Oklahoma State’s Official Offer Falls Flat as Sladen Shack Picks Big Ten School

Shortly after hosting a three-star quarterback on campus, the Oklahoma State Cowboys learned that he chose a Big Ten school instead.

Sladen Shack, a quarterback from Brandon, Miss., recently went on an official visit to the University of Illinois and on Tuesday he picked the Fighting Illini to be his college football destination.

Shack made the announcement on social media. Commitments are non-binding. The earliest he could sign with Illinois would be in December. It certainly isn't a done deal that he'll land in Illinois.

Oklahoma State knows that feeling. Last weekend they hosted a University of Houston commit on campus and flipped him. That was three-star offensive lineman Sonny Mullen of Troy (Texas).

But the Cowboys may have a harder time getting Shaq to commit and there's a good reason why.

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#AGTG Thank you Lord for everything that you’ve blessed with me, I thank my family for the sacrifices you’ve made, and thank you to the coaches that have helped me along the way! #Committed pic.twitter.com/E4YF5OYz3j
— Sladen Shack (@sladen_shack) June 9, 2026

While the job of any good college football coach and recruiting staff is to make sure they have as many options as possible, there are only so many scholarships to go around when it comes to prep recruits. Teams tend to focus on one, perhaps two quarterbacks, in each recruiting class. The Cowboys already have a commitment behind center.

Carson White, a rising senior out of Iowa Colony, Texas, has already committed to Oklahoma State. In fact, White is the first player that committed to the Cowboys for the Class of 2027, doing so in April.

To this point, he's been unwavering. And coaches like Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris must strike a balance between making sure they're covered at each position and making sure that the players that have committed to them feel the love, so to speak.

Perhaps Shack committing to Illinois is a blessing in that way. Morris won't have to explain to White why he pursued another quarterback. But the Cowboys also have other offers out to other quarterbacks, which means White may have to live with competition in his class, in addition to the quarterbacks that Morris already has on campus.

It's the way of college football. It's supposed to be a meritocracy. The best quarterback wins.

Right now, White is the best quarterback committed to Oklahoma State for next season's prep class. If that changes, Morris may have no choice but to carry two quarterbacks into the Class of 2027.

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