Oklahoma State football has fielded some incredible players throughout the decades. While not finding the championship success of some of their rivals, the Cowboys have almost always been relevant thanks to the stars on the field. Today, we're going to rank the top five players in Oklahoma State football history. Although let's be honest, everyone already knows who the top spot belongs to.

Before we get to the list proper, though, we have some honorable mentions to hand out. The first of two is defensive back Mark Moore (1983-86), a two-time All-American who still has the second-most interceptions in school history with 16. The only player he trails is our other honorable mention, Bob Fenimore (1943-46), who holds the school record with 18 interceptions and led the nation in total offense in 1944 and 1945.

With those honorable mentions covered, here are the top five greatest Oklahoma State football players of all time.

5. RB Terry Miller, 1974-77

Some of the most dominant rushers to ever play football have donned the Oklahoma State uniform. The first of three on this list, and the first chronologically, is Terry Miller. Miller might not be as well-known as the other two running backs later on the list, but he was a dominant rusher in his own right.

In his college career, Miller rushed 871 times for 4,754 yards and 49 touchdowns. He finished fourth in Heisman voting in 1976 and second in 1977, racking up more than 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns in both seasons. A 2022 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Miller is second in school history in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

4. DE Leslie O'Neal, 1982-85

Leslie O'Neal, a 2020 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, is the greatest defender in Oklahoma State football history. His specialty was getting after the quarterback, as he is the Cowboys' all-time sack leader with 34. His 16 sacks in 1984 are also a school record in a single season.

O'Neal was an All-American in both 1984 and unanimously in 1985 , and the Cowboys' defense dominated. Across both seasons, Oklahoma State allowed 20 or more points just three times. For anchoring an incredible defense and being incredibly dominant on his own, O'Neal has more than earned his spot as Oklahoma State's all-time best defender.

3. WR Justin Blackmon, 2009-11

Over the last decade and change, Oklahoma State has had a knack for producing elite receivers. Dez Bryant found the most success at the professional level, but Justin Blackmon was actually the most successful in college. Blackmon was a unanimous All-American in both 2010 and 2011, and boy did he earn it.

Blackmon played sparingly in 2009 but dominated in 2010 with 1,782 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns, both single-season school records. He followed that up with 1,522 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2011, leading Oklahoma State football to a top-three finish. He won the Biletnikoff Award both years, becoming only the second player to win it twice after Michael Crabtree.

Blackmon is second in school history in receptions and receiving touchdowns and third in receiving yards. Although, if he played a full four seasons, he would have shattered all three records. Although he could not escape controversy in his brief time in the NFL, no one can deny how dominant Blackmon was at Oklahoma State.

2. RB Thurman Thomas, 1984-87

At nearly any other school, Thurman Thomas would be the greatest rusher and maybe even the greatest player of all time. However, his own college teammate just so happens to be arguably the greatest college football player ever. That said, Thomas was still an absolutely incredible player in his own right.

Thomas is Oklahoma State's all-time leading rusher with 4,847 career rushing yards. He also rushed for 43 touchdowns, which also places very highly in the school's record books. In both 1985 and 1987, Thomas rushed for at least 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns, earning All-American honors in both.

Thomas then went on to have a stellar NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, even becoming the league's MVP in 1991. He was then inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007 and is one of only two Oklahoma State players in Canton (no points for guessing the other). Simply put, Thomas was one of the best running backs to ever play football.

1. RB Barry Sanders, 1986-88

Wow, who could have possibly seen this placement coming? Barry Sanders is not just the greatest player in Oklahoma State football history, but probably the greatest college football player ever. In his first two seasons, Sanders largely played in Thomas' shadow, although he was an All-American returner in 1987. In 1988, though, Sanders put together the greatest season college football has ever seen.

Sanders' 1988 stats are simply unbelievable: 344 carries for 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns. His yardage and touchdown marks are still NCAA single-season records, and he averaged over 230 yards per game. Needless to say, he won the Heisman in a landslide that year.

Sanders then had an amazing NFL career with the Detroit Lions, rushing for over 1,000 yards in each of his 10 seasons. Although he retired early, many still consider Sanders to be the best running back to ever play. No matter where he went, Sanders just went out on the field and dominated.