Timetable Moved Up, a Top Texas Safety in Landyn Cleveland Commits to Oklahoma State

STILLWATER – Forget the previously announced date of June 23rd. Landyn Cleveland enjoyed his official visit to Stillwater this past weekend so much that he got home and committed to the Cowboys. Cleveland flew home Sunday midday and then called Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy and defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo and told them he is coming to Oklahoma State.

The food was good, and the company was plenty as most of the Oklahoma State football coaching and support staff joined head coach Mike Gundy and his family on Saturday night at the Gundy home southwest of campus for fajitas and recruiting. One of the guests of honor, one of the six visitors there, was Landyn Cleveland and his family. Cleveland is 6-0, 190 and athletic enough to play corner, but more physical and plays safety for Mansfield Legacy High School.

Truth be told, Cleveland told me late Sunday afternoon that he was committed long before the Cowboys fed him all that much or did all that much recruiting.

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Cleveland watching his future teammates on Saturday at practice.

“I knew I was going to commit on Friday night,” Cleveland said. “I was with Ty (Williams) and Lyrik (Rawls) and we were hanging out at KD’s (Kendal Daniels) house watching the game and I knew these are the guys that I want to be around. These are the kind of people that I want to be on a team with.

“You know coaches will tell you anything they want you to hear in recruiting, but when you get around the players then that is what is real,” Cleveland kept talking. “Hanging out with the whole DB crew that was what really counted.”

Cleveland is a very good talent. He did have an official visit scheduled to Texas in June and he originally had his commitment announcement set for June 23rd. This weekend and his future Oklahoma State teammates moved that up. 

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Cleveland (in black) in action at Under Armour All-America Camp.

I watched him on video and in person at the Under Armour All-America Camp in Arlington back in March. He uses his hands well and jams up receivers and then plays very physically through the ball. In the camp more reps than not, he had as good, if not a better chance to catch the ball. He was All-District last season with 104 tackles and two interceptions. He was All-District and the top Newcomer as a sophomore when he finished with 116 tackles and had three interceptions.

The Dave Campbell’s Texas Football crew of Greg Powers, Greg Tepper, and Matt Stepp rank him the 10th best safety in Texas and the 78th best player in the 2024 class in Texas. 

“The coaches were honest, very forward,” Cleveland said of his interaction with everybody including Coach Gundy. “They don’t beat around the bush. They tell you what it will be like playing at Oklahoma State. They grind and they work hard and get after it.”

One of the things that I remembered from Cleveland at the UA Camp in Arlington was that he was proud that new defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo had reached out early when he got the Oklahoma State job, so I asked how Coach Nardo was for Cleveland in person?

“I love Coach Nardo. He treated me like family, and I met and spent time with his wife and his kids,” Cleveland expounded. “It was more than football with Coach Nardo. I love Coach Nardo.”

Coach Nardo, Coach Dan Hammerschmidt, recruiting analyst Cameron O’Neal all played a role as did head coach Mike Gundy, but it sure feels like the players sealed the deal with Cleveland. 

His 34 offers are impressive as they include Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Colorado, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, and Washington. 

Cleveland is now the seventh commitment for the Cowboys in the 2024 class and he is the second player in the secondary from the State of Texas in the class. Cleveland as a safety joins Longview, Texas cornerback Willie Nelson as a verbal commitment.