Arkansas Transfer Collin Clay Still Waiting on NCAA for Eligibility Waiver

Arkansas defensive line transfer Collin Clay is waiting — still! — to hear back from the NCAA on his waiver request to be granted immediate eligibility at Oklahoma State in 2020, Mike Gundy said on Monday.

The former Putnam City standout transferred from Fayetteville to Stillwater to start the spring and was in the fold before OSU played Texas A&M in the Texas Bowl. He participated in spring camp, and could be a starter along the defensive line … but there’s a lingering if because of the unanswered waiver request.

“I don’t have any information on Collin at this time,” Gundy said Monday. “We’re kind of in a wait-and-see game.”

Clay, as a freshman at Arkansas last season, played in 11 of the team’s 12 games, missing only the season-opener. He compiled 17 tackles, five solo, and 324 total snaps.

At OSU as a second-year player, he’s caught the eye of Gundy, who said, “He seems to be doing well.” At 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, he can play tackle or edge, with a big frame and pass-rushing chops that could help him be an impact player in the middle of the OSU defense.

“He’s on a defensive line where we have quite a bit of depth, so he rotates in and he stays fresh, which is an advantage for all those big guys,” Gundy said, reinforcing the point I wrote earlier about OSU’s depth along the defensive line. “I like his attitude, and I like his work ethic at this time. Hopefully his waiver will get approved at some point and he can be a part of our team on game day.”

Clay left Arkansas after a coaching change and returned closer to his home, which should be a convincing argument for why he should be granted his waiver request. Last year OSU defensive lineman Israel Antwine was in a nearly identical case after Colorado had a coaching change, and he was able to not only play right away, but play in 10 games and make nine starts. That could be a similar role Clay plays if his case is adjudicated in the same way as Antwine’s.

“Defensive line depth is always important based on the offenses we see in this league with quarterback play and skill play and the speed of the game,” said Gundy. “So to keep those guys rotating in and fresh is really important to our defense.”