Why Pipeline From UNT to Oklahoma State is a Strength And Not Reason For Concern

The North Texas wave continues to flood into Stillwater, and it's only for the best.

Oct 10, 2025; Denton, Texas, USA; North Texas Mean Green head coach Eric Morris stands on the sidelines against the South Florida Bulls during the second half of a game at DATCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The transfer portal has only been open for a couple of days, and the Cowboys are already getting major commits. 

As of Monday afternoon, the Cowboys have the second-highest-ranked transfer portal class in the nation. The class is so far headlined by North Texas stars including Drew Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins and Wyatt Young. However, is it a bad thing that OSU is relying mainly on Eric Morris’ roster from last year?

To sum up the answer shortly, no. The majority of the players the Cowboys have recruited might have been from a team in the American Conference, but this wasn’t just any team. The 2025 North Texas team ranked first in the nation in points per game and in yards per game. The Mean Green were top three in yards per play, and were No.9 in the nation in fourth down conversion rate. 

The UNT defense was no joke either, as they were top 10 in the nation in takeaways per game, averaging two. This didn’t happen by chance; the players who made this happen are the real deal and are some of the best players in the portal. 

Cowboys Strike Gold in Transfer Portal with a 'Big Three' Addition https://t.co/qigMjDEkhn

— OK State on SI (@OKStateOnSI) January 5, 2026

Mestemaker is a five-star transfer portal pickup, and both Hawkins and Young are four-star additions to the Pokes. The Cowboys have also added three three-star offensive linemen from UNT and several other three-star players. 

The Cowboys' commits up to this point haven’t been all Mean Green transfers, as running back Ayo Adeyi is making his way to Stillwater from James Madison, and cornerback Kanijal Thomas is coming from Big 12 foe Kansas State. 

BREAKING: #OkState lands commitment of Kansas State CB Kanijal Thomas.

The Junior is a former Top 15 player in Oklahoma. He had 5 tackles, 1 PD and 1 forced fumble for K-State this season. pic.twitter.com/wGM8fFSx97

— Reagan Harris (OSU Mart) (@OKSTMart) January 5, 2026

There are no signs of this progress slowing down, either with news of Oklahoma State offering players and players arriving on visits to Stillwater occurring hourly. This is exactly what the Cowboys have needed to turn the tide of their program. 

With two straight seasons without a Big 12 win, there were question marks going into the offseason about whether OSU could even land big-time players. Now, with the arrival of Morris and his staff, Cowboy football once again seems to be on the rise. 

Oklahoma State would love to have the same kind of firepower that North Texas had last season, and it's starting to look like they will. The addition of Mean Green players, along with other talent Morris is drawing in, is setting up OSU for an exciting 2026 season. 

The future is bright, and with the majority of the transfer portal window still ahead, Oklahoma State could continue to get more dangerous. 

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