Cowboys Land Two Offensive Linemen from Weekend Transfer Portal Visitors

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State picked up some very important rewards for an all-out weekend recruiting effort in hosting three offensive linemen out of the NCAA Transfer Portal. Former Southern Cal offensive tackle and red-shirt sophomore Casey Collier and Vanderbilt starting offensive lineman from last season and sophomore Jason Brooks Jr. both left Stillwater on Sunday having committed to coming back to Oklahoma State.

Brooks confirmed his commitment while on a layover and changing planes heading back to Nashville to finish up his semester at Vanderbilt. 

Collier did the same while on a layover in Dallas heading home.

Then both players gave Pokes Report the go ahead to report it later Sunday evening.

There was a third visitor in Prince Pines that left without making a decision, but later committed on Monday morning and tweeted his pledge on Monday night. Pines is an offensive tackle that played most recently at Sam Houston State after starting his college career at Baylor.

USC Athletics

Collier at Southern Cal.

Collier is a former All-District offensive lineman that was a three-star prospect from Barbers Hill High School outside of Baytown, Texas. He went to USC without visiting anywhere else and did play against Washington State as a freshman. He is 6-7, 300 pounds and his tape exhibits a powerful upper body athlete that has strong hands that lock up with a target. He was a dominating blocker in high school and in college has shown the ability to be a potential major contributor at tackle. Long arms, strength, and a lower body that keeps moving add up to a promising addition for offensive line coach Charlie Dickey.

Collier’s sister Charli Collier played for the University of Texas and was the first pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings. Collier’s family could come up and see his sister play in Dallas during the WNBA season and go on to Stillwater to see Casey at Oklahoma State. It makes sense geographically.

“It (the visit) went great,” Collier said. “I want to major in Business, so I’m committed to Oklahoma State.” 

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Brooks battling vs. Tennessee.

Brooks is a textbook “Dickey student” as he is 6-4, 295-pounds, really strong and has a dogfight type of attitude in his style. He played in five games last season and started two including the final game of the season against Tennessee. He is also a former Texas high school All-District performer at Dobie High School in Houston and was rated a three-star prospect coming out of Dobie by most recruiting sites.

“It was a real good weekend in that the culture of the team is good,” Brooks said. “All the  players are on the same page and working to win the Big 12 championship. I was also impressed with the majors and I wanted to see if they had what I was looking for and they did in Business Management.

“I was in the last freshman class for Coach Mason at Vanderbilt, He was my head coach that year,” Brooks said. “He is a great guy and I can see why Coach Gundy hired him at Oklahoma State.”

Both players will add to an Oklahoma State offensive line that lost two starters in center Danny Godlevske and guard Josh Sills. The Cowboys also have several players including returning starter Hunter Woodard at guard, centers Joe Michalski and Preston Wilson, and Silas Barr moving back from Cowboy back that are missing spring with rehab of postseason surgeries.

The recruiting weekend was pretty extensive with the prospects and their families arriving a little earlier on Friday in time for lunch at Hideaway on campus corner where they were joined by football staff and the First Cowboy in President Dr. Kayse Shrum’s husband and a former football player and coach in Darren Shrum.

The trio of prospects spent extensive time after lunch leading up to the Friday spring practice with head coach Mike Gundy in his office.

The prospects and their families were treated to barbecue on Friday night and then the players spent time with their player hosts which included quarterback Spencer Sanders and receivers Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens. Saturday involved a lot of academic meetings, campus and Stillwater tours, and meeting with coaches.

OSU Athletics

Darren Shrum, President Kayse Shrum (back to you) Jacie Hoyt, Josh Gonzales, and Brayden Kearsly.

Perhaps, one of the most fun events was the whole group including offensive coaches and families, President Shrum and Darren, and the player hosts and many other Cowboys players were in the outfield and had a corral with Cowboy Dining providing the food. The President and Coach Charlie Dickey’s wife Lisa spent lots of time speaking with each prospect’s parents. There were lots of students and fans that stopped by and added to the festivities.

New women’s basketball head coach Jacie Hoyt also stopped by. She has people she knows having been an assistant at Kansas State she is familiar with both offensive line coach Charlie Dickey and his wife, Lisa. They took a picture together.

Oklahoma State Athletics

Charlie Dickey and wife Lisa talk to Coach Hoyt

It looks like a new recruiting strategy has emerged with football using the baseball festivities at O’Brate Stadium for spring recruiting and especially transfer portal recruiting. 

The festive atmosphere at baseball with the students in right field and the corral for food makes for a perfect recruiting venue in the spring. Football has always been a good backdrop for all other sports in recruiting and now baseball helps pay the footballers back.

The weekend was a huge plus for the Oklahoma State offensive line.