Mose Phillips Came to OSU to ‘Win Now,’ It Took 1 Game for Him to Prove He Could Help Do That

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STILLWATER — Oklahoma State safety Mose Phillips’ career took a surprising turn last year.

After playing 298 snaps as a freshman and 703 as a sophomore at Virginia Tech, Phillips found himself standing on the sideline at Missouri.

“When I got to Mizzou, it was weird not playing,” Phillips said. “Because that was the first time in my life I just wasn’t playing. So as the season went on I got more time, but I made it a point to stay true to my process and not feel like my current situation defined me.”

His role increased in the final weeks of the season, but he still finished with only 149 snaps played. According to PFF, he graded out as the Tigers’ 10th-best defender, finishing with a career-high score of 77.3.

When Oklahoma State opened the season as Tulsa, he once again found himself back in a reserve role, playing only 38% of defensive snaps.

It seems like he probably channeled the same mindset that got him through his time at Missouri.

“I just feel like everything is for my good,” Phillips said of his time as a Tiger. “Everything is happening for me, not to me. … So I also think it helped me be resilient in those times and tell me how to prepare now. So now I’m in a situation where my role has went up. I’m still comfortable, still prepared just like I was my sophomore year and my freshman year to play a lot of snaps.”

That certainly paid off as Phillips stood out both live and on rewatch for his play in the opener, highlighted by back-to-back plays in the red zone to prevent a first down or touchdown.

Oklahoma State coaches seemed to see the same thing because he played 93% of defensive snaps vs Oregon, which more than doubled the next-highest increase on the team.

Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity praised his trustworthiness following that bump in playing time.

“He understands all our coverage adjustments that we’re asking those guys,” Cassity said. “He communicates at a high level. He’s tackled pretty well in open field. He just continues to get better as he gets more and more comfortable in our system, and he’s going to continue to progress all season long. And so he got a good really good game on Saturday (vs. Oregon).”

On Tuesday, coach Eric Morris included Phillips as one of the team’s best practice players. The other four players mentioned were all somewhat obvious: Drew Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins, Justin Bowick and Jaleel Johnson.

The safety is definitely the odd man out on that list considering the others cemented their status as Cowboy stars before the season began. However, it lines up with a quote from Morris during the first week of fall camp.

“Mose Phillips is a guy coming in that physically has all the tools, played in the SEC, smart kid,” Morris said. “He’s on the front row of meetings. He’s taking notes. He’s got a veteran mentality about himself.”

That same mentality was at play when Phillips entered the portal. At the time, he likely expected this to be his final season. However, the move to five-for-five should give him the option to play in 2027, provided he meets the age requirements.

He said he chose Oklahoma State because of his relationship with the coaches, but also because he was betting on the Cowboys defying the odds this fall.

“Trying to come somewhere and win now,” Phillips said. “Not trying to go somewhere where it is going to be like we got to wait until we get back to the top because I’m an older guy. So I kinda seen the trajectory of this program.”

There’s a long way to go before anyone can call this season a winner, but Oklahoma State’s win against Oregon makes it tough to put a ceiling on what this group could accomplish.

On Saturday night, Oklahoma State will take the field seeking the program’s first Big 12 win since 2023. Phillips said he’s not taking this trip for granted, considering that as an older guy he won’t “get to do this forever.”

He’s also expecting a night game in Morgantown to produce a “rocking” atmosphere.

“I think you just got to live for it,” Phillips said. “That’s the stuff you dream of as a kid. When you’re in your room by yourself, you’re like, ‘Ah yeah, hostile environment. Go make a play.’ Like, I think those are the best games, especially when you go on the road and you shut them up. So we’re gonna try to go in there. It’s gonna be an electric crowd. They’ve got a great fanbase, and I feel honored and blessed to play there at this type of game.”