After a disastrous 1-11 season, Oklahoma State executed one of college football’s most dramatic roster overhauls. ESPN ranks the Cowboys’ ambitious reset No. 5 in the Big 12—here’s why it could work
In the ever changing and crazy landscape of college football, where the transfer portal has turned every offseason into a talent scramble and gamble, ESPN’s latest ranking of Power 4 teams’ 2026 offseasons shows just how critical these months are for program momentum.
ESPN analysts Eli Lederman, Max Olson, and Adam Rittenberg recently evaluated all 68 Power 4 programs (plus Notre Dame) based on three core pillars: roster additions through the portal and high school recruiting, retention of key players facing NFL draft or portal decisions, and coaching staff continuity or upgrades. The piece breaks down conferences one by one, highlighting what went right and wrong for each team in a portal-dominated era where “offseasons matter more than ever.”
Across the Power 4, ESPN spotlighted aggressive portal hauls and stability as keys to success. In the ACC, Miami topped the list with elite quarterback and pass-rusher additions alongside minimal losses.
The Big Ten favored teams like Indiana for portal dominance and staff retention. SEC squads such as Texas and LSU excelled in reloading via transfers, while Big 12 leaders like Texas Tech (No. 1 in the conference) capitalized on high-impact additions including quarterback Brendan Sorsby and standout linebackers.
Bottom-ranked teams, meanwhile, grappled with heavy attrition, defensive rebuilds, or coaching instability, think Syracuse’s 25-plus departures or Purdue’s roster reset.
ESPN notes that even strong portal classes can be undermined by key losses, and simply “running it back” without addressing weaknesses often tanks a ranking.
For Oklahoma State Cowboys fans, ESPN’s verdict offers a measured dose of optimism amid one of the most dramatic turnarounds in recent memory. The Cowboys landed at No. 5 in the Big 12 offseason rankings, a notable achievement given the program’s 1-11 collapse in 2025 that ended Mike Gundy’s long tenure in Stillwater.
ESPN frames OSU’s moves as “one of the most ambitious roster flips in college football history,” a necessary but messy reset after years of decline.
What went wrong, per ESPN: The numbers tell a brutal story of attrition. Only about 25 players returned from a 115-man roster, with 67 transferring out, including 25 to other Power 4 programs, before the new staff even arrived.
Some talent the incoming coaches would have prioritized retaining slipped away in the chaos following Gundy’s exit.
Defensive pieces like edge rusher Wendell Gregory (Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year), cornerback Cam Smith, and tight end Josh Ford departed, leaving gaps that a brand new program must now fill on the fly. This level of turnover isn’t just disruptive; it’s historically rare, forcing a near-total identity reboot in Year 1 under new leadership.
What went right: ESPN heaps praise on the hire of Eric Morris from North Texas and the aggressive execution that followed. Morris, who boasts Big 12 roots from his Texas Tech days and a reputation as the nation’s premier developer of under-the-radar quarterbacks, “persuaded offensive stars” QB Drew Mestemaker, RB Caleb Hawkins, and WR Wyatt Young to follow him to Stillwater despite interest from elsewhere, a coup that instantly upgrades the offense.
He imported roughly 17 players from his North Texas squad (which featured the FBS’s top-scoring offense) and assembled a full staff including offensive coordinator Sean Brophy, defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity, and others.
The portal haul didn’t stop there: Over 90 newcomers arrived in the first few months, bolstering the receiving corps with Power 4 transfers like Justin Bowick (from Illinois) and Chris Barnes (from Wake Forest) alongside returners Miles Coleman and Young. Defensively, nine additional Power 4 veterans with starting experience complemented the North Texas imports.
Beyond ESPN’s breakdown, OSU’s offseason has drawn national buzz for its scale. The Cowboys reportedly led the country in combined transfer portal activity (in and out), with sources tabbing their incoming class as high as No. 7 nationally. Early signing period additions in December 2025 strengthened both lines, and ESPN’s own Bill Connelly projected the largest single-season improvement in SP+ rankings (+21.7 adjusted points per game), vaulting OSU potentially into the top 40 nationally from 121st.
Analysts point to a top-10 Big 12 passing attack and bowl eligibility as realistic goals, with spring practices already show chemistry among the new faces.
In the broader Power 4 context, Oklahoma State’s approach exemplifies the portal era’s silver lining. Massive upheaval carries risk, but decisive action under a proven offensive mind like Morris can accelerate contention. While Texas Tech and others chase titles with continuity, the Cowboys bet big on reinvention, and ESPN believes the early returns justify a top-five Big 12 grade.
For a program that hadn’t won a Big 12 game since 2023, this offseason isn’t just a reset, it’s a start of new life and identity really. If Morris delivers on the field in 2026, Oklahoma State may be back in the same place where they were when Gundy famously stated “we have a brand too.”