnson:

“When I think about it, like our defensive end, the position as a whole, we have one of them here today, Jaleel Johnson, who I think is an all-conference caliber player, I think has the size, the talent to play on Sundays. Really excited to watch the defensive end position…” [PFB]

• Not sure what ultimate reality is, but this article points to Kashie Natt’s status being safe for now, but will be ruled upon at a later date (SI)

• Slick.

Anyone else feel that chill? pic.twitter.com/IdIygqrGtz

— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) July 7, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• 14-minute video showing the different regional styles of barbecue • The real reasons we don’t read the Bible (faith-based)

In a somewhat surprising turn, Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire name-dropped Eric Morris multiple times when asked about the Sorsby saga.

“For my peers, I got a lot of support,” McGuire said. “Eric Morris, the first day any news broke, called me and said, ‘Hey, man, I’m just doing a well check.’ He’s a good friend of mine.”

Morris shared his side of that conversation later in the afternoon.

“I called him, and first words I said to him is, I said, ‘Hey, we’re not talking about anything to deal with the situation you’re going through right now,’” Morris said. “‘I just know sometimes some people need to vent and get some stuff out to somebody who realizes what it’s like to sit in those chairs and have those things come across your desk at times.’ And so, yeah, it’s important to check on the people that you care about, especially if you know they’re going through a tough time.”

That relationship started a full decade before either man took the helm of a Big 12 program. Morris started as the inside receivers coach at Washington State in 2012. At the time, McGuire was entering his 10th season as the head coach of Cedar Hill High School, located about 17 miles southwest of downtown Dallas.

McGuire took over at Texas Tech ahead of the 2022 season, and obviously, Morris is preparing for his first season in Stillwater this fall.

“I’ve always believed in people and relationships first and foremost,” Morris said. “And I started recruiting at Cedar Hill my first year at Washington State, and Joey was always so good to me as a 23-year-old kid coming through. He sat me down and kind of explained the lay of the land of DFW in recruiting and players, so he’s always been so helpful for me. So we started a relationship, you know, 20 years ago, and so somebody we’ve always stayed in touch. When he got to Lubbock, he reached out a ton to me to ask about offensive staffing, to ask about Lubbock in general, ask about my experiences. So we’ve always had a great relationship, and I think when you sit in the chair of being a head coach, and there are certain things, and especially nowadays with social media, that I think can wear on you, and I know Joey is a good human, and he loves those kids that he coaches.”

On a follow-up question, Morris clarified how he felt about the Sorsby situation.

“You always want the best for your own and the people you are developing and you’re in the trenches with,” he said. “At the same time, I think just morality throughout sports, and not even talking about college football, just sports in general, is there’s a bunch of people that had a problem with it, and rightfully so. … But I got enough problems at Oklahoma State right now. I haven’t spent any amount of time, and those aren’t my problems, and they’re not my decisions to make either. And so I learned a long time ago not to worry about the things I can’t control.”