Cowboys 2021 Signing Day: Linebackers

STILLWATER – The December Signing Period for Oklahoma State is finally upon us and the Cowboys are bringing in some talented athletes. Pokes Report is detailing every signee with in-depth profiles and analysis, as well as premium content on the class. We’ll also have head coach Mike Gundy’s thoughts on the signees and exclusive interviews as well.

We’ve bundled together each signee by position group and we’ll be looking at the linebackers below.

• Nick Martin
• Donovan Stephens

(The profiles were created by Robert Allen)

Nickolas Martin, OLB, 6-1, 197, Texarkana (Pleasant Grove), Texas

Martin is another prize in this recruiting class as he comes in with the mystery of what he will turn into after spending time with Rob Glass and his staff in the weight room in the West End Zone. He could be a safety, but more than likely will be slightly undersized linebacker cut from similar cloth as Malcolm Rodriguez. He could wind up more of an edge player, even a bonafide defensive end. A four-star recruit universally, Martin emerged as a sophomore earning Defensive Newcomer of the Year honors in District 6-4A-1 with 128 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks. He missed most of the 2019 season and the Pleasant Grove playoff run with a knee injury. This past season the speedy and strong Martin did double duty. At running back, he carried 115 times for 800-yards and 15 touchdowns. He had a whopping 7.0-yard per carry average. On defense he led the Hawks in tackles for loss with 24 and sacks with 10. He totaled 97 tackles with 69 of those unassisted. Oklahoma State won out in a close race over Arkansas with Kansas, Kansas State, Houston, Texas Tech, North Texas, SMU, Tulane and Tulsa also offering. Born Oct. 13, 2002 in Texarkana, Texas and the son of Tosha and Michael Martin. Martin plans to major in meteorology at Oklahoma State.

Donovan Stephens, OLB, 6-0, 205, Del City, Okla.

Stephens has been a tremendous football player on both sides of the football, primarily on defense for the Eagles and his head coach, Mike Dunn, will tell you he has been a dynamic leader. This past season he moved from his outside linebacker position into a nickel safety that played all over the field. He finished with 62 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three sacks, two passes defended, one fumble recovery and one interception. His junior season he earned various All-State honors with a huge 135 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two fumbles caused, one fumble recovery, and four interceptions. He played some selectively on offense with nine carries for 149-yards and a touchdown at the end of the game to beat OKC Bishop McGuinness. The Eagles made it all the way to the Class 6A-II semifinals before losing to Bixby. His sophomore season he has 69 tackles with16 tackles for loss and eight sacks. He has been a state champion in track and is a two-time state qualifier in powerlifting. Stephens picked Oklahoma State over Baylor, Texas Tech, Boise State, Hawaii, and North Texas. He was born to Gayla Stephens and Sidricke Lewis in Del City, Oklahoma on Aug. 9, 2002. A regular on the Del City High School Academic Honor Roll, Stephens plans to major in marketing at Oklahoma State.