STILLWATER – “Hey I heard we moved up in the recruiting rankings?” Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy said over the phone as he was leaving Stillwater for a little break following the end of recruiting. Yes, the head coach of the Cowboys was following the rise and fall of the recruiting rankings on the final signing day for the 2022 class.
Pokes Report
Gundy with Stephon Johnson Jr.
Oklahoma State added three more members of the class to go to 20 strong. The new editions included another NJCAA All-American in defensive tackle Seleti Fevaleaki of Snow C.C. and a former BYU player with Division I experience. That makes three NJCAA All-Americans in the class. DeSoto, Texas wide receiver Stephon Johnson Jr., who was committed to Oregon, and is an ESPN four-star prospect picked the Pokes over SMU. There was also 6-6, 295-pound multiple All-State offensive tackle Davis Dotson.
Gundy is happy with the haul.
“Todd Bradford and his staff did a terrific job and our coaches did a good job,” Gundy said. “I gave everybody off through next Tuesday.”
Gundy was right in the upward move in the rankings. Rivals had the Cowboys shooting up to No. 20 in the national rankings. Everybody else was more reserved. ESPN had Oklahoma State No. 30 and behind three Big 12 rivals including Baylor. Then 247 had the Cowboys at No. 34 but still ahead of all the Big 12 except Texas and Oklahoma that still have their traditional top 10 recruiting classes. That is where I contend that the number of subscribers and dollars coming in have some impact on the rankings.
No doubt that the rise in Rivals helped the Cowboys to No. 28 on the 247 Composite rankings. That is the industry standard with a formula that takes ESPN, Rivals, and the 247 rankings all into producing that composite score.
| 247Composite |
School |
PR Big 12 Rank |
247 |
Rivals |
ESPN |
| 5. |
Texas |
1. |
7. |
5. |
5. |
| 9. |
Oklahoma |
2. |
9. |
9. |
10. |
| 28. |
Oklahoma State |
3. |
34. |
20. |
30. |
| 35. |
West Virginia |
4. |
38. |
30. |
38. |
| 36. |
Baylor |
5. |
35. |
30. |
27. |
| 39. |
Iowa State |
6. |
37. |
29. |
43. |
| 43. |
Texas Tech |
9. |
52. |
37. |
44. |
| 56. |
TCU |
12.. |
49. |
64. |
57. |
| 61. |
Kansas State |
13. |
60. |
57. |
63. |
| 118. |
Kansas |
14. |
123. |
UR |
UR |
I thought it would also be interesting to throw out the future Big 12 schools and where they rank because barring transfer portal evacuations, this recruiting class will be in school and many will see the field when the new schools begin play and compete in the Big 12. Our Pokes Report Big 12 Rankings took the new schools in to show where they stack up as of now with their future competition.
| 247 Composite |
School |
PR Big 12 Rank |
247 |
Rivals |
ESPN |
| 42. |
Cincinnati |
7. |
42. |
41. |
32. |
| 48. |
Houston |
8. |
45. |
52. |
55. |
| 51. |
UCF |
10. |
48. |
53. |
49. |
| 55. |
BYU |
11. |
50. |
65. |
53. |
Honestly, it is our rankings at Pokes Report that I have the greatest faith in.
As Gundy said, the Cowboys certainly have a logo too. When Texas and Oklahoma leave they may have a potential firm grasp on recruiting the top football class of newcomers in the Big 12. It is all about working to “take it to the next level.”
