Oklahoma State Fails to Land Commitment from Four-Star Running Back
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The sledding was likely to be uphill for Oklahoma State when it came to a four-star running back and that turned out to be the case.
Arlington (Texas) Martin High School running back Javian Jones-Priest announced his commitment to Virginia Tech on Tuesday, passing on the Cowboys as a destination for the Class of 2027. He made the announcement during an Instagram Live session.
The Cowboys had a hat on the table in front of Jones-Priest when he made the announcement, alongside Oregon, Florida, SMU, TCU and Northwestern. The Hokies, coached by James Franklin, were the expected destination.
Moving on From an RB Target
Jones-Priest received plenty of pursuit from the Dallas-Fort Worth area school at the power conference level. New Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris was quite aware of the back as well, as he was the head coach at North Texas, which is in Denton. Jones-Priest also has college football in his roots. His father, Rafael, also played college football for the Horned Frogs.
His commitment is non-binding. The earliest he can sign is in December. Jones-Priest can decide to go elsewhere before he signs.
This would have been a great pick-up for the Cowboys. The 5-10, 194-pound running back was a good fit for the Oklahoma State offense, based on his speed and his production at Martin High School during his junior season. But, coming off a 1-11 season and a coaching change, he was going to be a hard get for Morris and his staff this early in his tenure.
Oklahoma State has just one commitment for the Class of 2027 entering Memorial Day weekend. Quarterback Carson White is a three-star passer out of Iowa Colony High School in Texas. He's considered one of the top 25 quarterbacks in the country and a Top 55 player in the state of Texas.
The bare cupboard is likely to change soon. Oklahoma State is preparing for several high-profile visits on campus in June, with many of those players potential targets for the next recruiting class. In some cases, those June visits can lead to commitments, which would bolster the Cowboys’ case to pick up more recruits.
Ultimately, winning is going to move the needle. Along with a 1-11 record last season, Oklahoma State hasn’t won a Big 12 game since the end of the 2023 season and has lost 18 straight. Morris is replacing a program legend in Mike Gundy, who was fired after the Tulsa loss three games into last season.
For now, Morris is selling the future. He can start selling his recruits a future with success when the Cowboys face Tulsa on Sept. 5.
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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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