Every Three-Star Oklahoma State Football Recruit Ready to Make Big Impact This Season
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Eric Morris was always going to have a hard time landing a top-flight freshman recruiting class for this season.
The new Oklahoma State head coach took the job in December and had little time to assemble a new class and try to retain players from former coach Mike Gundy’s final class. According to 247Sports.com (subscription required), the Cowboys had the No. 16 recruiting class in the Big 12 — out of 16 teams. All were considered three-star recruits.
The Cowboys’ overall ranking was No. 47, but that was pushed by Morris and his staff’s work in the transfer portal, where they landed a Top 15 class. But OSU will need to win games before Morris can land higher-rated recruits.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t freshmen in this class that can’t make an impact. And, because Morris is not limited by redshirt rules due to the NCAA’s new eligibility changes, he can give every freshmen player a real shot at playing time.
That said, some have a better chance than others. Here are the freshmen that have the best chance to make an impact this season.
RB KD Jones
He was the highest-rated player in the class by most services. Jones is part of perhaps the deepest position on the team and Caleb Hawkins is the starter. But, after he posted more than 5,000 all-purpose yards at Jenks (Okla.) High School, Morris will try to find ways to involve Jones all over the field. He could have a big impact in the return game and in special packages out of the backfield.
S Braeden Presley
The younger brother of OSU all-time leading receiver Brennan Presley, he will play at a position where there are three to five players vying for three starting spots, but the competition behind the presumed starters gives him a shot at a two-deep spot. He picked off nine passes in 35 games for Bixby (Okla.) High School. If he shows ability to pick off passes early in camp, he can push for a rotation spot with 15-20 plays per game right away.
EDGE Landon Bland
Bland rolls into Stillwater at 231 pounds and has a 6-4 frame that should allow him to put on more weight. Oklahoma State is looking at multiple options for edge rushing and there is room on the two-deep and beyond for the Carthage, Mo., product. End is a position where a true freshman can get playing time if they show an ability to get consistent rush on the quarterback in specific situations. If he proves that in camp, he can get a handful of plays per game.
OT Kole Seaton
Seaton was the highest-rated offensive lineman in the class and was a Top 50 player at the position nationally. His 247Sports bio had him at 270 pounds as a high school senior. Oklahoma State lists him at 299 pounds. That’s an important jump for the Horn (Mesquite, Texas) High School star, who can be a multi-year starter.
No one has a secure hold on any of the five offensive line jobs, expect for perhaps Braydon Nelson, who is the presumed left tackle after playing for Morris at North Texas last year. The improvement in his frame makes Seaton a player at right tackle, perhaps as a back-up that can spell the starter for 10-15 plays per game. He should work to show during camp that he can play in multiple places.
CB Maliek Bracy
Outside of the returning LaDainian Fields, there is a lot of new at the position. Mo Horn is the presumed starter alongside fields. After that, there is going to be competition, and Bracy could be part of it. The Argyle, Texas, corner has seven interceptions in three seasons at Argyle. He needs to show versatility in fall camp. Being able to help at safety and in packages with six defensive backs would help his chances to make an impact. But the talent is there.
WR Jabarie Thornton
Like Jones, Thornton is walking into a deep position, and he doesn’t have Jones’ recruiting pedigree. But what the La Vega (Waco, Texas) High School star has is versatility. He was a 1,000-yard receiver two years in a row, returned two kicks for touchdowns, played basketball and ran track and field.
It’s going to be a hard position to break through, but if he shows the ability to play multiple roles at fall camp, he could be one of the Cowboys’ most impactful freshmen.
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Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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