Every Transfer Expected to Make an Immediate Impact for Oklahoma State Football
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys are doing something that few teams have done even in this era — sell out their immediate future to the transfer portal.
A variety of factors led new head coach Eric Morris and his staff to pull nearly 90 new players out of the transfer portal for the 2026 season. That means there will be plenty of new when everyone reports for fall camp next week.
While there are many new players that could have an impact this season, here are the 10 transfers most likely to make an immediate impact on Oklahoma State this season.
QB Drew Mestemaker
No real surprise here. He’s the crown jewel of the transfer class. He was the starting quarterback at North Texas last season, led FBS in passing yards, was Top 10 in a bushel of other categories and followed his head coach and offensive coaches to Stillwater. When Mestemaker was shopping around at other FBS programs, Morris told him “don’t break my heart.” He didn’t. How far OSU’s renaissance goes this season will largely be tied to Mestemaker.
RB Caleb Hawkins
Not every Air Raid offense has a back quite like Hawkins, who as a true freshman set an NCAA record for most combined touchdowns by a true freshman and rushed for nearly 1,500 yards for the Mean Green. He can also catch passes out of the backfield. He’s a unique talent for this kind of offense, which is quarterback friendly. With Hawkins in the backfield, the Cowboys can control the run game.
WR Wyatt Young
Mestemaker needs targets to throw to and his top target from a year ago followed both Mestemaker and Hawkins to Stillwater. Young caught 70 passes for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns, with the passing yards the second most in UNT history. He was named all-American Conference and a freshman all-American as a redshirt. With a built-up history with the quarterback, he should make an impact from the start.
LB Ethan Wesloski
One more North Texas transfer and then let’s pause for a bit. Wesloski piled up 113 tackles (59 solo) in 14 games playing for defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity, who is leading the Cowboys defense this season. That was after Wesloski spent three years waiting his turn with the Mean Green. The second-team all-American Conference selection doesn’t have to wait his turn now. He’s expected to be one of the top defenders on the team.
LB Isaiah Chisom
The OSU defense was bad last year. Between Wesloski and Chisom, they could make the unit far better in 2026. While some publications have Tate Romney starting alongside Wesloski, they may be overlooking Chisom’s production at UCLA last season. He had 84 total tackles with 40 solo stops, 2.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup on the year. Before that he was at Oregon State where he was named a freshman all-American.
CB Mo Horn
The Cowboys needed experience alongside returning starter LaDainian Fields and they don’t get much more experienced than Horn, who played four years at Texas Tech before he transferred to the Cowboys. He was a regular starter in 2024 before an influx of transfer cut into his playing time. In 2024 he had 56 total tackles, including 31 solo stops and three tackles for loss with five pass break-ups.
LT Braydon Nelson
Another North Texas transfer, Nelson is likely going to be entrusted with protecting Mestemaker’s blind side on passing downs. He was one of the top graded offensive linemen in the American Conference last season and played at both left tackle and right tackle. Mestemaker has someone he can trust watching his back.
S Quinton Hammonds
The Cowboys needed help at safety in the transfer portal and Hammonds is one of two UNT transfers who followed the staff, along with Evan Jackson. Hammonds is likely to make a bigger impact immediately. He had 53 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack and two interceptions last season. His huge game against Navy — where he had both interceptions — earned him national recognition.
LG Jacob Sexton
The Cowboys pulled Sexton out of the transfer portal from Oklahoma, where he played off and on for four seasons due to injuries. But he played left tackle, right tackle and left guard with the Sooners and started at all three positions. That utility should come in handy for the Cowboys. He missed most of last season due to injury. His versatility and experience can be an asset to OSU immediately.
DT Jerry Lawson
The Cowboys need to do a much better job of stopping the run and Lawson can help. One of many transfers with power conference experience, he played for Louisville las season after playing his first two seasons at Abilene Christian. His size makes him a great fit to help plug running lanes inside and open opportunities for Wesloski and Chisom to make tackles on obvious running downs.
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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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