Oklahoma State Holding Steady in the NCAA Transfer Portal, Success is a Key
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy is convinced that the Cowboys will have a much milder experience this season with the NCAA Transfer Portal. On day two of the window the total number of players going into the portal has climbed above 1,000 and there are a couple of teams in double-digits so far including Kansas State and Houston.
“We had more players go in last December, some before and some after the bowl game,” Gundy told Pokes Report. “We had a more successful season and I don’t see us having anywhere near the number of players in the portal as we had after last season. The players in our program see the success and want to be here. Many of them see themselves having a major role in that success.”
Oklahoma State is still at four and two of those players have not been in the program this season. Freshman defensive tackle Ricky Lolohea quit the team and went home during fall camp and before classes even began for the fall semester. Junior college offensive lineman Tyrone Webber hasn’t been with the program since the 2022 season.
The other two players in the portal are junior college transfer safety and kick returner Lardarius Webb Jr. and walk-on offensive lineman Jake Henry.
“Players that are getting older and want to go somewhere they have a better chance of playing, I totally get that,” Gundy said.
Gundy is also convinced his program will find some players to help in the transfer portal like they did last season. Director of recruiting Todd Bradford and his staff of seven analysts have been meeting since the portal opened and reviewing players’ resume’s and video. That is in addition to having done advance work scouting and organizing players that might potentially land in the portal.
“Todd and his staff do a great job and now we have players that have been here like Josiah Johnson, Leon Johnson III, Anthony Goodlow, and Justin Wright and also quarterback Alan Bowman that can tell these older players, graduates, guys looking for a great place to play for their final year of college football that this is it,” Gundy added.
Transfer portal 2024, so far much different that portal 2023.