Oklahoma State’s Football Tradition Stood Out to Transfer Safety Mose Phillips

STILLWATER — Mose Phillips has played in the ACC and SEC, and one of the things that stood out to him about the opportunity to play at Oklahoma State was the program’s tradition.

“Also, just the tradition here,” said Phillips after talking up his new coaching staff. “I done played at a couple different spots, and this is the spot I feel like has tremendous football culture, and behind these coaches, it’s gonna get back where it needs to be. And I just wanted to be a part of that. …

“I don’t gotta put on a uniform to feel the atmosphere here. You just walk around, you see Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas — that should get you ready to go.”

Listed at 6-foot-2, 196 pounds, Phillips spent two seasons at Virginia Tech and last season at Missouri before his arrival in Stillwater, where he is expected to compete for a starting role and at the very least be a heavy part of the Cowboys’ defensive rotation.

He played in 25 games and made 13 starts as a Hokie. His sophomore year in Blacksburg was his best college season to date, as he started 11 times and made 65 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception.

Phillips played 149 defensive snaps at Missouri last season, according to PFF. Although his playing time dropped with the Tigers, Phillips recorded his best season-long PFF grade at 77.3 — also turning in his best grades in run defense (71.9) and coverage (78.0). He totaled five tackles and had a PBU and a forced fumble.

When Phillips hit the portal this past offseason, he said he didn’t have any ties to the new Oklahoma State staff, but he knew some people who knew some people.

Phillips was teammates with Stephen Hall at Missouri last season. Hall had previously played under new OSU safeties coach Jordan Malone at Washington State. Then safety Isaiah Cash played under new OSU defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity at Sam Houston before Cash transferred to Virginia Tech as Phillips was on his way out.

So, after comparing notes and meeting the staff for himself, Phillips knew OSU was where he wanted to be.

“The coaches are great guys,” Phillips said. “They’re honest, up front. Me being a fourth-year guy, that’s all I look for in the portal, for real, was just coaches that was gonna straightforward with me, transparent, talk ball. I didn’t need to do no photoshoot, nothing like that. I just wanted to come here and talk ball.

“I gelled with Cassity and Coach Malone really quick. Coach Morris was a guy that looked me in my eyes when I talked to him. I looked him in his eyes. He’s a guy I respect a lot. I respect what he’s done in the past. I mean, his rap sheet speaks for itself.”

Last week, Cassity included Phillips in a list of five guys competing to start at safety along with Markeith Williams (Miami), Quinton Hammonds (North Texas), Evan Jackson (North Texas) and Vincent Holmes (Washington) — all guys who bring various levels of experience to the Cowboys’ safety room.

“One of the cool things about our defensive secondary is we’ve got a lot of experienced football players,” Cassity said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who have played a lot of football. Guys that aren’t making freshman mistakes, they understand what it takes to be successful back there, and we’re trying to find that right group. We have a lot of confidence in a lot of guys. It’s who’s gonna be that starting five that are gonna give us the most confidence to go out there and make plays and understand what it takes to be successful in this defense.

“Right now, they’re competing it out, which is exactly how you want it.”