Hylton and the Other Trio of Portal Transfers Join Seven Mid-Year Freshmen, Maybe More
STILLWATER – Further proof that the NCAA constantly takes actions, but without realizing the issues those actions can create or having solutions ready is the mixture of the transfer portal and the extra eligiblity still being created by the COVID bonus. The NCAA has not had answers for much of the situations created by the added COVID year since the first year for that when they did not count those athletes against the Division I football 85-limit in scholarships. In successding years it has caused problems for member institutions and the student-athletes they have under their direction.
The accounting of scholarships within a program are contingent on athletes that you can’t blame for taking time with making their decisions. Some schools like Wisconsin immediately said they would not honor the scholarships for the COVID bonus year. Other schools pressed those athletes for quick decisions, so they could know exactly how many spots were available for the spring semester. Many schools, like Oklahoma State give the athletes time to make their decision and then get forced to make the number balance right before the start of the semester.
The easy fix here would be to make the 85 number null and void in the spring, but hold schools to the 85-limit in the fall semester when there is competition.
As a result of more than anticipated graduate seniors eligible for a COVID year deciding to return, Oklahoma State is having to tell some of the freshmen in the most recently signed class of 2024 they will be delayed until June.
Oklahoma State has four transfers out of the NCAA Transfer Portal that will report this week. That list includes tight end Tyler Foster (6-7, 250) from Ohio University, defensive end Obi Ezeigbo (6-3, 252) from Gannon University, offensive tackle Isaia Glass (6-5, 305) from Arizona State, and safety Kobe K.T. Hylton from UTEP. They will all be in this week and be here for the spring.
Initially, there were 10 of the 18 high school recruits that OSU signed that were planning on being enrolled for the spring semester. That number has shrunk to seven, but may get two more names added before the first day of classes. Honestly, this puts the schools in a bad place of either having to tell tenured players that might want to come back that “thank you for your time but please move on” or tell incoming players that even though you worked to graduate and be ready for early enrollment that the space is too limited.
As of now, the incoming freshmen set to be here for the spring includes:
Landyn Cleveland, Saf., 6-0, 183, Mansfield (Legacy), Texas
Josh Ford, TE, 6-6, 252, Stillwater, Okla.
Tre’ Griffiths, WR, 6-3, 200, Keller, Texas
Temerrick Johnson, LB, 6-3, 210, Midlothian (Heritage), Texas
David Kabongo, Saf., 5-11, 185, Trophy Club (Bryon Nelson), Texas
Willie Nelson, CB, 5-10, 170, Longview, Texas
Armstrong Nnodim, DL, 6-2, 260, Mesquite (Horn), Texas
Two more could be added.