Cowboys Continue to Lose Defensive Players to Transfer Portal

Oklahoma State’s defense continues to look different as players depart for the transfer portal.

Over the past couple of days, the Cowboys have seen a number of players depart for the transfer portal. While there have been some offensive players such as Kyler Pearson exit Stillwater, most of the departures have been on the defensive side of the ball.

Chance Clements, Talon Kendrick, Justin Crutchmer, Jaelen Tucker and Ty Williams are among the players who have announced their intentions to enter the portal in the spring window. Last season, Kendrick, Crutchmer and Tucker effectively played no role in games for the Cowboys, with Crutchmer being the only one of the trio to take the field, making just one appearance.

Still, those three provided the Cowboys with depth and practice players last season. With so much changing in the offseason with transfer portal additions and coaching staff changes, any continuity still holds some value.

Meanwhile, Clements played in all 12 games for the Cowboys and was thrust into a larger role with so many injuries to the rest of the linebacker room. Clements finished the season with three tackles. Throughout his career, Clements has played a role for OSU on both defense and special teams and enters the portal with another two years of eligibility.

Meanwhile, Williams’ role took a hit last season as he played in just four games and recorded one tackle. Before his 2024 season, he was a key contributor for the Cowboys, making 18 tackles across his previous two seasons, with an emphasis on his time on the special teams unit.

With Todd Grantham taking over as defensive coordinator, the Cowboys seem intent on making significant changes going into 2025 on that side of the ball. With so many new players entering the fold through the transfer portal, the Cowboys should have an opportunity to have a bounce-back season.

While OSU’s continuity has certainly taken a hit during the offseason, there seems to be a new energy in Stillwater and many players from last season’s team will have an opportunity to find more playing time elsewhere.