Oklahoma State Set to Face Former Cowboy This Weekend
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Oklahoma State is set to face UCF this weekend, and a familiar face will be on the other side.
On Saturday, OSU will be making its second trip to the Bounce House in Orlando since joining the Big 12. Of course, this time it will be hoping to avoid a similar fate to its 45-3 blowout loss in 2023.
While there could be plenty of interesting action on Saturday, the most intriguing storyline could be who is on the other sideline. While the Knights and Cowboys have had some drastic changes since their last meeting, perhaps none are more interesting for this matchup than Jaden Nixon playing for UCF.
After playing his first three seasons in Stillwater from 2021-23, Nixon transferred to Western Michigan, where he had a career year in 2024. Putting up 919 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, Nixon proved he deserved another shot at the power four level and landed with Scott Frost’s UCF squad.
Of course, the last time OSU was in Orlando, it was RJ Harvey killing the Cowboys with a potent rushing attack. Now, this time around, it could be Nixon getting the last laugh against his former team after being stuck behind Ollie Gordon throughout his final year in Stillwater.
While Nixon’s stats this season haven’t quite matched his impressive production from his season with Western Michigan, he has still been quite a productive player in Orlando. This season, Nixon is leading the Knights with 8.5 yards per attempt and is second on the team in total rushing yards at 517.
Throughout the transfer portal era, player movement has become undeniable. With NIL also ruling the college football landscape, player empowerment is more obvious than ever before, and it’s created many more scenarios like this where a player is facing his former team.
While Nixon’s play on Saturday is sure to get some attention, it will be one of many things that OSU is looking at on the field. With the Cowboys still desperate to get their first win in conference play, shutting down Nixon will be critical to that attack.
Although not everything will be perfect for either squad, given that both enter this matchup with losing records, finding any slight advantage could be enough to lift one team over the top. Although most of this season has been filled with poor play and uninspiring results on the field, some fun storylines like this can be enough to get through the final stretch.
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.