Three Preferred Walk-Ons Confirmed at Oklahoma State and Two Have Wrestling Backgrounds

STILLWATER – It is something that is full-fledged now and I like it. The preferred walk-ons for schools are now having ceremonies to celebrate their accomplishments and that they will be moving on to play college football. Almost all of these athletes have scholarship offers and they are turning them down to bet on themselves and go to a school where, yes they are wanted, but they will have to work to earn scholarship status. Most preferred walk-ons get some sort of monetary stipend or NIL money and all get to eat training table. In the case of this trio we are spotlighting, all of them are Oklahoma State athletic legacies, two in football and one a two-time legacy in wrestling. 

Lake Hamilton High School

Crutchmer also played running back.

The wrestling legacy is Lake Howard, Ark, linebacker Justin Crutchmer. The 6-0, 185-pound Crutcher had two older brothers that wrestled for John Smith at Oklahoma State.

“I’ve been around Oklahoma State my whole life and I really enjoy the school and the campus,” Crutchmer said. “I’ve been there so many times and I love everything about it.”

Crutcher’s dad took the wrestling head coach job at Ouchita Baptist University when Crutcher was in junior high. His brothers had come out of Tulsa Union and Broken  Arrow, but the family loved to Hot Springs, Ark. 

“It’s beautiful over here,” Crutcher said when I told him I was jealous. 

Crutchmer is a three-time wrestling champ at 190-pounds and is the top seed in his conference with three weeks left in the season. It is football he will play for the Cowboys and this season he helped the Wolves to the state quarterfinals before the lost to Bentonville. Crutchmer had 92 tackles with 9.0 tackles-for-loss, a sack, three interceptions, three fumbles forced, and a fumble recovery. As a sophomore he had 129 tackles and his career at Lake Hamilton ends with 276 tackles, 33 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, and five interceptions. 

I promise he will get bigger after wrestling season finishes up. 

Gabe Rodriguez is 5-10, 170-pounds and he celebrated with his family including older brother, former Cowboy, and NFL All-Rookie Defensive team selection Malcolm Rodriguez. Gabe is also marked for the defensive side, 

Twitter

Rodriguez (20) with a teammate and the trophy.

Rodriguez was named the Class 4A District 3 Defensive Most Valuable Player for his play at safety. He had over 100 tackles and also picked off three passes and returned one for a touchdown. On offense, playing around in different spots, Rodriguez had 774-yards rushing and caught 59 passes foer 691-yards and had 19 touchdowns in total. 

His 18-yard carry on the final drive against Cushing in the Class 4A State Championship Game set up the game winning field goal on the last play for another Wagoner State Championship in football. 

Finally, Cason Cabbiness is following in his brother’s footsteps and will join him as a reciever at Oklahoma State. He is athletic, good speed, and was productive for the Timberwolves with over 600-yards and seven touchdowns as a junior and this past season had 54 receptions for 893-yards and nine touchdowns. 

“I’ve known for awhile,” Cabbiness told Pokes Report last month. “I kept it a secret because I wanted to leave my options open before putting it out in public. (Joining my brother) had a good amount to do with it. But it is also the program. It has everything I want. Oklahoma State football made it a pretty easy choice.”

Twitter @cason_cabbiness

Cabbiness after a TD reception.

Cabbiness is the grandson of the late Billy Tubbs, a longtime Oklahoma basketball coach. His uncle is Tommy Tubbs, who played guard and coached with Sooners basketball. His mother, Taylor, was a pom for Oklahoma. The family has done a turnaround enthusiastically attending Oklahoma State football. 

I promise there is nobody more proud of his nephews than Tommy Tubbs now an Oklahoma State football season ticket holder.