How Preseason All-America Team’s Impact Rating Helps Oklahoma State’s Reputation

The Oklahoma State Cowboys continue to get preseason accolades. This time, quarterback Drew Mestemaker isn’t involved.

That’s a good thing for the Cowboys, as much of the preseason publicity has revolved around the former North Texas quarterback who is hoping to help his head coach, Eric Morris, turn things around in Stillwater.

But the Pro Football News preseason all-America team instead focused on four other Cowboys — three that are new to the program and one that is back after a 1-11 2025 season.

The awards do two things for the Cowboys. First, it shines a light on other players and shows Morris has recruited more talent than just the quarterback. Second, it reinforces the belief that the Cowboys had the talent to turn things around meaningfully in year one.

Those players were wide receiver Wyatt Young, wide receiver Chris Barnes, cornerback LaDainian Fields and running back Caleb Hawkins.

Four OSU Players on All-America List

Pro Football News did their team a bit differently. They used their player impact rating scores to put together their selections. For instance, the site’s first-team quarterback is USC’s Jayden Maiava, who has an impact rating of 93.1. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin is second team with an impact rating of 90.8.

The selections are driven by data more than an eye test, which means the site is grading out these four Cowboys as some of the best players at their position in the country.

That puts Young front and center. Young was named to the first team with an impact rating of 87.5, alongside Miami’s Malachi Toney (86.0). Young caught 70 passes for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was named all-American Conference first-team and first-team all-America by PFSN.

Barnes made the second team as a return man. PFN didn’t provide a rating for him. That said, Barnes is set to be one of the best returners in the Big 12, if not the country. He was third-team all-ACC with Wake Forest last season after he returned seven kicks for 263 yards and a touchdown. He had the highest kick return average of any qualified returner.

He should impact the Cowboys’ pass game too after he caught 39 passes for 547 yards and three touchdowns.

Fields also earned a second-team selection with a rating of 88.6. That put the third-year cornerback alongside Miami’s Bryce Fitzgerald (87.2) and Mississippi State’s Kelley Jones (87.2). That’s a big jump for Fields, who has the talent to prove the rating right. He has 16 tackles and two interceptions last year, including one he returned for a touchdown.

Barnes was named to the third team as a running back. His rating of 88.8 was just ahead of West Virginia’s Cam Cook at 87.6. The only backs ahead of Hawkins were BYU’s LJ Martin, Florida’s Jadan Baugh, Rutgers’ Antwan Raymond and Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy.

Hawkins has an impressive true freshman season as he rushed for 1,434 rushing yards, gained 1,804 all-purpose yards and finished with 29 touchdowns, which set an FBS freshman record that stood for 13 years.

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