‘Best I’ve Felt in Five Years’: Jacob Sexton Feeling Good Entering Senior Season at Oklahoma State

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STILLWATER — Jacob Sexton’s potential is unquestioned, but staying healthy has been a struggle.

Sexton has a clean slate in Stillwater after transferring from Bedlam Oklahoma this offseason. In his four seasons as a Sooner, Sexton started 14 games on OU’s O-line. He started at least one game in all of those seasons, but his 2022, 2024 and 2025 seasons all came to a premature end because of injury.

Entering his first year as a Cowboy, Sexton said he’s in a good spot.

“I’m great,” Sexton said Tuesday. “Best I’ve felt in five years. Super excited for it.”

Sexton will start at left tackle for the Cowboys. He played at multiple spots in Norman, but left tackle is his most familiar, as 404 of his 997 career offensive snaps came at the position.

Left tackle is often considered the most important position along the line, as he’ll be protecting Drew Mestemaker’s blindside this season, and it sounds as if Mestemaker feels safe with the 6-foot-6, 328-pound Sexton at that spot.

“He’s an athlete, for sure,” Mestemaker said. “It’s impressive watching him over the summer, like, run the way he does at how big he is. I’m definitely glad that he’s healthy and playing good and playing fast. I know he’s kinda had some setbacks in his career, but I’m glad he’s here now.”

Sexton was a blue-chip recruit coming out of Deer Creek. 247Sports and Rivals had him as a four-star prospect. Along with OSU and OU, his offer list included Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, Michigan, Notre Dame and others.

He was part of the same recruiting class as OSU defensive end Jaleel Johnson. Those two played each other as seniors, and Johnson said he remembered it being hyped up as OSU vs. OU. Sexton’s Deer Creek squad won 38-13, but Johnson noted he left that game with a trio of sacks.

Johnson said that was all he really knew about Sexton in high school, but he’s grown an admiration for his abilities this offseason.

“Sexton is probably one of the best tackles that I’ve gone against since I’ve been here,” Johnson said. “His grip is strong. If he grabs you, you’re not doing nothing. But it betters me because it helps me be able to keep his hands off me.”

This season marks Sexton’s fifth of college football. Last season could’ve been it for Sexton, but he was hurt just six plays into OU’s opener against Illinois State and missed the rest of the season. That’s led him to this extra year that he intends on making the most of.

“I’d just say opportunistic and calm are kind of the two things that I’m feeling,” Sexton said. “Extremely grateful for another year of it at a new place and be able to kind of wipe my slate clean and be able to just go play football again and also just be calm. Now that I’ve been around the block, too, and that there’s been a lot of football played in the past, so this is just another year of it.”