Strength in Numbers Lifts Oklahoma State’s Defensive Line After Four Games

For the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the improvement in the defensive line is led not by stars, but by sheer numbers.

Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive end Jaleel Johnson. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There is no star on Oklahoma State’s defensive front four. But there are nearly a dozen players who have made that front four vastly improved from a year ago.

Among the many reasons why the Cowboys are off to a 3-1 start is the defensive line, one that didn’t come with a ready-made Heisman caliber star like quarterback Drew Mestemaker. Most of the players on the defensive line are either holdovers who didn’t play much under the previous staff or transfers who were hungry for more playing time.

Head coach Eric Morris and his defensive staff, led by coordinator Skyler Cassity, didn’t chase stars in the transfer portal. They chased snaps and numbers. And, so far, it’s working.

“It’s what we’ve always believed in, right?” Morris said after the West Virginia victory. “It’s strength in numbers and rotating [players], especially with the tempo of play.”

Oklahoma State’s Rejuvenated Offensive Line

Oklahoma State's Jerry Lawson. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Morris and his staff have talked about keeping the defensive line fresh, especially in September when the first three games were in Oklahoma and the heat was going to be a major factor. OSU kept up that high rotation against the Mountaineers and ended up with four sacks and eight tackles for loss, though the line didn’t collect all those numbers.

But, if the defensive ends aren’t collecting sacks, the interior linemen are opening tackling lanes for the linebackers to collect sacks.

Through four games the Cowboys have eight sacks and 20 tackles for loss. They’re on pace to finish the season with 24 sacks and 60 tackles for loss. That’s close to last year’s pace. But it’s part of an improved overall unit. The Cowboys were No. 114 in total defense last year, giving up 418.3 yards per contest. So far this year Oklahoma State is No. 50 after four games, averaging 317.2 yards per game.

OSU has built a steady rotation around a dozen defensive linemen. Through four games only three defensive linemen have more than 100 snaps — tackle Jerry Lawson (124), end Jaleel Johnson (124) and end James Williams (112), per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The rest have logged fewer than 100 snaps. However, nine linemen have at least 50 snaps, which shows off the balance the staff has created with the rotation.

But in Big 12 play against teams like the Mountaineers, that rotation will be tested from week to week.

“It's a little bit harder to substitute because these guys don't really want you to substitute when they go fast, and so we had to pick our moments to get everybody on and off the field,” Morris said. “The amount of plays they were probably in consecutively was probably more than what we would have liked.”

That depth and that rotation will be put to the test eight more times, starting with the UCF game on Oct. 10. So far, this remade defensive line has passed nearly every test, thanks to its depth and rotation, one built through the transfer portal after a horrible 2025.