Transfer Stats (Vol. 1): Oklahoma State’s Big-Play Passing Game Poised to Explode in 2026

PORTAL TRACKER

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State’s not done in the transfer portal, but there’s a lot to be excited about considering the Cowboys rank fifth overall and lead the Big 12 in portal rankings, according to 247Sports.

The only two Big 12 teams within 10 points of them won the conference the last two seasons, so it’s safe to say the Cowboys are in good company these days.

For the most part, Oklahoma State’s big plays came thanks to tricks, former OSU running back Rodney Fields’ feet or some combination of the two in 2025.

Ineffective quarterbacking played a huge role, but the Cowboys’ deep passing attack was horrendous, especially where receivers were concerned. Wideouts caught 8-of-45 passes thrown at least 20 yards downfield. That’s a completion percentage of 18%.

To make it worse, those eight receptions only accounted for 43 yards after the catch. Below is a deep dive on two players who could flip the script and a third who seems like an early lock to start in Oklahoma State’s secondary.

WR Wyatt Young (North Texas)​

Stat: 99.9 receiving grade (PFF) on deep routes (20-plus yards downfield)

Why it’s interesting: Young is one of 15 receivers in the nation to earn top marks in this category. In that group, he finished sixth, hauling in 62% of his targets to finish with eight receptions for 394 yards and three touchdowns.

Young also finished third in that elite group with an average depth of target on deep routes of 37.8 yards downfield and only dropped one of his 13 targets.

PFF only judged one of those targets to be contested, proving the UNT stud just had a habit of getting open. Oklahoma State had one receiver grade out with at least an 85 on deep routes in the last two seasons. De’Zhaun Stribling (2024) graded out with an 86.4 after catching 5-of-24 deep targets for 143 yards and one touchdown.

Stribling hauled in four of those in 11 targets judged to be contested. Even in a struggling offense that season, the receiver looked capable of so much more, which he safely proved at Ole Miss last fall.

WR Chris Barnes (Wake Forest)

Stat: 97.7 receiving grade on deep routes

Why it’s interesting: This grade puts Barnes as the No. 50 receiver on deep targets. He hauled in 6-of-12 targets for 255 yards and two touchdowns.

None of the other six were drops, and two were contested, making him 1-of-3 on contested deep throws.

The last time Oklahoma State had multiple receivers grade out 85 or higher on deep routes came in 2023 when Leon Johnson (graded 92), Jaden Bray (90.7), Rashod Owens (89.3) and Stribling (85.1) combined to haul in 13-of-37 deep targets for 435 yards and three scores. Only 11 of those targets were judged to be contested, which suggests that multiple deep threats (and likely a Heisman-caliber running back) open up the downfield passing game quite a bit.

CB Christian Bodnar (Liberty)

​Stat: 458 snaps in the slot in 2025

Why it’s interesting: Only one other defender currently on the Cowboys’ 2026 roster played more than 100 snaps in the slot last season, North Texas transfer Evan Jackson. Even he only played 181 of his 591 snaps (30%) in the slot.

Meanwhile, Bodnar only played 21% of his defensive snaps outside the slot. PFF doesn’t grade players based on slot coverage, but it does isolate those coverage snaps.

Bodnar played 244 coverage snaps in the slot, arguably the toughest assignment in football. Only 44 players in the nation had more. Opponents completed 23-of-39 passes for 223 yards and one touchdown against him in the slot.

Among players who spent at least 100 snaps in slot coverage, Bodnar ranked 98th in snaps per reception (10.6), 100th in yards allowed per snap (0.91) and 140th in snaps per target (6.3).