Source: McCleskey’s Decision to Transfer Isn’t Related to Taylor Cornelius

Taylor Cornelius and his success on the field, or lack thereof, had nothing to do with Jalen McCleskey’s decision to redshirt and transfer away from Oklahoma State, a source close to McCleskey informed Pistols Firing.

“Corndog is not the issue,” said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “I feel bad for Cornelius because he’s taking the brunt of the heat. Corndog is told where to go with the ball. He had nothing to do with [McCleskey’s decision].”

According to a source, there was some internal dialogue between McCleskey and Oklahoma State about him possibly redshirting for 2018 and playing again in Stillwater in 2019, but ultimately the two sides landed elsewhere, and McCleskey will transfer after graduating.

He’s expected to get his release this week.

McCleskey was OSU’s leading returning receiver from last season, but his attention in OSU’s offense took a slight dip as his senior year neared the midpoint. Through four games, McCleskey was third on the team with 24 targets, but he was clearly not the focal point that, on paper, he could have been.

He will redshirt the remainder of 2018 having played four games for OSU, exercising his right to preserve his redshirt by taking advantage of the newly-implemented redshirt rule put in place by the NCAA this season.

As a senior with NFL aspirations, McCleskey’s thought process in redshirting, per one source, wasn’t necessarily centered around how many touches (or lack of touches) he was getting, but rather, what kind of touches. Was OSU playing to his strengths as a pass-catcher and route-runner, or were his strengths minimized in OSU’s system? This is part of the contextual curiosities not addressed this week when his redshirt and transfer was announced.

In talking with multiple sources about McCleskey’s situation and why he chose to transfer, it’s evident there’s not one particular moment that led to his decision, but rather a culmination of them through the years built up between OSU and McCleskey that ultimately swayed him to decide a best fit may be elsewhere.

With McCleskey now out of the fold entirely, expect former walk-on Landon Wolf to get a great deal of the work in OSU’s offense as an inside receiver. Chuba Hubbard and Justice Hill may also see some action out of the backfield as pass-catchers.