Eric Morris Says Oklahoma State Needed a 'Hard Reset' With 87 Newcomers

Eric Morris didn't arrive at Oklahoma State looking to make minor changes.

He came to reset the program.

Speaking at Big 12 Media Days, Oklahoma State's new head coach revealed the Cowboys will begin fall camp with 87 newcomers on the roster.

Yes, 87.

For Morris, that level of turnover was necessary.

Oklahoma State needed what he described as a "hard reset."

It's difficult to argue with him.

The Cowboys finished last season 1-11 and 0-9 in Big 12 play, completing the worst season in program history by total losses.

Morris offered an even more striking perspective on just how far Oklahoma State had fallen.

He said his memories of the Cowboys from the outside were positive.

A rowdy student section.

A program that won a lot of games.

A difficult place for opponents to play.

Then he arrived in Stillwater and inherited players who had spent two seasons at Oklahoma State without experiencing a conference victory.

Think about that.

For years, Oklahoma State was one of the Big 12's most consistent programs.

Now, some of the players Morris inherited don't know what it feels like to win a Big 12 game in a Cowboys uniform.

That's why 87 newcomers matters.

This isn't simply roster turnover.

It's a complete attempt to change the direction of the program.

Morris has brought players from North Texas who already understand his expectations.

Quarterback Drew Mestemaker knows the offense.

Running back Caleb Hawkins knows what winning under Morris looks like.

Linebacker Ethan Wesloski has already played in the new defensive system.

The rebuild goes far beyond the former North Texas players too.

The Cowboys have pulled together players from across college football and now have the challenge of turning an almost entirely new roster into one team before the season begins.

That would normally create serious concerns about chemistry.

Morris doesn't appear worried.

He said if someone walked into Oklahoma State's locker room and watched the players interact, they would think the group had been together for years.

The Cowboys have intentionally spent time building relationships away from football.

Golfing.

Fishing.

Skeet shooting.

Those activities may sound insignificant compared to learning a new playbook or preparing for Oregon in Week 2, but with 87 newcomers, they're part of the rebuild.

Morris isn't only installing an offense.

He's trying to create a new locker room.

The urgency is obvious, too.

Morris said there is "definitely urgency" for him because he loves winning and competing.

"As soon as there's not urgency for me to put out a good product, I'm going to find something else with my time."

That doesn't sound like a coach asking Oklahoma State fans to wait several years before expecting improvement.

It sounds like a coach who understands why he was hired.

Morris inherited a program coming off a 1-11 season and a roster that had lost confidence in what Oklahoma State football had traditionally been.

His solution wasn't subtle.

Eighty-seven newcomers.

A hard reset.

A completely new direction.

Oklahoma State may not know exactly what the Eric Morris era will become yet, but one thing became clear at Big 12 Media Days.

Morris didn't come to Stillwater to patch the old version of Oklahoma State football.

He came to build a new one.