Oklahoma State Signs National Champ Richard Figueroa of Arizona State
Oklahoma State and head coach David Taylor have been causing a bit of a stir in the transfer portal this offseason. Following one of the best recent wrestling seasons in Cowboy history, the Pokes quickly showed their wrestling faithful that they meant business moving forward.
Collegiate wrestling is back and the Oklahoma State Cowboys have jumped to the front of the pack in what has proven to be a transfer portal arms race. Penn State, Iowa and Oklahoma State have been trading punches in the transfer portal in 2025, but the Cowboys landed one of the biggest punches of the offseason.
Back in black and orange! 🍊🤠
— Richard Figueroa ll (@stunnamanrich) April 7, 2025
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” ― Winston S. Churchill
Saddle up for one last ride! #GoPokes #Stunna #LLP #LLR pic.twitter.com/lrlAYsz900
On Monday, 2024 NCAA National Champion 125-pounder Richard Figueroa II announced that he would be spending his final year of collegiate eligibility with the Oklahoma State Cowboy wrestling program. Figueroa has spent the last four seasons with the Arizona State Sun Devils, where he has become one of the most dangerous lightweight wrestlers in the country.
He was the pound-for-pound No. 1 recruit in America out of high school before making his way to Arizona State in 2021. Figueroa's junior season was one to remember. He finished the regular season with a record of 15-5, but it was what he did at the 2024 National Tournament that left his mark on the sport.
Figueroa logged victories over Ethan Berginc (Army), Patrick McKee (Minnesota), top-ranked Braeden Davis (Penn State), Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) and Ayala (Iowa) to earn the 2024 125-pound National Championship. He won the tournament as a No. 8 seed, defeating No. 3 Draka Ayala by 7-2 decision in the finals. He was 17-4 as a senior and was ranked in the top three a majority of the season.
2024 NCAA D1 National Champ 😈🃏🎲 #godbless#STUNNAMAN#LLP pic.twitter.com/DTTyVgbdIX
— Richard Figueroa ll (@stunnamanrich) March 25, 2024
He has a long line of accomplishments that include NCAA Champion (2024), Pac-12 Champion (2024), Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year, All-American and NWCA Scholar All-American. He will likely enter the season as an early favorite to contend for the title at 133 pounds.
Figueroa joins an already loaded Oklahoma State lineup. The Pokes have some decisions to make at 133 pounds. They have Richard Figueroa, Rin Sakamoto, JJ McComas, Cael Hughes and Sergio Vega all contending for two weight classes this season. Figueroa is shaping up to be the early favorite for at 133 and incoming freshman Sergio Vega is the frontrunner at 141.
The 'Stunnaman' is home and the Pistols are firing.
Taylor Skieens has been an avid sports journalist with the McCurtain Gazette in Idabel, Oklahoma for seven years. He holds the title of Sports Editor for one of the oldest remaining print publications in the state of Oklahoma. Taylor grew up in the small lumber town of Wright City Oklahoma where he played baseball and basketball for the Lumberjax.