OSU Football: Wendell Gregory Earns Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year, Wes Paul Named to First Team

The Cowboys didn’t quite get it done it down in the win-loss column, but there were a couple of individual efforts that the league felt were worth recognition.

Punter Wes Pahl was named to the All-Big 12’s first team while redshirt freshman edge rusher Wendell Gregory was named the Big 12’s Defensive Freshman of the Year as well as being a third-team selection.

Gregory hit the ground running (or sacking), with three quarterback takedowns in his debut against UT-Martin. He went on a drought until the Cowboys’ penultimate game at UCF. But the rookie still ended with 4.0 which is T-14th in the conference and led all freshmen. Gregory is also currently fifth in the league in tackles for loss with 12, leading all FBS freshmen and leading his team. He’s the first OSU player to be named Defensive Freshman of the Year since Collin Oliver in 2021.

Oklahoma State’s offense gave Pahl plenty of practice, but he did a heck of a job flipping the field. He ranks T-8th in both total punts (64) and punts per game (5.3) in the FBS currently. With all that boot-to-pigskin action, his 46.48 yards per punt broke his own record from last year and led all Big 12 punters. It makes him the Cowboys’ first all-conference punter since Zach Sinor in 2016. The last Poke punter to earn first-team honors was two-time All-American Quinn Sharp in 2012.

Offensive lineman Bob Schtick and linebacker Brandon Rawls were each given all-conference honorable mentions.