Three In-State Recruits OSU Could Add to Its 2022 Class

Oklahoma State picked up several commitments in the 2022 recruiting cycle over the past two months. This included one of the top-ranked Oklahoma high school prospects, Pawhuska standout Mason Gilkey. The Cowboys now have commitments from following in-state players (247Sports Rankings):

• CJ Brown – Ranked Fifth in Oklahoma
• Mason Gilkey – Ranked 12th in Oklahoma
• Gabe Brown – Ranked 13th in Oklahoma

The Pokes are recruiting well in-state and could look to continue so doing as they progress toward the completion of their 2022 class. Out of the top 20 players in OK, according to 247Sports, six have already committed. The three guys listed above, as well as one each for Oregon, OU and TCU. For today’s post, I wanted to take a look at a few other top prospects from Oklahoma who I think OSU could land.

Chris McClellan

• High School – Owasso
• Position – Defensive Tackle
• Height – 6-4
• Weight – 280
• 247Sports Rating –
  • Defensive Tackle – 23rd
  • In Oklahoma – 6th
  • ⭐⭐⭐

Since the Under Armour All-American Camp a couple of weeks ago in Dallas, McClellan has added several schools to his already impressive offer list. Since the camp, he has picked up offers from Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Oklahoma and USC. Additionally, he scheduled an official visit in June to Gainesville to check out the Florida Gators’ program. Oklahoma State was one of the first schools to offer the talented defensive lineman, and he was able to take an unofficial to Stillwater visit last February before the NCAA put a pause on in-person visits because of the pandemic.

McClellan’s Edison Prep Eagles didn’t have a great season overall, going 3-7 and getting knocked out in the first round of the 5A State Playoffs, however, McClellan himself put out some impressive film. He’s got the athleticism and strength to line up all over the defensive line. For Edison, I saw him lined up in a 3, 4i and 5 technique, as well as a stand up defensive edge rusher (shown below).

McClellan would most likely fit the role of a Tyler Lacy/Kody Walterscheid, hand-in-the-ground defensive end for the Pokes, and I think he would be a huge get for Cowboy defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Prediction: As mentioned above, McClellan has some big-time schools on his offer list, but the fact that he was able to visit Stillwater before the shut down of in-person visits has given OSU an advantage to this point. I think it also helps that the Pokes were one of the first schools to show real interest in the young D-lineman. In addition, being coached by two former Cowboys in Christian Littlehead and Jeremy Smith at Edison definitely can’t hurt. All of that being said, I believe McClellan eventually ends up in Stillwater playing for the Cowboys.

Braylin Presley

• High School – Bixby
• Position – Athlete
• Height – 5-8
• Weight – 170
• 247Sports Rating –
  • Athlete – 30th
  • In Oklahoma – 7th
  • ⭐⭐⭐

Along with Oklahoma State, Presley holds offers from Baylor, Kansas, Louisville, Memphis, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Texas, Temple, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Western Kentucky and William & Mary. However, the Bixby star recently put out a top eight list on Twitter which included Kansas, Missouri, Memphis, Nebraska, OSU, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.

This past season, Presley helped lead the Spartans to their third consecutive 6A-II State Championship, while racking up 1,744 yards on 222 carries (7.9 yards per carry) and scoring 25 touchdowns. In addition, he hauled in 57 receptions for 727 yards and scored another 10 TDs. Presley also returned kicks and punts for Bixby.

Presley has the lateral agility and top-end speed to score pretty much every time he touches the football, as you’ll see him do in the clip below.

I was able to watch several of Presley’s games from his sophomore season when writing about his brother, current Oklahoma State wideout Brennan Presley. And, I was extremely impressed by what I saw on film. He’s been making plays for Bixby since his freshman year, and I think he continues to improve next season. I see Presley as more of a slot receiver than a running back at the college level, due to his size, and think he could be real weapon for the Cowboy offense in the future.

Prediction: I think Presley eventually ends up in Stillwater. He’s had nothing but positive things to say about OSU during his recruitment, and also seems to like the idea of joining his brother in the college ranks. In addition, the Pokes were the first Power Five school outside of Kansas to offer Presley. It looks like the Cowboys are competing with seven other schools, and possibly more as Presely’s stock continues to rise, but I think he ultimately ends up teaming up with his older brother.

Carson May

• High School – Jones
• Position – Pro-Style Quarterback
• Height – 6-5
• Weight – 215
• 247Sports Rating –
  • Pro-Style Quarterback – 46th
  • In Oklahoma – 17th
  • ⭐⭐⭐

May is currently the top ranked pro-style QB in the state and holds offers from Old Dominion and Western Michigan. Although he doesn’t currently have an offer from the Pokes, they have shown interest. Additionally, schools such as Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State and Washington have recently been in contact with the young QB.

Last season, May completed 220 of his 366 passing attempts (60% completion percentage) for 3,020 yards and 26 touchdowns while only throwing five interceptions. He also picked up another 650 yards on the ground and added 14 more TDs. May was the primary focus of the Jones offense, accounting for 74% of their total yards, and helped lead the Longhorns to a 9-3 record and the third round of the 2A Oklahoma State Playoffs.

I was able to watch Jones’ playoff game against Luther, along with their regular season matchup with Millwood, and was impressed with May’s athleticism and overall arm talent. He consistently made some really nice throws like the one shown in the following video.

And, though he’s listed as a pro-style quarterback, that doesn’t mean he’s not mobile as he showed both on the football field and on the basketball court for the Longhorns.

I believe not being able to attend any camps last year because of the pandemic has hurt May’s recruiting. Once he’s able to show off his size and skill this offseason, I think you will see offers start to roll in for the in-state QB.

Prediction: With OSU already having a QB commit in the 2022 class in Garret Rangel, I’m not sure how hard they will pursue May, so I don’t think he will end up playing for the Pokes. Although, it would be nice to have two solid quarterback recruits in the class, so things may change as we move further along in the recruiting cycle. I could see May staying in the Big 12 if a school like Iowa State were to offer, and I think that would be a nice fit for the Jones signal caller.

If the Cowboys are able to get both McClellan and Presley in the 2022 class, they could be on their way to having one of the most talented recruiting classes in recent OSU history. I’m really excited to see how this recruiting cycle plays out for the Pokes and will definitely have my eye on these three guys.