Why Oklahoma State Football’s Roster Flip Biggest in Recent Memory

Eric Morris promised change when he took over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He’s kept his word, at least as far as the roster is concerned.

Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

For most of the summer the Oklahoma State Cowboys have been integrating nearly 90 new players into their roster. Well, on Friday, that number changed.

In a story in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) which detailed how head coach Eric Morris flipped nearly the program’s entire roster, the story confirmed that the Cowboys now have 92 new players on its finalized roster.

Sam Kahn Jr. of The Athletic (subscription required) also confirmed that number. That number is important because it means that in the transfer portal era, the Cowboys have done something no program has ever done.

The Cowboys’ Brand New Roster

Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Per Khan, the belief is that the transfer portal FBS record for most new players on a college football team from one season to the next was set by Colorado in 2023 when then-new head coach Deion Sanders brought in 87 new players.

There aren’t extensive records because extreme roster flips are a product of the transfer portal era, which started five years ago. But Morris made it clear when the Cowboys hired him that he intended to try and build a team that could be competitive immediately. That meant using the transfer portal to find as many mature players as possible.

The core of his transfers are players that played for him at North Texas last year. Nearly 20 of the 92 new players helped the Mean Green go 12-2 last season. That includes their top three offensive players — quarterback Drew Mestemaker, running back Caleb Hawkins and wide receiver Wyatt Young. Linebacker Ethan Wesloski also transferred to the Cowboys, along with offensive tackle Braydon Nelson.

Morris brought in plenty of other transfers from around the country. That includes wide receiver Chris Barnes from Wake Forest, former Oklahoma tackle Jacob Sexton and former Coastal Carolina interior lineman Joseph Hanson, all of whom are expected to be starters.

The defensive side is populated with transfers like former Texas Tech cornerback Mo Horn.

Morris kept 25 players from last year's roster, which includes starting cornerback LaDainian Fields, backup interior lineman Jakobe Sanders and defensive lineman Iman Oates, who is available to practice and play based on a temporary restraining order he received in a Payne County, Okla., court, earlier this summer.

Along with true freshman, the Cowboys have 117 players on the roster including players that are grandfathered in from the House settlement. How will all this newness come together? Cowboys fans will find out when the season opens on Sept. 5 at Tulsa.