How We See Each Incoming Transfer Fits Oklahoma State’s 2024 Roster

TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER

It seems like waves from the first transfer portal window are finally settling.

Oklahoma State lost a few contributors to the portal, but it was a much less dramatic affair than last season. The Cowboys have also added five quality transfers to this point. Here is how PFB sees each of the five fitting into their respective position groups come August.

AJ Green, Running Back, Arkansas

We’ll start with probably the easiest fit first: Arkansas transfer running back AJ Green.

I think the Cowboys struck gold here, bringing a highly touted rusher back to his home state to back up reigning Doak Walker winner Ollie Gordon. I think Green is an instant RB2 when he steps on campus thanks to his experience and the different style he plays compared to Gordon.

It must’ve been hard to recruit running backs out of the portal this offseason with the nation’s leading rusher returning, but the Cowboys needed some more experience in that room, as the only other scholarship backs aside from Gordon and Green are second-year guy Sesi Vailahi and incoming freshmen Rodney Fields Jr. and Jaden Allen-Hendrix. God forbid Gordon gets nicked up somewhere along the season, but having an experienced back like Green waiting would be ideal.

Running backs not named Ollie Gordon carried 86 times for the Cowboys last season, with 43 of those coming in the nonconference — before Gordon was given the reigns outright. (Also, a reminder that Gordon carried three times against South Alabama). So, let’s say about 60ish carries are up for grabs so long as Gordon remains healthy. Green averaged 67 carries a season over the past three in Fayetteville. The Cowboys were also doing some interesting two-back stuff with Gordon and Jaden Nixon toward the end of this past season that I think would benefit Green and Gordon in 2024. Gordon gets to pass off some workload while Green has the benefit of teams keying on Gordon.

It would probably benefit the program long term to give Vailahi, Fields and/or Allen-Hendrix some work next season because it’s Green’s last year of eligibility and another good year could send Gordon to the NFL. So, there should be some balance to it. I say, ideally, give Gordon about 70% of the workload, give Green 20% and give the young guys the other 10%.

Isaia Glass, Offensive Line, Arizona State

With five starting offensive linemen already announcing their returns, Isaia Glass ought to provide some competitive depth his first season with the program.

I think there is a world where he could bust into OSU’s starting group. He started at tackle in every game of Arizona State’s 2022 season and started at tackle in the three games he played with the Sun Devils in 2023.

Although it might seem obvious the five returning starters would be the Cowboys’ O-line, I will just mention that Dalton Cooper transferred in last season and greatly improved the Cowboys’ line after securing his spot at left tackle. He went on to be OSU’s highest-graded lineman of the season, according to PFF. So, I’m welcome to the idea of Glass coming in and doing something similar.

At the least, he is a swing tackle for a position group that gets banged up by its nature, but Glass’ ceiling is coming in and competing for a starting job.

Tyler Foster, Tight End, Ohio

With UMass transfer Josiah Johnson exhausting his eligibility, the Cowboys brought in another tight end with one year of eligibility to give in Ohio transfer Tyler Foster.

It feels like a one-for-one replacement, but Foster has a little more height at the position. Johnson was listed at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds last season to Foster’s 6-7, 249. That extra mass should help Foster in the blocking game, an area Johnson struggled in early in his time with the Cowboys.

As for being a threat in the passing game, here is a look at Johnson’s stats in his final year at UMass compared to Foster’s in his final year at Ohio:

Not a whole lot to differentiate there, so I think Foster will provide the Cowboys a similar level of production that Johnson did. There could be someone on the roster that competes with Foster for playing time, though, as Quinton Stewart, Tabry Shettron and Bryce Drummond all have more experience in OSU’s system.

Kobe Hylton, Safety, UTEP

The Cowboys’ secondary is in an interesting spot. It had its struggles in 2023, but the Cowboys were also working with a young group.

Guys like Cameron Epps, Cam Smith, Dylan Smith, Kale Smith and Lyrik Rawls were all getting their first meaningful playing time and ought to be better for it, but it also makes sense that because of the group’s inexperience and struggles that OSU would seek some assistance. Enter Hylton, who recorded 146 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble and four fumble recoveries in the past two seasons at UTEP.

With opening-day starters Kendal Daniels, Trey Rucker and Lyrik Rawls set to return in 2024, I’m not sure Hylton cracks into that starting unit, but it’s a position group where OSU has shown a willingness to rotate in, and an experienced voice ought to compliment that young talent well.

Obi Ezeigbo, Defensive End, Gannon

The Cowboys’ defensive front is going through some transition heading into 2024 with the addition of new D-line coach Paul Randolph to the staff. The group will also look quite a bit different on the ends with Anthony Goodlow and Nathan Latu finishing out their eligibility last season.

Ezeigbo had 54 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks this past season at Gannon and has a familiarity with defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo. The question now will be how Ezeigbo’s skillset transfers from the Division-II to the Power Five level. At 6-foot-3, 252 pounds, he has the size, but I’m more in a wait-and-see mode with Ezeigbo than I am any other transfer on OSU’s list because of the level increase. Leon Johnson did well going from DIII to OSU, but the line of scrimmage is an entirely different animal.

But like the secondary, OSU is no stranger to rotating along the defensive front, and with Ezeigbo’s experience at a relatively inexperienced position group, it’s hard to imagine him not rotating with guys like Kody Walterscheid (should he return for an extra year), DeSean Brown, Jaleel Johnson, Xavier Ross and others.