Transfer Stats (Vol. 3): A Look at How Three Cowboy Newcomers Rusher the Passer

PORTAL TRACKER

STILLWATER — It’s no secret that the Cowboys have struggled to really affect opposing quarterbacks in recent years. There are a lot of reasons for that, including the simple fact that it is a lot easier to rush the passer when your team has a lead, another thing OSU fans haven’t seen much lately.

The Pokes ranked 86th in sacks per game last season (1.8 on average), and PFF ranked them 112th with a pass rushing grade of 64.7. ​

To make matters worse, the main attraction, as it were, Wendell Gregory, left town with his team-leading 32 total pressures. The next closest Cowboy had 12, so the new staff will definitely be hitting the reset button there.​

Good thing the new coaches loaded up on guys from the portal. Today’s deep dive makes the case for three transfer defenders to step up and replace Gregory as the top pass-rusher in 2026.

Want more? Transfer Stats Vol. 1 and Transfer Stats Vol. 2

DL James Williams (Florida State)

Stat: 31 total pressures (five sacks, 12 hits and 14 hurries) in 2024

Why it’s interesting: First of all, it’s only one less than Gregory had, and only two other Cowboys have recorded more in any of the last three seasons.

Williams put these numbers up while playing for Nebraska two years ago. He did so on 142 attempts rushing the passer. PFF calculated his pass-rushing win-rate that season at 19.2%, which ranked 27th in the nation among guys with at least 100 snaps rushing.

At Florida State, he pressured opposing quarterbacks 22 times on 151 snaps. While the production dipped overall, Williams produced four or more pressures in three of the four games that saw him eclipse 25 snaps.

He recorded five against Alabama (31 overall snaps), four against Virginia (45) and four against Virginia Tech (26). In those three games alone, Williams rushed the passer 61 times.

Considering how much FSU struggled last season, it makes sense that he was given a larger workload in two of the team’s three power conference wins and a double-overtime loss to Virginia.

DL Jerry Lawson (Louisville)

Stat: 71.6 pass-rushing grade

Why it’s interesting: That grade is a high mark among OSU’s transfers with significant playing time last season. Lawson recorded 10 total pressures (two sacks, one hit, seven hurries).

Considering he only rushed the passer 113 times on 226 snaps, that seems like a decent success rate for his first year at the FBS level. In 2024, Lawson finished with 23 total pressures (six sacks, three hits and 14 hurries) on 413 attempts and 774 total defensive snaps playing for Abilene Christian. He padded the sheet at a lower level, and last season he proved he could still impact the game at the FBS level.

If he can do both in 2026, the Cowboys could have a game-changer.

​DL Braylon Rigsby (Texas Tech)

Stat: Rushed the passer on 64% of his career snaps

Why it’s interesting: His past certainly suggests Rigsby’s best path to playing time involves getting after the quarterback. So that’s likely what Eric Morris and his staff added him to do. Rigsby’s defensive snap count dropped from 306 in 2024 to only 133 last season after the Red Raiders went on their infamous spending spree. He finished with only six pressures in 2025 on 84 attempts, but he did finish with a career-high pass-rushing grade of 70.5.