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Cowboys Facing Historic Roster Overhaul as Portal Exodus Tops Power 4

Oklahoma State will have to rebuild this offseason.
Taylor Skieens|
Oklahoma State waits to run on to the field before the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Iowa State Cyclones at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday Nov. 29, 2025.
Oklahoma State waits to run on to the field before the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Iowa State Cyclones at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday Nov. 29, 2025. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Oklahoma State Cowboys

As the calendar flips toward 2026, Oklahoma State fans are staring at a reality that's equal parts painful and necessary: the Cowboys sit atop the list of Power Four programs with the most anticipated transfer portal departures. According to 247Sports Portal data as of Sunday afternoon, Oklahoma State has 44 players expected to hit the portal — a staggering 11 more than the next closest team, Iowa State (33).

This isn't just a number. It's a full-scale reset for a program coming off a disastrous 1-11 season that ended the Mike Gundy era and ushered in new head coach Eric Morris. Gundy's midseason firing triggered an initial 30-day portal window, allowing players to explore options early. Many did, and the announcements have kept coming even as the official winter window approaches on January 2.

Key losses have already stung and the likelihood of more to come can only heighten the anticipation moving forward. Tight end Josh Ford bolted for Alabama, while others like Wendell Gregory, a standout freshman defender, seek fresh starts elsewhere. The offensive line, secondary, and skill positions have been hit hardest, leaving Morris with holes that could number in the dozens when the dust settles.

Compare that to the rest of the Power Four landscape: Florida State (25), West Virginia (24), Auburn and Florida (23 each), Kansas State and Mississippi State (22). No one comes close to Oklahoma State's projected attrition. In the Big 12 alone, rival Iowa State ranks second, but the Cyclones' 33 pales next to the Cowboys' 44. This exodus reflects the uncertainty of a coaching change after two decades under Gundy, combined with a season that saw the Pokes win just once.

But here's the silver lining for Cowboy faithful: massive turnover means massive opportunity. Morris, fresh off building a high-octane offense at North Texas, inherits a blank slate. With revenue sharing on the horizon and OSU's resources, expect an aggressive portal push incoming. Rumors swirl around North Texas QB Drew Mestemaker potentially following his coach to Stillwater, and the staff has already targeted playmakers to fit Morris' up-tempo scheme.

This rebuild won't be pretty overnight. Boone Pickens Stadium will look different in 2026 — younger, hungrier, and rebuilt through the portal. Painful as these departures are, they're the price of progress after rock bottom. Pistol Pete's program has bounced back before. Under Morris, this could be the start of something explosive. There is no fanbase hungrier for success than that of Cowboy Nation.

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Taylor Skieens
TAYLOR SKIEENS

Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.

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