Oklahoma State football is almost always competitive under head coach Mike Gundy. In 2023, that story wasn't any different. The Cowboys finished the season with a 10-4 record and an appearance in the Big 12 championship game. The Cowboys defeated Texas A&M in the Texas Bowl, 31-23. The team is poised to break through and possibly win the Big 12 in 2024, and that's partly due to a very sneaky move the program made in the transfer portal this offseason.
DEFENSIVE STRENGTH
Oklahoma State's defensive line is usually one of the best in the Big 12, and will have to remain that way for the team to compete for a conference championship in 2024. The Cowboys got a great defensive lineman in the transfer portal, sneaking away with an underrated edge rusher. His name is Obi Ezeigbo, one of the most talented pass rushers in college football in 2023. One of the reasons why Oklahoma State football could sneak away with him is because Ezeigbo played in Division 2 football, for Gannon University in Pennsylvania.
Ezeigbo put up some great numbers during the past year. The edge finished the season with 54 tackles, and had two games where he recorded eight stops. He recorded 7.5 sacks on the season, not to mention 10.5 tackles for loss during the campaign, per Gannon University. There are many who will look at that resumé and say it's not a big deal, that it was done in Division 2 football. But that would be selling short the amount of talent that comes out of Division 2. In fact, the Chicago Bears this season started a quarterback, Tyson Bagent, who played in Division 2 last season for West Virginia's Shepherd University. Bagent became the first un drafted rookie from Division 2 to start a game in the NFL since 1950. There is definitely talent out there.
Oklahoma State has a unique opportunity in the Big 12. The conference has lost two of its traditional powers, in Oklahoma and Texas. The league is also getting plenty of newcomers, as Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State join the league in 2024. The spot at the top of the league is wide open, and Oklahoma State football has the talent and the coaching to occupy that top spot. The Cowboys have arguably the best coach in the Big 12 in Gundy, who has been at the school for more than 20 years. He took over as head coach in 2005. Since then, Gundy has won 166 games and only had one losing season. He's had eight seasons with 10 or more wins. The man knows how to coach, and the team's transfer portal additions should help the Cowboys stay competitive again in the upcoming season.
The Cowboys open the 2024 season with a home game against South Dakota State. The team also plays Arkansas and Tulsa in non conference play before opening the Big 12 schedule on the road at Kansas State on September 28.
Follow Us
Subscribe