D.J. McKinney Commits to Colorado, Blaine Green to Stephen F. Austin

TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER

A former Cowboy corner is staying in the Big 12.

D.J. McKinney on Sunday announced that he has committed to Colorado, as he’ll play for one of the greatest corners of all time in Deion Sanders. A redshirt freshman on Oklahoma State’s 2023 squad, McKinney made 38 tackles this past season and tied for a team-high with five pass breakups. Despite making only one start this season (OSU’s Texas Bowl win against Texas A&M), McKinney played the second-most number of snaps among OSU’s corners (behind Korie Black). McKinney played 596 snaps, per PFF, which ranked seventh among OSU defenders.

Sanders’ Buffaloes are set to rejoin the Big 12 from the Pac-12 next season, and the Cowboys will play a game in Boulder in 2024. So, there could be a Rashod Owens-vs.-McKinney matchup next fall.

McKinney became the second former Cowboy to transfer in conference this cycle, joining wide receiver Jaden Bray, who is headed to West Virginia.

Wide receiver Blaine Green also announced his transfer destination this week: Stephen F. Austin. Part of the FCS United Athletic Conference, Stephen F. Austin went 3-8 this past season. Considering Green played 10 games for a 10-4 OSU squad in 2023, he should step in and make an instant impact with the Lumberjacks. He also joins former OSU walk-on Jake Henry, who committed to SFA in December.

With guys trying to get ready for the spring, portal commitments have been popping up all over the place. Some players who reported OSU offers out of the portal made commitments over the past week, like Troy transfer T.J. Jackson to West Virginia, Indiana transfer Jaylin Lucas to Florida State and South Alabama corner Marquise Robinson to Arkansas.

Oklahoma State has added four through the portal thus far, but none in the vacancies McKinney left at corner or Green left at receiver. But, OSU corners coach Tim Duffie and OSU receivers coach Kasey Dunn keep their cupboards rather full through traditional recruiting.

Korie Black hasn’t announced whether he will return for a COVID season or not, but if he does, OSU will return its two starting corners in Black and Cam Smith. Kale Smith also got quite a bit of run as a redshirt sophomore in 2023.

At receiver, Brennan Presley announced his return for 2024, and he’ll join likes of De’Zhaun Stribling and Rashod Owens (assuming neither enters the portal). The Cowboys will still work the portal, but those six players at corner and receiver provide a solid starting point.