STILLWATER — Regardless of how a season goes, every college football team is going to face roster turnover in the offseason.
After making an unexpected run to the Big 12 Championship Game, the Oklahoma State football team is not immune to that.
Here’s a look at who’s coming in and who’s going out via the transfer portal, who's going pro and who will return to use their extra year of eligibility for the 2024 season:
More:In jump from D-II, Oklahoma State's Bryan Nardo maintained perspective in big moments
Oklahoma State football transfer additions
Here are the players who have committed to OSU or signed with the program out of the transfer portal:
Arriving in June
Da'Wain Lofton, WR, Virginia Tech
With a couple key losses in the portal, the Cowboys added to an area of need with the addition of the 5-foot-11, 189-pound junior from Fort Worth, Texas. Lofton has played in 36 games over three seasons for the Hokies. Last season, he played in all 13 games last season for the Hokies, starting once. He had just six catches for 58 yards. His biggest contributions were on special teams, including a fumble recovery against Tulane in the Military Bowl.
Already on campus
Obi Ezeigbo, DE, Gannon
Snagging a player from the same Division II university where OSU found defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo last year, the Cowboys filled an important need at defensive end with the 6-foot-3, 252-pound Ezeigbo. He had 54 tackles and 7.5 sacks in his redshirt senior year of 2023 and will have one year of eligibility remaining. He picked OSU over offers from South Florida, Baylor, Georgia Tech, Marshall and others.
Tyler Foster, TE, Ohio
With three players from the tight end/fullback group having exhausted their eligibility, this became a high priority in OSU’s transfer portal recruitment, with the Cowboys identifying Foster early. The 6-foot-7, 249-pound Foster will be a super-senior after concluding five seasons at Ohio, where he had 396 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 33 receptions over the past two seasons. He had the game-winning touchdown catch in Ohio’s 2022 bowl win over Wyoming. Originally from Pickering, Ohio, Foster is expected to enroll for the spring semester.
Isaia Glass, OL, Arizona State
Glass, a 6-foot-5, 295-pound junior tackle, played in just three games this season before suffering an ankle injury. He did not return, which allowed him to redshirt. He started 12 games as a sophom*ore and appeared in six as a true freshman. Glass is from San Tan Valley, Arizona, near Arizona State. He is also the son of former Sun Devils defensive tackle Paul Glass. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
A.J. Green, RB, Arkansas
A product of Union High School in Tulsa, Green fills a valuable spot on the OSU depth chart, bringing his Southeastern Conference experience to help back up All-American Ollie Gordon II. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Green has rushed for 951 yards and six touchdowns on 201 carries over his three seasons at Arkansas, averaging 4.7 yards per carry for his career. He joins a running back group that is thin on experience behind Gordon, who won the Doak Walker Award this past season. Green will be a true senior in the fall.
Kobe Hylton, DB, UTEP
A 6-foot, 205-pound redshirt junior, Hylton began his career at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M before transferring to Louisiana, where he redshirted. Originally from the Atlanta area, he spent the past two seasons at UTEP, where he had a breakout year in 2022 with 91 tackles (54 solo), including 10 for loss. He also had three pass breakups, five quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick, with one of his best games including nine tackles and a forced fumble against OU.This season, Hylton had just 54 tackles and a half tackle for loss.
Oklahoma State football players in transfer portal
Players with eligibility remaining who are leaving OSU or are in the transfer portal:
More:Oklahoma State football grades vs. Texas: Cowboys fail to slow down Quinn Ewers, Longhorns
Jaden Bray, WR (West Virginia)
The Norman native flashed his talent at times, but struggled to stay on the field because of injuries. This season as a redshirt sophom*ore, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Bray had 382 yards and two touchdowns on 34 catches. For his career, Bray had 686 yards and four touchdowns on 48 receptions, playing 25 games in his three seasons. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Blaine Green, WR (Stephen F. Austin)
The twin brother of former OSU receiver Bryson Green has announced his plan to leave Stillwater a year after his brother did the same. Blaine Green had 13 catches for 102 yards as a redshirt sophom*ore this season. For his career, he had 34 catches for 416 yards and one touchdown. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound receiver has played multiple positions in his career, from outside receiver to inside receiver and tight end. Bryson Green transferred to Wisconsin last January.
Gunnar Gundy, QB (transfer portal)
The Cowboys’ backup quarterback and son of head coach Mike Gundy threw for 449 yards and four touchdowns over eight games in his career. He made one start and was also part of the Cowboys’ three-QB rotation used in the first three games of the 2023 season. An All-State selection at Stillwater High School in 2019, Gundy was lightly recruited because of the expectation that he would play for his father at OSU. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
D.J. McKinney, CB (Colorado)
After a redshirt freshman season that saw him find a regular role at cornerback, including starting the bowl game, McKinney entered the portal on the final day before it closed on Jan. 2. He finished the season with 38 tackles and five pass breakups, playing 596 snaps, the second-most among OSU cornerbacks. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound product of Colleyville, Texas, will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Jaden Nixon, RB (transfer portal)
Serving as a frequently used backup running back the last two seasons, Nixon will seek a new college home for his final two years of eligibility. Nixon made multiple big plays over his OSU career, including the key fourth-down conversion against BYU that kept a late touchdown drive alive. For his career, he rushed for 500 yards, had 315 receiving yards and average 24.2 yards on 26 kickoff returns.
Ricky Lolohea, DT (Utah State)
A 6-foot-4, 307-pound defensive tackle signee in the 2023 class, Lolohea left the team during the season without appearing in a game. A three-star recruit from Trinity High School in Euless, Texas, Lolohea will have four years of eligibility remaining.
Nick Session, DB (New Mexico State)
The 6-foot, 193-pound safety has been primarily a special teams contributor in his four seasons at OSU. A product of East High School in Salt Lake City, Session appeared in 11 games and made three tackles this season. He played in eight games over his first two seasons, recording an interception against Kansas in 2021, then missed 2022 with an injury. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Lardarius Webb Jr., DB (South Alabama)
Webb was the first scholarship player to announce his intent to enter the transfer portal. He did not travel with the team to the Dec. 2 Big 12 Championship Game and news of his intentions broke later that day. Webb was a junior-college signee from Jones College in Mississippi in the 2023 class. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound junior appeared in four games and did not record any stats while redshirting this past season.
Players returning for extra year
Here are the OSU players who are known to be returning for an extra year of eligibility, either as a super-senior using the additional year granted by the NCAA for the COVID-impacted 2020 season or via NCAA waiver:
- Cole Birmingham, offensive line
- Alan Bowman, quarterback*
- Collin Clay, nose tackle
- Dalton Cooper, offensive line
- Joe Michalski, offensive line
- Brennan Presley, receiver
- Xavier Ross, defensive end
- Trey Rucker, safety
- Jake Schultz, fullback
- Jake Springfield, offensive line
- Kody Walterscheid, defensive end
- Justin Wright, linebacker*
*-granted seventh season of eligibility by NCAA.
Oklahoma State football players turning pro
Here are Oklahoma State football players leaving the program for the professional ranks:
Arland Bruce IV, WR (CFL)
Bruce announced that he has signed with the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League. Bruce transferred from Iowa last January, but never got on the field for OSU after his name arose in a gambling probe from his time with the Hawkeyes. He remained a non-participating member of the team throughout the season but was not eligible for NCAA competition.
OSU players with no eligibility remaining
- Xavier Benson, linebacker
- Braden Cassity, fullback
- Elijah Collins, running back
- Ian Edenfield, tight end
- Anthony Goodlow, defensive end
- Alex Hale, placekicker
- Josiah Johnson, tight end
- Leon Johnson III, receiver
- Nathan Latu, defensive end
- Zeke Zaragoza, longsnapper
