Indiana Transfer Running Back Commits to Oklahoma State
The Oklahoma State Cowboys had some activity late last night.
With the spring transfer portal being open, roster tweaks are underway. For Mike Gundy, his approach to roster construction is to recruit the top talents in the portal, regardless of position or need at the position.
This was proven late Friday night as the Cowboys secured a commitment from Indiana transfer running back Trent Howland. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound running back visited Stillwater, this week, and the trend continues of recruits committing shortly after their visits to the program.
Howland rushed for 354 yards and two touchdowns during his 2023 campaign -- his redshirt sophomore season. He will have two years of eligibility remaining as he makes his move to Stillwater. This is important because Ollie Gordon -- the nation's top running back residing at Oklahoma State -- will likely make the jump to pro football after the 2024 college football season. This would see Howland be used behind Gordon next season while improving for his redshirt senior season where he can lean into a bigger role and provide more of an impact.
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Howland was also heavily considering UCF, Ole Miss and Duke. In the 2021 recruiting class, Howland was a three-star prospect and was being recruited by other power conference programs before committing to Indiana.
Howland committed to Minnesota out of the portal, before decommitting and eventually choosing Stillwater as his next home. He joins Arkansas transfer AJ Green as the second running back to join the program through the portal this offseason.
One thing is true about the Cowboys running back room -- they've got size and sneaky athleticism. Scoring on the goal line should be no issue no matter who they rotate in, and each of them has an extra gear of speed making them attractive running back prospects.
While Gordon is an elite talent, having depth and a backup to take some carries from him is a positive thing, and the Cowboys' offense is now even more scary.
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KADE KIMBLE
Kade is a strategic communications student at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where he also minors in Sports Management. He has been covering the Oklahoma City Thunder with InsidetheThunder.com since the 2022 season after having followed the team since its early days.