1-win college football team compared to Indiana after transformative offseason

Eric Morris looks to engineer an Indiana-style turnaround at Oklahoma State after a one-win season, importing a top-10 transfer class headlined by star quarterback Drew Mestemaker and a core of North Texas playmakers.

After a successful 12-2 season, this 40-year-old head coach was hired into the Big 12, and at least one analyst believes Indiana's Curt Cignetti is an apt comparison. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The sport of college football is no longer defined by slow, methodical rebuilds that take three or four years to bear fruit. In the modern era, a program can hit rock bottom one autumn and compete for a conference title the next, provided the right architect is holding the blueprints.

Following a disastrous 2025 campaign in which a major conference team secured just a single victory, the pressure to execute an immediate turnaround is immense.

National pundits are already circling this program as the sport's next great reclamation project, drawing comparisons to the most stunning turnaround of the previous season. Just as Indiana shocked the nation by transforming from an afterthought into a contender under Curt Cignetti, analysts believe the pieces are in place for a similar resurgence in the Big 12.

The formula is identical: hire a proven winner from the Group of Five level and allow him to bring his most trusted soldiers with him.

The Athletic recently singled out this incoming transfer class as the most intriguing in the country, noting that the sheer volume of talent arriving via the portal creates a legitimate path to relevance. With more than 50 new scholarship players enrolling for the spring semester, the roster has been effectively flipped overnight.

The hope is that a proven offensive system, transplanted entirely from a successful stint in the American Athletic Conference, will ignite a dormant fanbase.

Oklahoma State aims to replicate Indiana success with Eric Morris and transfer haul

Oklahoma State finished the 2025 season with a 1-11 record, but the arrival of head coach Eric Morris has injected immediate optimism into Stillwater. Morris, hired after leading North Texas to a 10-1 start and a top-25 ranking, has aggressively utilized the transfer portal to overhaul the Cowboys' depth chart.

According to 247Sports, Oklahoma State’s transfer class ranks No. 7 nationally, featuring 54 commitments that include one five-star prospect and four four-star talents.

Manny Navarro of The Athletic tapped Oklahoma State as his favorite portal class, citing Morris's ability to import a "winning culture" and a ready-made offensive nucleus. The primary catalyst for this optimism is the Denton-to-Stillwater pipeline.

Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Eric Morris will look to overhaul the Big 12 program after a frustrating 1-11 season that saw the dismissal of longtime coach Mike Gundy after 21 seasons. | DOUG HOKE/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Morris secured commitments from his top playmakers at North Texas, ensuring his high-octane Air Raid system has experienced pilots from day one. The headliner is quarterback Drew Mestemaker, a four-star transfer who led the FBS in passing yards and efficiency while guiding the Mean Green offense in 2025.

Mestemaker is joined by other elite offensive weapons from North Texas, including four-star running back Caleb Hawkins and four-star receiver Wyatt Young. This trio formed the backbone of an offense that led the country in scoring last season, and they now look to replicate that production in the Big 12.

The influx of talent isn't limited to Morris's former players; the Cowboys also added significant Power 4 experience, such as former LSU tight end Donovan Green and UCLA linebacker Isaiah Chisom.

Drew Mestemaker's highlights are impressive. His arm strength & downfield accuracy remind me of Brandon Weeden & Mason Rudolph.

Next year is gonna be a lot of fun #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/zFepPfiZzM

— Legion of Orange (@SnapAgainThanos) January 2, 2026

The strategy mirrors the approach Cignetti took at Indiana, where he relied heavily on transfers from James Madison to instill instant chemistry and scheme familiarity. By importing a quarterback who already knows the playbook and a supporting cast that understands the standard, Morris is attempting to bypass the typical growing pains of a first-year coaching staff.

While a conference title might be a tall order in year one, the ingredients are present to turn a one-win disaster into a formidable bowl team.

The Cowboys open their 2026 season on the road against Tulsa on Saturday, Sept. 5.