Eric Morris Shows His Reach Goes Beyond Last Season In Commit From Tyler Mercer

Eric Morris’ North Texas ties are going back further than expected.

The transfer portal has been nothing but successful for Oklahoma State, as Eric Morris has gone all in. Morris has brought multiple key playmakers from his North Texas roster to help shape the future of the Cowboys.

However, Morris’ reach has expanded beyond the length of just this past season, as players from other programs are starting to commit to Oklahoma State as well. One in particular is Kansas center Tyler Mercer.

Kansas o-lineman Tyler Mercer (@_tylermercer) has signed with Oklahoma State, @milesjordan40 of @jordansportsgrp tells @mzenitz and me.

A 2024 True Freshman All-American at North Texas, Mercer played in Kansas’ first 3 games this season.https://t.co/EDCMfcujOs pic.twitter.com/jgMFzkEIiZ
— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) January 6, 2026

Mercer previously played for North Texas and Morris in 2024, a year in which he was called upon quickly after the starting center was injured. Mercer stepped up to the challenge better than anyone expected and earned Freshman All-American honors. Mercer allowed zero sacks and only three pressures throughout the course of his campaign, which allowed him to climb the ranks of college football.

Last offseason, Mercer decided to test the waters of the transfer portal, and after receiving offers from schools such as Kansas, Miami, Arkansas and Arizona State, the center decided to test his skills in the Big 12, choosing the Jayhawks.

However, Mercer would be behind one of the best centers in the nation in Bryce Foster and would have a great opportunity to continue to develop. Mercer would end up redshirting in his sophomore season, only playing in three games.

Mercer was all but a lock for the starting center job for Kansas in 2026, but would once again decide to test his luck in the transfer portal during the offseason. Now he has become another piece in an immaculate game of chess that Morris and his staff are playing to buff up the Cowboy roster for the upcoming season.

Mercer is now the fourth offensive line addition the Pokes have made for the 2026 season, and will be a vital part of the revamped team rolling into Stillwater.

Oklahoma State currently has the No.2 transfer portal recruiting class, according to 247Sports, and there is still over a week left in the portal window. If Morris and his staff can continue to go all out in recruiting, then the 2026 OSU football team will have very different results than the previous two seasons.

Mercer’s commitment is a good sign that Morris has a lot more connections than just his roster last year, and it gives hope that the players already committed are only the beginning.