Daily Bullets (Jan. 6): Pokes Lean Defense on Monday in the Portal

Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news. 

OSU Bullets

• Portal update from yesterday, still lots of activity brewing:
– Hauss Hejny committed to Colorado State (PFB)
– Pokes landed a crew yesterday, leaning heavily on the defensive side- a sackmaster with a TCU background, a change-of-pace running back to pair with Caleb Hawkins, a defensive tackle and defensive back, to go with two more defensive backs – one from K-State and one from North Texas (PFB)
– A well-liked defensive lineman hit the portal (exiting) yesterday (PFB)

•  The Cowboys play UCF at 7pm CST in Stillwater, looking to get that first conference win (PFB)

• Two different articles came out yesterday – one focusing on the Indiana University model of football and another linking OSU to the same concept. Check out the similarities: 

“Curt Cignetti chose experienced, productive transfers to join his Hoosiers core, and many adopted the same mindset. Of Indiana’s 34 core players on offense and defense, 23 are former transfers … if you have experienced guys who are capable of making good decisions again and again … you’re going to always be in a position to win.” [Extra Points]

Doesn’t that sound like the Mike Gundy model of team-building ADAPTED to the transfer portal era?

“The strategy echoes that of Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who brought 13 highly-touted transfers from James Madison in 2024. Now, many of them are All-Americans and the leader of the national title favorite.”

“(Drew) Mestermaker, (Caleb) Hawkins and (Wyatt) Young … form the nucleus of a pipeline of North Texas talent now flowing to the Cowboys … a roster infusion that Oklahoma State hopes can translate to Power Four success — much like Indiana’s transfer-driven rise.” [CBS Sports]

Bring those highly-touted transfers with you to form a culture and lean into a “transfer-driven rise.”

• Lots of excitement around talented transfers – Marshall Scott broke down tangibly how the Pokes could see return on Drew Mestemaker via an area of the field he’s been super successful at (PFB)

• A pair of Pokes landed in Manhattan (Kansas) after leaving Stillwater – including fan favorite Rodney Fields and linebacker/safety Jacobi Oliphant (X)

•  These things seem to change by the minute, but nice to see this edge prospect sticking around Stillwater: 

Let’s run it back one last time! #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/h9CIuf94Pi

— Malik Charles 🇹🇴 (@Malik_Charles_) January 5, 2026

Non-OSU Bullets

• How to be the archivist of your family • Three grandmas were offering advice through an advice stand over the holidays • Today’s thoughts become tomorrow’s habits (faith-based)

Habits that have a high rate of return in life:

– sleeping 8+ hours each day

– lifting weights 3x week

– going for a walk each day

– saving at least 10 percent of your income

– reading every day

– drinking more water and less of everything else

– leaving your phone in…

— James Clear (@JamesClear) January 5, 2026