Three Numbers Show Extent of Oklahoma State Football’s Roster Flip

Few schools, even in the transfer portal era, have had to do what Eric Morris and Oklahoma State had to do this offseason.

Oklahoma State University Head Coach Eric Morris. | DOUG HOKE/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When Eric Morris took the head football coaching job at Oklahoma State, he knew what was coming. If he didn’t, the realization came quickly.

In the transfer portal era coaching changes lead to rosters losing talent at a frenetic pace. In Morris’ case, the Cowboys had to wait. While he was hired at the end of the regular season while leading North Texas to the American Conference championship game, he didn’t bolt for Stillwater. He stayed with the Mean Green through the title game before he jumped to take over the Cowboys.

In doing so, he and his new staff — many of which came with him from North Texas — found themselves in the middle of a roster flip no coach would envy. These three numbers reveal the true nature of the flip.

Three Numbers Show OSU’s Football Roster Movement

Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN recently ranked each conference’s offseason, based on a variety of factors. The Cowboys — who haven’t won a Big 12 games since 2023 — were ranked fifth by the site based largely on the roster work that Morris and his staff did. But the site’s analysis also showed just how much the program took a hit between firing Mike Gundy and hiring Morris.

For instance, there’s 25 players returning from last year’s team. Yes, just 25. That’s out of a 115-player roster. Even in an era of portable talent, that’s an incredibly low number of holdover talent for an FBS team. Much of the remaining talent is young and from Oklahoma, so they have state ties and opted to stay with one of their home state schools for at least one more season.

Next, the program lost 67 players to transfer from last season to this season. The remaining players that left the program were out of eligibility. But of those 67 transfers only 25 were able to find scholarships with other power conference schools. The 42 remaining players landed with non-power conference schools. That talent gap could explain, in part, last year’s 1-11 record.

Finally, there are 17 North Texas Mean Green players on the OSU roster, all of which followed Morris and his staff from Denton, Texas. Many of those players are going to play key roles for the Cowboys in 2026, led by quarterback Drew Mestemaker. That also includes running back Caleb Hawkins and wide receiver Wyatt Young on offense and seven players from UNT’s defense, which was one of the Top 25 in the nation in several categories.

It was a rough offseason for Morris and his staff. Now, with the 2026 roster assembled, they have the time to hit the recruiting trail this summer and start working toward the 2027 roster before fall workouts begin.