Two Former Cowboys Predicted to Make Big Impact in CFP and Beyond
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Oklahoma State will be watching some of its former players impact their draft stock in the College Football Playoff.
While OSU went 1-11 this season and is fully transitioning into the Eric Morris era, it will see some of its former players compete for a national title this season. While there are plenty of former Cowboys sprinkled throughout college football, a couple of the biggest departures will be front and center in the coming weeks.
In a recent article from ESPN detailing the potential draftees of every College Football Playoff team, a couple of former Cowboys made the cut for their respective new teams. While OSU has seen plenty of talent head out the door in recent years, a couple of its most talented were given fifth-round draft grades ahead of the postseason.
The first name on the list was former OSU wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling. The Cowboys’ leading receiver in 2023 before missing the rest of the season with an injury after only four games, Stribling came back in 2024 and made an impact for a squad that had high expectations coming into the season.
Leading the Cowboys in receiving in 2024, Stribling racked up 52 catches for 882 yards and six touchdowns. His impressive year amid the Cowboys’ failures led to him being a highly coveted player in the transfer portal, eventually landing with Ole Miss.
This season, Stribling has played in every game and caught 38 passes for 533 yards and five touchdowns. With a first-round matchup against Tulane looming this weekend, Stribling will have a chance to increase his draft stock on the big stage.
Meanwhile, the other former Cowboy to make the cut as a projected fifth-round pick heading into this weekend is far less likely to have the OSU fanbase cheering him on. Of course, that’s because he made the Bedlam transfer and will be suiting up for Oklahoma this weekend.
After four years in Stillwater, Kendal Daniels transferred to the Sooners for his final year of college football, and it’s paid off so far.
Across the Sooners’ 12 games, Daniels has 49 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three pass breakups. While his raw numbers are nowhere near his absurd totals from 2022 and 2023 at OSU, he’s still shown how effective he can be as he plays a key role for one of the nation’s best defenses. With the Sooners set to host Alabama on Friday night, Daniels will again be looking to make an impact under the bright lights in Oklahoma.
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.