Former Wide Receiver Expected to Start Against Houston Cougars
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Early on Friday morning, the news broke that the Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-4, 0-2 in Big 12) were planning to start Sam Jackson V against the Houston Cougars (4-1, 1-1 in Big 12).
The news comes shortly after rumors circulated that the Cowboys might start true freshman quarterback Banks Bowen this weekend.
Oklahoma State is expected to start Sam Jackson at QB vs. Houston tomorrow, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) October 10, 2025
Began his career as a QB at TCU and Cal, then switched to receiver at Auburn last year and had been a receiver at OSU before now moving back to QB. Now in line to start tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/j7WzQjFF2S
After spending time at TCU, California, and Auburn, Jackson V ended up in Stillwater while being listed as a wide receiver for the program. The redshirt senior had limited time at quarterback as a Horned Frog and Golden Bear, before switching positions to receiver during his time at Auburn
The transfer quarterback saw the most action at California, where he threw for 556 yards across five appearances. Jackson V also totaled 59 yards on the ground on 26 rushing attempts.
What Does Jackson Starting Mean for the Cougars?
Houston's defensive secondary could play an interesting role in Saturday's game against the Cowboys. While Jackson V has seen very limited time at the quarterback position throughout his career, the redshirt senior could surprise Houston this weekend.
While it's a relatively small sample size, Coach Doug Meacham is likely going with Jackson V with the hopes that the quarterback can limit turnovers against the Cougars. In the past, Jackson V has struggled with consistency, completing just 56.6% of his career passes for 758 total yards.
With the Cowboys this season, Jackson V had completed 7 of 11 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. He's also added 21 rushing yards on 7 rushing attempts. Again, a small sample size, but completing nearly 10% more of your passes can be the difference in winning or losing a football game.
The Cougars will need to be especially careful against mid and long-range passing against the Cowboys. While Oklahoma State hasn't found a clear No.1 receiver this season, there are multiple pass-catchers that have averaged over 13 yards per reception. Shamar Rigby leads the way in the receiver room with 11 catches for 154 total yards.
Shamar Rigby is a 6'3" receiver who transferred from Purdue. Rigby can take the top off, and, with his basketball background and his size, hopefully can be an option to line up on the boundary and throw some jump balls to.
— OState Daily (@Ostate_Daily) August 30, 2025
Rigby is just a Sophomore, so is another one of the… pic.twitter.com/hDb8nDZrWc
With the help of the Houston defensive line, the Cougars could quickly disrupt a quarterback that's had trouble getting into a throwing rhythm over the years. That chaos could start with linebacker Corey Platt Jr., Houston's sack leader (2.5) through the first five games.
Against an offensive line that's struggled in both run blocking and pass protection, Austin Armstrong should be able to comfortably blitz the quarterback at a high rate. If Houston can force Jackson into early mistakes, the Cougars' talented secondary could be in for a big day with multiple defensive turnovers.
