OSU Football: Cowboys Ceiling Raised by Experience for 2024 Season
The Oklahoma State Cowboys had a much better time in the transfer portal to kick off this offseason. Following the 2022 college football season, the Cowboys saw plenty of production hit the portal, meaning they had to bring in transfers to replace that impact.
Because of the roster turnover, the first three weeks of football were difficult for the Cowboys. They lost to South Alabama and played their first two games much closer than they should have. This year, Oklahoma State doesn't have to worry about such.
With the entire offensive starting unit and many big-impact defenders returning, there won't be an awkward first few weeks. They had last season to mesh, this spring will be full of improving and honing in on their identity. Come next season, the team will be able to hit the ground running.
"Last spring we had 28 new players. This spring it's around 12ish, so less than half and more retention in the team in general," Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy explained last week. "We have seventh-year guys. Sixth-year guys, fifth-year guys, so it's considerably different in an installation standpoint. We have a few players who we'll have to bring along slower because they're new, but the majority of them are pretty quick this spring."
Having someone like Alan Bowman -- in his seventh season of college football -- can be extremely helpful under center. He's leading a team very familiar with the systems in place, and the team has plenty of other position groups littered with experience.
Having a veteran team in a Big 12 conference that is wide open, the Cowboys are primed for what could be an incredible season. Late-game collapses shouldn't happen, the team is going to be poised and closing out games, which will help them find their way back to the Big 12 title game next season.
A College Football Playoff appearance would be huge for Gundy and Oklahoma State, and it isn't that far out of the realm. With a team full of veterans, finding their way deep into postseason football is realistic and might be the program's best chance in recent history.
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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.