‘This Is All I Ever Dreamed Of’: Stillwater Product LaDarion Lockett Is Finally a Cowboy

STILLWATER — LaDarion Lockett has been an elite level wrestler living in Stillwater for some time, but now he is finally a Cowboy.

Lockett went 151-3 during his time at Stillwater High School, winning four state titles. He’s a U17 world champ, a U20 world silver medalist and a senior Pan-American champ. But at some point this season, likely Nov. 7 against Stanford, Lockett will don the orange singlet and enter Gallagher-Iba Arena as an Oklahoma State wrestler.

“Me, Ronnie (Ramirez) and Sergio (Vega) were coming up here for a run,” Lockett said. “I think it was like Sunday or so, and I was walking through the doors and I was just like, ‘Man, this is crazy. This is all I ever dreamed of.’ It feels unreal because it’s something I’ve done. Even throughout high school, I’ll come up here when no one’s here and hop up and go on a treadmill. But, it feels unreal to be actually in college now. I’m excited for it, and this is what I’m ready to do.”

Lockett committed to OSU back in December of 2023. John Smith had been the Cowboys coach literally since Lockett has been alive, but a handful of months after his commitment, Smith retired. OSU hired Olympic gold medalist David Taylor to take over.

Although there was some shock in seeing an OSU wrestling legend who turned into an OSU coaching legend close out his career, Taylor was won three world titles and that Olympic gold medal all relatively close to Lockett’s weight. Taylor won two NCAA titles at 165 pounds, where Lockett will wrestle this season.

“It’s David Taylor, so I was just excited,” Lockett said. “I was a little bit scared leaving the coaches I already had once you wipe out the whole staff, but David Taylor as your coach, there’s almost no one better you could get in the world. There is no one better as a coach you can get in the world. I was just excited and ready to work with them.”

With Lockett on board, Taylor put together a recruiting class that ranked second nationally, according to Flo, trailing only Penn State. Lockett was the No. 3 recruit in the class on Flo’s Big Board, and he is joined in Stillwater by No. 5 Landon Robideau, No. 6 Sergio Vega, No. 26 Kody Routledge, No. 43 Ronnie Ramirez, No. 50 Austin Johnson and others.

Lockett said he was working to try to get the class together, as well. He said he talked with some of the guys before they committed and linked some of them with the coaches to get visits scheduled.

“Dee brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm in practice,” Taylor said. “His personality is someone that people really want to be around. Being from Stillwater, he’s got a lot of people that are really gonna cheer for him here in town, and he’s gonna pick up a lot of fans, obviously, as he continues to go out and wrestle. Just continue to encourage him to continue to be himself and go out and go kick butt. That’s the plan.”

Taylor’s vision for OSU wrestling also included a thriving Cowboy RTC, where athletes can train past there college years in pursuit of international glory.

In its first full year since the revamp from Taylor, the Cowboy RTC produced a world champion in Zahid Valencia, who dominated at 86 kg last month. He held all of his opponents scoreless on his way to his first world gold.

So, even when the Stillwater High product is done wrestling for OSU, he still won’t have to leave his hometown.

“It’s exciting because I can stay with my family and this community in Stillwater,” Lockett said. “They got to watch me grow up. They know all about me and are gonna be rooting for me, I hope. It’s exciting just to know I get to stay in Stillwater my whole life, and I have the best training partners in the world and the best coaches throughout my career right here in my hometown. Then just seeing what those guys are doing makes me even more excited just because if I know it’s working for them, I know it can work for me.”