OSU Sack Leader Malik Charles Comfortable Playing at a Heavier Weight and It Shows on Both Sides of the Ball

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STILLWATER — Oklahoma State’s sack leader won’t blow anyone away with his numbers (2.5 sacks), but defensive end Malik Charles earned the one he got on Saturday.

He fought through 1.5 blockers (one lineman came over late to help) on first-and-20 to record a 14-yard sack. As if that wasn’t enough, Charles nearly pushed his blocker into Houston quarterback Conner Weigman on third-and-27 on a throw which took the receiver just out of bounds.

That drive went down as one of only two Houston punts on the night and Charles’ performance is even more impressive considering he got pressure on those plays despite OSU only rushing two other guys.

“I think the weight I gained honestly has helped a lot with my power rush,” Charles said, explaining his success. “And me being able to still run pretty quick has really helped my long arm and bull rush be successful. You know, a lot of a lot of guys see a way and just think I’m a slower person, but you know, I run 20 miles an hour, almost 21.

“I’m still pretty quick, I like to think, you know. So I can still beat you off the edge with speed. And then, but I love to bull rush. I love to power. So you know, that’s basically what I’ve done this whole season, and it’s been pretty successful in my opinion.”

Charles told reporters that when he arrived in Stillwater ahead of the 2025 season he weighed 240 pounds and played most of last season weighing around 280. These days he’s playing around 290, but weighed as much as 305 during the offseason.

“Even last year, I didn’t feel like my bull rush was as effective as it is now,” Charles said. “I mean, it was effective, but I feel now that it’s pretty effective. But my biggest thing I had to readjust was just like learning how to move with the weight.

“I couldn’t change direction as fast as I as I used to, and I had to learn how to re-navigate that. And so now I’ve gotten used to moving around with it. I’ve lost a little bit of it, and so like, I feel really healthy right now. I feel probably the best I have in a while.”

That weight likely plays a huge role in coach Eric Morris’ decision to use Charles at tight end on goal line packages in the last two games.

“It literally caught me off guard,” Charles said. “We were walking to practice and Tre Page, one of our running backs, he comes up to me, and he’s like, ‘Heard you’re coming to offense for a little bit.’ I said, ‘Where’d you hear that? I didn’t hear it.’”

Shortly after that, the Cowboys were stretching ahead of practice during the bye week, and Eric Morris walked over.

“He’s like, ‘We have a couple goal-line plays we wanna put in with you,’” Charles said. “I was like, ‘Oh, OK.’ So they pulled me over, they taught me the verbiage and what to do, and I was like, ‘OK, let’s do it.’”

Charles saw the field once against Houston on second-and-goal from the three-yard line. The Cougars sent six initially, with several others tight inside the box who moved in once it’s obvious Caleb Hawkins took the handoff.

The play resulted in a 1-yard loss, as the Cowboys were overwhelmed by a red tidal wave, but Charles held up better than some of the linemen. Charles first saw the field twice at tight end against UCF. Both plays came at the one-yard line, with one resulting in a score that ran to the opposite side of the field.

“I told Coach Morris he’s not gonna make me a tight end, I like playing D-end,” Charles said. “I think it’s really fun. It’s fun being able to go out there for practice and catch a pass, block, just do whatever I can just to help the team win.”

Charles spent one year as a college tight end at Western Mexico, but he didn’t see the field that season. He transferred to Northern Arizona after that and walked on as a defensive lineman.

When asked if that experience helped him learn this new role, Charles was quick to answer.

“Honestly, no,” he said. “Obviously, y’all know I barely played tight end before college. I was still learning the position my freshman year, and then I realized I don’t like to block, and I don’t like to get hit, so I switched to defense.”

It sounds like Charles has found a love of blocking this year now that it’s not his primary responsibility. He would definitely rather block than catch passes.

“I realized I was trying to block like I’m taking on a block,” Charles said. “Instead of hitting and trying to block the person, I’m hitting them and trying to hold a gap. I’m like, that’s not what I’m supposed to do. Just getting rid of those little habits when I’m on that side of the ball and being able to switch back when I go back to the defensive side of the ball. That’s what I’m trying to figure out how to perfect.”