How Oklahoma State's Notable Roster Move Impacts Oregon Ducks Matchup

A matchup with the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second week of the season marks one of the Oregon Ducks’ early tests of 2025, but the Cowboys defense already took a hit before the season even started with the dismissal of safety Zaquan Patterson.

oregon ducks zaquan patterson oklahoma state cowboys miami hurricanes mario cristobal dan lanning transfer safety four star — Oregon coach Dan Lanning oversees warmups before the game against Boise State at Autzen in Eugene Sept. 7, 2024 | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Patterson’s Transfer To Oklahoma State

The former four-star recruit transferred to the Cowboys after spending his freshman season with the Miami Hurricanes. Being the No. 5 safety in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports, Patterson recorded 19 tackles and three pass breakups in 12 games as a freshman.

The safety started just one game under former Oregon coach Mario Cristobal at Miami and ultimately committed to Oklahoma State in May.

“It just was not the right place, right time,” Patterson told On3's Matt Shodell. “It has nothing to do with the program. Mario Cristobal and everyone in that facility are great people.”

Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said at his Thursday press conference that while reports of Patterson’s dismissal are true at the moment, “It’s not 100 percent.”

Ducks vs. Cowboys Outlook

Oklahoma State returns just six starters from its 2024 defense. The Cowboys struggled last season with a 3-9 record, where they dropped their final nine games.

The Big 12 program’s defense played a role in the tough season. Oklahoma State had trouble stopping both the run and passing game and injuries plagued the team. The program ranked last in total yards allowed in the Big 12, which also ranked among the worst in the nation.

The Cowboys hired a new defense coordinator in Todd Grantham following the season. Patterson was among the players brought in that Oklahoma State looked to help it have a bounce back season.

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Oregon will start a new quarterback this fall and is set to play many new faces at running back and wide receiver. Despite some uncertainty with how the Ducks’ offense will look with an abundance of new pieces, they’re still expected to be a top team in the nation in 2025, coming in at No. 7 in the preseason poll.

Early season performances exposed areas Oregon needed to improve on early in the 2024 season. While the Ducks still began the season undefeated, they struggled at times against their first couple opponents a year ago.

Oregon is slated to play Montana State to open the season at Autzen Stadium before facing the Cowboys the following weekend. Even though the Ducks may present Oklahoma State’s defense with a series of challenges, they may be working through their own adversity in the second week of the season.

“We had a new quarterback last year, but we're going to have that again,” Dan Lanning said at Oregon’s media day. “So, there's going to be some growing pains as we grow as a team. The key is, you hope you can grow through wins and not through losses.”

The Ducks and the Cowboys previously played each other once. Their last meeting was back in 2008 at a neutral site. Oregon secured the 42-31 victory in that game and will look to move to 2-0 in the all-time series.