Which Oklahoma State Football Players Could Enter Transfer Portal if They Lose Starting Jobs

The Oklahoma State Cowboys can only start 11 players at a time. For those that lose starting jobs, their next stop may be the transfer portal when the time comes.

Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The transfer portal gave new Oklahoma State Cowboys head football coach Eric Morris a lot this offseason.

The Cowboys brought in nearly 90 new players via the portal, with the intent of quickly turning around a team that went 1-11 last season. The portal giveth, but it can also taketh away.

Many players came to OSU with the goal of winning a starting job. What if they don’t? What will they do next? That’s a consideration for those that have eligibility after this season.

Here are three players that have been in competition for starting jobs in fall camp who could ultimately decide to hit the transfer portal after the season if they lost their shot at a starting job. Losing a starting job is based on Morris’ comments during camp, preseason depth charts and remaining eligibility.

OL Jakobe Sanders

Oklahoma State's JaKobe Sanders. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This probably wouldn’t sit well with the locals. After all, Sanders is a Stillwater native who played at Stillwater high and chose to stay home to play college football under then-head coach Mike Gundy. That’s the dream, isn’t it?

This is his fourth year of college football. He only started receiving regular playing time last season and started in the final six games of the season. He decided to stay after the coaching change, and he was the only offensive letterwinner to return. The thought was that he could compete for a starting job at either guard or center.

He and Tyler Mercer were locked in a battle for the starting center job, but Morris has already awarded the starting job to Mercer, who was at Kansas last season but previously played for him at North Texas. Sanders will be a backup, barring injury.

If he’s hoping to be a starter in 2027, he’ll either have to roll the dice that he can win a job at OSU or seek out a new hope with a better path to starting time.

LB Isaiah Chisom

Isaiah Chisom. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

He’s already transferred twice. He started his career at Oregon State in 2023, remained there two seasons and then transferred to UCLA for last season. With the Bruins, he had a rock-solid season as he finished with 84 tackles. The coaching change to Bob Chesney, formerly at James Madison, put him in the transfer portal again and he landed at OSU.

Based on production, he should be starting alongside Ethan Wesloski at linebacker in the Cowboys’ 4-2-5 defense. Certainly, Tate Romney and Dallas Winner-Johnson are going to get some time. But what if one of them somehow beats Chisom out? Or defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity must adjust scheme, and it minimizes Chisom’s role? Would that force Chisom to head back to the transfer portal one more time for his final season? It’s worth watching.

CB Kobi Foreman

Oklahoma State's Kobi Foreman (middle) | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Foreman is another player that was at Oklahoma State last season and opted to stay when Morris and his staff took over. The Richardson (Texas) Berkner corner joined the program last season and played in nine games, mostly as a kickoff returner. But getting playing time as a true freshman is usually a springboard to playing time, and perhaps a starting role, at their chosen position the next season.

That may not be the case for Foreman. LaDainian Fields and transfer Mo Horn appear to be the likely starters at cornerback. Morris appears to have already settled on Christian Bodnar as his nickelback. Foreman may play, but he may not play as much as he hoped.

By not winning a starting job coming out of fall camp and not getting the playing time he hoped for, he may choose to avail himself of the transfer portal after the season ends.