Can Oklahoma State Win Without a Star Next Season?

Oklahoma State will enter next season in an interesting spot and will need to play as a unit.

The Cowboys were one of the most disappointing teams in college football last season. After winning 10 games and making the Big 12 Championship in 2023, OSU’s hopes of making it back to Arlington were quickly dashed.

Despite OSU’s struggles, it still felt it had a chance in every game it played. That blind optimism was, of course, thanks to Ollie Gordon. Having a superstar in the backfield gave the Cowboys some confidence they shouldn’t have had at certain points in the season.

That type of confidence with Gordon on the team was often unwarranted, but it did lead to some near upsets, such as the thriller at BYU. However, last season’s team had far more star power than just Gordon.

In the weeks leading up to the season, the Cowboys had at least one representative on seemingly every award watchlist. From Collin Oliver to Nick Martin to Brennan Presley and beyond, the Cowboys had big names at almost every position and looked like a force to be reckoned with.

While some key injuries derailed the season in a number of way, OSU still managed to have at least some star power on the field each game. That will be a significant change for the Cowboys next season.

Going into 2025, you’d be hard-pressed to find a single Cowboy on any lists. While official award watchlists won’t start rolling out until next month, OSU is nowhere to be found on any kind of ranking at any outlet.

With so many new faces in Stillwater, including plenty that have played little to no games at the power conference level, it’s tough to put OSU’s players on any list. Of course, that makes it seem as if OSU has no superstar talent on the roster.

While cases like Gordon’s breakout 2023 could happen, it seems likely that the Cowboys simply won’t have a true star next season. And without any one player to rely on at the highest level, the Cowboys will need to win as a team in every facet.