Oklahoma State Lands Charleston Southern Transfer Kicker
Oklahoma State has another option to put points on the board.
On Saturday, kicker Sam Babbush announced his commitment to OSU on social media. The Charleston Southern transfer will become the fourth kicker on OSU going into the 2024 season.
Last season Babbush was the starting kicker at Charleston Southern and made 10 field goals and 19 extra points. Babbush has made 24 field goals and 68 extra points for his career, with a career-long of 57 yards in 2022.
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Making a career-high 71% of his field goal attempts last season, Babbush is looking to carry that momentum into Stillwater as a graduate transfer. Babbush was also a reliable kickoff specialist throughout his time at Charleston Southern.
Last season was his only season as the primary kickoff man, and he delivered 37 kickoffs. His kickoffs went for a total of 2,255 yards for an average of 60.9 yards, including 13 touchbacks.
OSU’s starting kicker job could be up for grabs going into fall camp, with Alex Hale’s last season coming in 2023. Hale made 27 field goals and 36 extra points last season and earned Second-Team All-Big 12 while finishing as a semifinalist for the Lou Groza award.
Although it is an often thankless job, the kicker position is one of the most critical in college football. Babbush has been an up-and-down kicker throughout his career, but having someone capable of making kicks from nearly 60 yards is valuable for any team.
With OSU’s offense expected to be one of the most explosive in recent years, field goals might not be needed often. However, the Cowboys will need a reliable option when those high-pressure situations arise.
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IVAN WHITE
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.