Three Players I’d like to see Oklahoma State Land in the Class of 2020

Oklahoma State has landed two 2020 commitments in recent weeks. Offensive lineman Trent Pullen committed on April 23 and in-state athlete Zach Middleton committed about a week ago. The Cowboys now have seven commitments in the class, but they still have a long way to go before they wrap up the 2020 recruiting cycle.

While looking at the list of OSU offers, I started wondering who the Pokes could realistically land that would also fit a need for this class. Below I’ll cover three guys who I think fit that description.

Corey Flagg

The talented three-star linebacker out of Houston, Texas took an official visit to Stillwater the weekend of April 20 (spring practice) and seemed to really enjoy his time on campus. He’s coming off an impressive showing at The Opening Houston back in March where he was named the linebacker MVP. Flagg is a sure tackler and isn’t afraid to come up and lay a hit on an opposing ball carrier. In addition, he moves well in coverage from the inside linebacker position and looks like he would fit well in Jim Knowles’ defense.

Even though the Cowboys already have two linebackers signed in this class — Brynden Walker (also plays defensive end) and Cole Thompson — I still think they need to look for a couple more guys at this spot. They will lose Calvin Bundage and Kevin Henry after next season, and Amen Ogbongbemiga and Devin Harper will be heading into their final year of eligibility.

Along with OSU, the other schools in the mix are Boston College, Texas Tech, and most recently, Miami. From how much Flagg and his family seemed to enjoy their visit to Stillwater, along with Flagg’s relationship with the coaching staff, specifically “his guy” coach Gundy, I think the Pokes have a real shot at landing the North Shore product … but I’m still a little worried about The U.

Shane Illingworth

There’s still plenty of time left in the 2020 cycle, but so far new Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson hasn’t had much luck in the recruiting department. However, I think that could change with his most recent offer, four-star prospect Shane Illingworth.

Illingworth is a big, pro-style quarterback at 6-6, 225 pounds. He has a huge arm and is very accurate. He also moves around decently for a guy at his size. According to Max Preps, Illingworth threw for 2,739 yards, with a completion percentage of 63 percent, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions this past season. The Cowboys currently have a roster full of dual-threat type QBs, so I think adding a guy like Illingworth would be a good move for Gundy and Gleeson. Plus, we’ve seen what this style of quarterback, like Brandon Weeden and Mason Rudolph, can do when given the keys to the OSU offense.

Illingworth is officially visiting Louisville this upcoming weekend, but said he plans to take a visit to Stillwater very soon. The Norco product recently said that Boston College, Colorado, Louisville, Oklahoma State and Oregon State are the schools he talks to the most. He also has an uncle that lives in Oklahoma and has been to the state “a bunch.”

After missing out on guys like Evan Prater and Tyler Van Dyke, I think Gleeson goes after Illingworth hard and gets his man.

Jay Wilkerson

I watched several of Midlothian Heritage’s games when writing a breakdown on 2019 OSU signee Langston Anderson. Wilkerson really stood out to me on film and I’m glad the Cowboys decided to offer him this week. He is very physical for only weighing in at 157 pounds and plays with a ton of energy and passion. Wilkerson is coming of a 1,148-yard 17-touchdown junior campaign. The Texas native is really fun to watch and I think could be a real asset to the wide receiver room moving forward.

The Pokes currently don’t have a receiver commitment in the 2020 class, and I could see Wilkerson being the first. I believe the relationship with Anderson really helps OSU’s case, and 247Sports recruiting analyst Gabe Brooks seems to think so as well as he recently put in a prediction for Wilkerson to land in Stillwater.