Collin Oliver's Announcement and Others Solidifies Defense, So Much Production Returns!

STILLWATER – Wednesday afternoon Oklahoma State All-Big 12, former Freshman All-American, and team captain Collin Oliver put out the news we were confident we’d be hearing. Oliver is staying for his senior season at Oklahoma State and will be back to hone his linebacker crafts and continue to impress as an edge pass rusher to the NFL.

That announcement combined with the closing at midnight on Wednesday of the NCAA Transfer Portal postseason football window goes a long way to clarifying what head coach Mike Gundy and his staff will have to play with in the first year of the new and expanded Big 12 Conference.

Oliver’s message was simple and without much fanfare. He had told me at practice back in Stillwater before leaving for the bowl game in Houston that he had sent in the request for his NFL grade and was waiting on it. We talked and I told him what I was hearing from some scouts and he agreed that he had heard a similar message, the NFL is impressed with his abilities and believes that second level linebacker is the desired position for his frame. They want to see another season at that. I’ve had scouts tell me too that his continued work some at the edge is a bonus as he could check off two different positions or roles on a defensive roster. 

Pat Kinnison - Chief Photographer

Oliver’s trademark sack of Williams. 

Oliver returns a lot of production as he had 73 total tackles, 15.5 tackles-for-loss, six pass break-ups, nine quarterback hurries, a fumble recovered and four fumbles forced this season. In his career, Oliver has 130 total tackles, 84 unassisted, 38.5 tackles-for-loss, and 22.5 sacks. His career defining play so far has to be the sack of then OU quarterback Caleb Williams to finish off the 37-33 Bedlam win during Oliver’s freshman season. 

Following the final practice in Houston where defenders like linebacker Xavier Benson, defensive ends Anthony Goodlow, Nathan Latu, and Kody Walterscheid announced their departing the OSU program. Then with cornerback D.J. McKinney going into the transfer portal on Tuesday that clears up the returning defensive depth chart with nine starters returning and 21-of-the-26 players on the two-deep for the Tax Act Texas Bowl returning. That doesn’t incude injured players like safety Lyrik Rawls and linebacker Justin Wright. 

Oklahoma State will return a lot of defenders with a lot of experience and combine it with some rapidly developing younger players as well. Kendal Daniels is returning. Xavier Ross recently announced he would return. Linebacker and leading tackler in the Big 12 Nick Martin is just a sophomore, too young for the NFL and he is loyal so he is back.

Here is the percentage of returning production for Oklahoma State on defense for 2024:

I’d say those numbers ought to make defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo and his staff happy. Those numbers should make all Oklahoma State fans very happy.

By the way on offense as of right now and not including quarterback Alan Bowman, who has a pending waiver with the NCAA, there are 19 returnees off the 25-man depth chart for the Tax Act Texas Bowl and 8-of-12 returning starters. That list does not include injured players like wide receivers De’Zhaun Stribling and Talyn Shettron.