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Patrick McKaufman Breaks Down Why he Committed to Oklahoma State

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In OSU’s inaugural junior college prospect camp earlier this month, the Cowboys came away with a commitment from a sleeper prospect at one of the team’s deepest positions.

NEO wide receiver Patrick McKaufman, just days after picking up an offer from the Cowboys, shut down his recruitment and committed after his standout camp performance earned him a scholarship process. It was a wham-bam recruitment process. And the familiarity between the two parties had a lot to do with how it all transpired so rapidly.

“Andre Sexton was a coach my first summer at NEO, and he left within days of us going into summer. He’s been at OSU for awhile now, and in February, he gave me a call and encouraged me to be working out, doing extra routes, stuff like that so I could show out at camp in June,” McKaufman explained. “But it actually goes back to high school when I was at Douglass, coach Duffie recruited me heavily out of high school. So they’ve kept tabs on me ever since then. Coach Yurcich also recruited me, too. He recruited me as a quarterback. Duffie wanted me as a defensive back. So yeah, they were aware of me as a prospect and I’d been on their radar for awhile.”

McKaufman’s whirlwind recruitment, which saw him pick up an offer, commit, and make plans to join OSU later this summer, is an interesting story. He went from sifting between offers from the likes of Northern Illinois to planning his class schedule starting in July. In the days that followed his offer and subsequent commitment, he says he’s talked with his family and he intends to redshirt next season with hopes of making a splash in 2018 when Marcell Ateman and James Washington take their talents to the next level.

At 6-foot-5, he’s got the tangibles to make a big impact from day one. Even if he’s not planning to play right away, his presence on the practice field will only increase the competition among the most talented position group on campus. It’s a dream come true for the OKC-area native who fell in love with OSU at an early age.

“Growing up, my dad was recruited heavily by OSU out of high school. When he decided to make a decision about school and his ACT scores weren’t quite up to par, he had to settle for a Division II school. Ever since I’ve known about football, my dad’s liked the Dallas Cowboys and the Oklahoma State Cowboys—he even named my first little league team we had the Cowboys. Pretty much I’ve been ready to be a Cowboy since I was young.

He continued: “I actually fell in love with OSU around my ninth grade year. I went to Cowboy camp all the time, and I had the most fun at Oklahoma State. When I look back on my times and memories at Oklahoma State, you know, I mean even as a kid coaches were always engaging with me. Whether it was how to hold the ball or how to line up, they’ve always been engaging with me. And Gundy has always emphasized stuff with recruits that’s opposite of football, you know like how to treat your parents with respect, how to act in public—he was always interested in teaching you life outside football. When he said he doesn’t like a player who is uncoachable, it won my parents over. So anyone who can win my parents over, can win me over.”

McKaufman plans to move in July 5, start classes July 10, and begin his summer weight training program under Rob Glass. He’s weeks away from a life-changing opportunity, and he’s still taken aback by it all.

“It all happened very quickly,” he said. “Coach Dunn said he really liked me, said he’d try to pull a few strings, then next thing I know I was on the phone with Coach Gundy trying to determine when I needed to move in. Under Coach Gundy and Coach Dunn, I feel like they’re going to give me hard discipline. That’s what I like. That’s what I want. It’s always been a dream school for me.”

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