Report: Brayden Thompson Staying at Oklahoma State

David Taylor has had plenty of portal wins already this offseason, and now he has another by keeping a high-level prospect in town.

Last week, reports surfaced that Brayden Thompson was set to hit the portal, but *Lee Corso voice* not so fast, my friend. According to Justin Basch and Pat Mineo, Thompson is now set to stick around with the Cowboys.

The No. 3 pound-for-pound recruit in the 2023 class, Thompson started as a true freshman for the Cowboys at 174 pounds, qualifying for nationals and finishing the season with a 12-11 record. He redshirted at 184 pounds this past season, going 9-0 in open tournaments. He won the Bob Smith Open and the Reno Tournament of Champions. It felt clear the Cowboys had big aspirations for Thompson, as he went with Taylor to Albania for the World Championships.

With some of Taylor’s portal additions in the early part of this offseason, the Cowboys’ upper weights started to get a little crowded. Ohio State 184-pound transfer Rocco Welsh began to start a domino effect when he transferred to Penn State. Penn State 184-pounder Zack Ryder then hit the portal and chose Oklahoma State. It looked like that could’ve helped push Thompson into the portal, but after further thought, it looks as if he’ll stick it out.

How the lineup plays out, we’ll just have to wait and see. But OSU keeping a talented, young wrestler in a room that is growing increasingly full of talented, young wresters only feels like a good thing.