Editorial: Gundy Makes Good on Promise and Embraces New Way to Bolster Recruiting

Mike Gundy has been working since he got home from the Texas Bowl and he has come up with some roster gems

Across from left, University of Arkansas athletics, USA Today Sports Images, Sports Illustrated

STILLWATER -- As a member of the Cowboy Network Radio crew, I'm privy to some scenes others are not. More times than not, those scenes I witness go unreported, but sometimes I see them as being so important that I might risk my privilege.

In the first moments after the Cowboys 24-21 loss to Texas A&M in the Academy Sports and Outdoors Texas Bowl, head coach Mike Gundy looked into the eyes of his players and told them he was so, "excited about this team for next season that I am going to be in the office on Sunday. I'll rest and watch some games tomorrow (Saturday), but I will be in the office Sunday working towards next season."

The proof that Gundy was working and building toward next season came out on Twitter Monday and Tuesday morning as former Arkansas and Putnam City High School defensive end Collin Clay and two-year starter on the West Virginia offensive line and a coaches All-Big 12 second-team selection Josh Sills came off the NCAA Transfer Portal and committed to join the Cowboys this next semester. Those decisions didn't just come up the past few days. Gundy and his staff had been working, but he was finishing the project when he got back from Houston. 

Now, let's examine what those additions mean? Gundy has his detractors, some because they perceive he is not recruiting at a level that Oklahoma State should. Some just don't care for him and feel he should be winning more, some amazingly are in the same group. Think about that level of stupidity for a minute. 

The truth is Oklahoma State was one of the 10 most successful, overall, Division I football teams over the last decade. They had winning seasons and bowl trips every year. The average recruiting ranking in that time was 37.5 by the recruiting websites I used for research. The Cowboys, under Gundy, accomplished what they did without cheating. They turned over rocks other schools didn't bother with or they were first to turn over rocks like recruiting two All-Big 12 performers and one of them an All-American and the nation's leading rusher from Canada. They established one of the best, most productive walk-on programs in college football. 

Gundy has now bolstered his recruiting efforts with seven analysts that spend the bulk of their time tracking and analyzing recruits. Checking out prospects other schools may not have the time, the manpower, or the determination to do. He added football veteran in Todd Bradford, who is already paying dividends. 

Now, Gundy has embraced one of the very entities that has cost his program some players. Virtually all of the players that have left Oklahoma State for the NCAA Transfer Portal have been players that either didn't play or didn't fit the Cowboy culture. 

Long a proponent of the graduate transfer addition to eligibility rules, Gundy brought in and successfully used graduate transfers like Tyler Patmon from Kansas, Josh Furman from Michigan, Michael Hunter from Indiana, Linzy Pipkins from Louisiana-Monroe, and Aaron Cochran from California. Meanwhile, about the only graduate transfer that Gundy and the Cowboys lost that was productive was slot receiver Jalen McCleskey, who left to finish his college career playing on a staff his father coached on at Tulane. 

Now Gundy is embracing the Transfer Portal, which Oklahoma State has used some, but the additions of Collin Clay from Arkansas and Josh Sills from West Virginia is like getting two big-time recruits. I'll let you judge how many stars these guys would rate. 

I want to Razorback nation for all of the love that was given to my family and I while I was here. I want to thank every last coach that poured into me at this university. After much prayer and consideration with my family, I will be attending Oklahoma State University #GOPOKES🍊 pic.twitter.com/7yH9Hx4pEq

— Collin Clay (@collinclay_) December 30, 2019

Clay was a highly-touted prospect out of Putnam City with offers from the likes of Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, and TCU to name a few. The 6-5, 285-pound defensive end played 324 plays as a true freshman with 17 total tackles including three tackles in games against Texas A&M, Mississippi State, and LSU. He had two unassisted tackles against Auburn. All four of those were SEC bowl teams. That's at least a four-star, isn't it?

Sills was not highly recruited out of Ohio, but after a red-shirt season, developed into a two-year starter before a shoulder injury put an early end to his season this past September. He was 2nd-team All-Big 12 according to Big 12 coaches in the 2018 season. He can play either guard or center. What is he worth in stars, especially if he gets an anticipated second season in Stillwater. At least four stars and maybe he would be worth five. 

This is likely the only editorial, I'm old school and don't use the word blogger, where you will read compliments for Gundy. The younger, less experienced "writers" won't go the direction of giving Gundy credit. 

Could the special teams have been more special than destructive last Friday in Houston, sure. Could the offense have been more explosive, yeah. Did Texas A&M and their bigger, more physical linemen make a difference? They did. So, what is Gundy doing about it? 

The three days he's been working since getting home have shown you.