Oklahoma State 2025 Class National Signing Day: Complete Class

STILLWATER – It’s National Signing Day here in Stillwater! Mike Gundy and Co. have made several late pushes to get the 2025 recruiting class’ numbers back up close to 20. That number includes multiple late JUCO additions to go with the high school prospects who have been committed to the program.

As we do every year here at Pokes Report, we have the most extensive recruiting profiles of the Cowboy signees.

Below is the complete list of the Cowboys signees in the 2025 class.

DeJuan Dugar, RB, 6-1, 205, Leander (Tom Glen), Texas 

Who: One of the top running back prospects in Texas, but there is a twist with Dugar. He had transferred from Tom Glen High School in Leander to Pflugerville Weiss for his senior season, but then he decided not to play football this past fall. The decision was made after he saw his friend and teammate quarterback Jax Brown tear his ACL in an August scrimmage.

"I took (Brown's injury) as a sign from God to sit out my senior year," Dugar told the Austin American-Statesman newspaper. "It's a gut feeling."

What: Dugar went back to Tom Glen to got to school. Playing varsity football since his freshman season on a not-so-loaded team, Dugar had proved plenty. He broke in with a tremendous season and over 880-yards rushing as a freshman and earned District 13-5A Offensive Newcomer of the Year honors. He went on to be a back-to-back All-District player. Last fall he had 198 carries for 1,510-yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. His three-year totals so far are 533 carries for 3,824-yards and 48 touchdowns.

Why: Dugar is a talented running back and has plenty of size, speed, and athletic ability to build on. Oklahoma State will be losing Ollie Gordon II to the NFL and you need a talented running back in every class. With Dugar and provided the other backs return and Oklahoma State has a good running back room.

How: Running backs coach John Wozniak has recruited his room well and Dugar was one of two backs that stood out to Wozniak. The Cowboys had to battle Arkansas, California, Houston, Kansas State, Memphis, Michigan State, Missouri, Oregon State, Tcu and others on Dugar.

Royal Capell, WR, 5-11, 175, Cibolo (Steele), Texas 

Who: Capell is considered pretty much universally as a top 100 Texas recruiting prospect in the 2025 class and a top 20 wide receiver prospect and that includes Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine and our good friend recruiting editor Greg Powers. He has made that stand up this season with a spectacular year. Outside of football, he is also a track athlete that is capable of sub 4.5 in the forty and he has a new personal record this spring in the 100 meters at 10.99 seconds. As a sophomore he had a 41’3” triple jump.

What: This has been a spectacular season for Capell as he and SMU commit Jalen Cooper were a double receiving threat for Steele. Capell led with 54 receptions for 1,234-yds, a 22.9-ypr average and 13 touchdowns. Capell also averaged 38.6-yds. per punt return and took two to the house. He averaged 29.8-yds on kickoff returns and cashed one of those for a touchdown. He had 59 receptions for 788-yards and five touchdowns in the 2023 season. As a sophomore, he made a spectacular debut with 62 catches for 767-yards and six touchdowns. He totals 175 receptions in three seasons for 2,789-yds and 24 receiving touchdowns.

Why: Capell is another spectacular candidate for the slot position and might end up playing at the Z receiver. It will be fun to watch Capell and Matrial Lopez compete with each other. Two different backgrounds for two sensational athletes. 

How: Kasey Dunn lead on Capell and he was impressed for a long time. It was interesting watching Dunn and his assistant Tracin Wallace as well as assistant director of recruiting Josh Gonzales working with Capell, Lopez, Jaden Perez, and Kameron Powell at The Show Camp this summer. Capell was offered by Baylor, Cincinnati, Duke, Houston, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, UNLV, and others.

Matrail Lopez, WR/Ath., 5-11, 175, Idabel. Okla. 

Who: An amazing athlete that in high school has been a standout in football, basketball, centerfielder and pitcher in baseball, and ran track. He has a twin sister that is a standout in basketball and All-State performer in softball. He showed great courage as a senior this season leading his team into the playoffs following losing his father in sudden fashion this past summer. Lopez in football could do it all playing running back, receiver, and playing on defense and special teams. 

What: As in what you are getting is a statistical freak. He reminds me of Brennan Presley because of how Presley did so many things in high school. This past season he had 47 carries for 452-yds, averaging 9.6-yds per carry with 11 touchdowns. He had 42 receptions for 693-yards. He averaged 16.5-yds. per catch and 9 touchdowns. He returned three punts for touchdowns averaging 52.2-yds. per return. He returned one kickoff for a score and averaged 29.8-yds. per return. On defense he had 66 tackles with four interceptions and six tackles-for-loss plus a fumble recovered. For his career he has 1,357-yds rushing with 28 touchdowns and 1,977-yds. receiving with 26 touchdowns. In his career he was responsible for 62 touchdowns and 376 points scored. On defense he had 179 career tackles with 15 tackles-for-loss, 11 interceptions.  

Why: He’s good because he is very fast and has a strong maturity about him. He will be an excellent fit at Oklahoma State. The Cowboys can use his abilities at a variety of places, but I’m told playing slot receiver is at the top of the list. 

How: He had little time to be recruited because Oklahoma State evaluated him and put the press on. It was Kasey Dunn that went into Idabel High School shortly before he committed and did a lot of the recruiting. Assistant director of recruiting Josh Gonzales was heavily involved as well. Only Tulsa, North Texas, UTSA, and Washington State had time to offer him before Oklahoma State had the commitment.

Jaden Perez, WR, 6-0, 170, San Antonio (Johnson), Texas 

Who: Another all-around athlete for the receiver corps at Oklahoma State. He is also a strong track performer that was at Brandeis High School in San Antonio as a sophomore and junior and then finished up this season at Johnson High School. In track he ran the sprints, but really showed his explosion in the jumps. He has a 44’6.75” in the triple jump and a 19’4.75” in the long jump. He also played basketball in high school.

What: This past season Johnson made the playoffs and finished 10-2. Perez contributed with 33 receptions for 465-yds. with a 14.1-ypr average and four touchdowns. As a junior at Brandeis, he had 48 receptions for 577-yds and six touchdowns. His sophomore season he earned first-team All-District 28-6A honors with 45 catches for 652-yds. and five touchdowns.

Why: You always love to have speed and explosive athleticism on your team and especially in your wide receiver room. Perez has plenty of that. 

How: He committed to Oklahoma State early in the process and was part of that impressive showing by receiver commitments in The Show camp this summer. Kasey Dunn and Josh Gonzales did the heavy lifting on the recruiting of Perez. He had 17 offers including Arkansas, Baylor, Houston, Kansas, Miami (Fla.), TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane, Wisconsin, and others.

Kameron Powell, WR, 6-1, 195, McKInney (McKinney North), Texas 

Who: A different kind of receiver, think a bigger Josh Stewart. Powell is built stout and powerful and is able to catch the ball then turn into a running back in the open field after the catch. He is a track guy as well but hurdles. He was a regional qualifier in the 110 meter-hurdles as a junior with a time of 14.68 seconds. He also has a 40.32 second time in the 300 meter-hurdles. He has been a very consistent contributor in football that has helped McKinney North to the playoffs. They fell in the first round this season.

What: In football Powell is a consistent playmaker that excels in yards after the catch. This season he finished with 40 receptions for 603-yards, a 15.1-ypr average and nine touchdowns. His junior season he had 39 catches for 744-yds. and seven touchdowns. The average per catch was 19.1. He had 16 receptions for 266-yds. and a touchdown as a sophomore. 

Why: Another piece to the wide receiver recruiting puzzle. Powell is different and that is good. He will have the option of playing inside or outside in the formation. He is a versatile piece to the puzzle. 

How: Kasey Dunn and Josh Gonzales both involved in the recruitment of Powell. He had lots of offers including Colorado State, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Boise, Boston College, Bowling Green, California, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisiana, Memphis, North Texas, Texas State, UNLV, Utah, and more. 

Jordan Vyborny, TE, 6-5, 231, Draper (Corner Canyon), Utah

Who: Talented athlete that has shown off the most in 7v7 action and in spring football. Vyborny was at Machesney Park (Harlem), Ill. and was little used in a primary run offense. He took his talents to Utah and Corner Canyon High School, the eventual Class 4A State Champion this year in Utah. They beat quarterback signee Jett Niu and Lehi in overtime in the semifinal. Vyborny missed all of this as he tore his ACL in August preseason. Oklahoma State stood by him and they are still excited about his prospects. 

What: Not a lot of numbers here as he caught 13 passes for 166-yds. and three touchdowns at Harlem High School in Machesney Park, Ill.

Why: He has size, a big frame, and is a talented athletic pass catching tight end. A great sign is tight end centric Iowa State offered him, same with BYU and Utah. 

How: Credit Beni Tonga and his Utah connections as he helps with tight end recruiting by position. Tight ends coach Jason McEndoo involved as well. Offers for Vyborny came from Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Boise, BYU, California, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan State, Oregon State, Texas A&M, Washington State, Wisconsin, and others.

Jaylan Beckley, OL, 6-4, 289, Addison (Trinity Christian), Texas 

Who: One of the top offensive line prospects in Texas. He was listed as a four-star before he committed to Oklahoma State. He played at a smaller private school, but one that is steeped in football tradition. TCA’s home stadium was funded by and is named after former Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry. Beckley will be playing in January in the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Game was he was selected this summer. 

What: He comes from a very squared away family as his mother is very successful and his father is the athletic director and basketball coach at Trinity Christian Academy. Beckley defies his background of playing at a small private school. On video, yes, he is seen demolishing smaller guys and lesser competition, but the technique makes you believe along with the size, strength, and explosion that he would be doing the same things playing at Class 6A or 5A levels. He dominates the way he should.  

Why: The offensive line loses a bunch of veteran players and will likely be a major makeover with some younger linemen in the program stepping up, but with a lot of recruiting and transfer portal additions. Beckley is a major addition that should be able to play quickly.

How: Beckley de-committed from *Clemson and Oklahoma State reached out. He was courted hard by head coach Mike Gundy and Gundy’s visit opportunities made a decided difference. He also was quoted as saying he and his family really were impressed by recruiting coach Zach Allen. Beckley had a ton of offers besides Oklahoma State and Clemson. There were Auburn, Baylor, California, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Houston, Kansas, LSU, Memphis, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Purdue, Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Tulsa.

Miguel Chavez, OL, 6-5, 300, Muskogee, Okla.

Who: Chavez is a tough customer that plays offensive line like he is on the defensive line. He is physical and a mauler in run blocking situations. Then in pass pro, he uses his good feet and athletic ability.He has been a major reason that Muskogee is unbeaten and playing for the Class 6A-II State Championship.

What: Muskogee is 12-0 and beating people anyway they have to. Chavez was a major facotor in the win over Putnam City as Muskogee and the Pirates were 0-0 at half. It was two long grind it out drives featuring the run offense that made the difference. This is where Miguel Chavez shines. He is a grinder.

Why: The why plays into the how as well. The head coach Mike Gundy really championed the efforts to get Chavez. He liked what he saw and wanted him added to the four linemen already in the 2025 class.

How: Gundy’s involvement was strong, but the offensive line recruiting analyst Zach Allen had the daily efforts and the official visit duties. Oklahoma State did a good job of giving Chavez the reasons for staying closer to home and what his life would be like as a Cowboy.

Simona Fuailetolo, OL, 6-6, 300, St. George’s (Desert Hills), Utah

Who: Fualietolo is a big framed offensive tackle prospect that is very athletic. He helped his team to a 7-4 record in his senior season and a playoff win before bowing out of the Utah playoffs in Class-4A. He is already a repeat All-Conference selection and an All-State player in Class 4A. 

What: He is big right now but will get even bigger and will continue to move well. I love his hands as they are huge and strong. On video he is a mauler that consumes defenders. Once he is locked on, then the defender is going for a ride. He repeatedly plows targets downfield and plants them in the turf. His athletic ability shows up in his pass protection sets. I also like his propensity to block and then slide off and neutralize a second defender on the play. 

Why: Again, Oklahoma State needs to build both a starting five and solid depth in the offensive line. Fuailetolo might not be ready immediately, but he will be ready quickly in not immediate.

How: Offensive line coach Charlie Dickey and recruiting coach Zach Allen did an excellent job, but credit director of player development Beni Tonga too. Tonga knows everybody in Utah and is so good at relating and communicating with the Polynesian cultured prospects and he was with Fuailetolo. He had come off recent visits to Florida, and California. He also was offered by Kansas State, Utah State, Southern Utah, and Idaho State. 

Ryker Haff, OL, 6-6, 302, Owasso, Okla.

Who: Haff is three-year starter at Owasso at offensive tackle and has helped lead the Rams into the Class 6A-I State Championship Game this season. His play and the offensive line as a whole has been a major reason that Owasso is unbeaten and dominating the opposition. Haff is a preseason All-State selection and a multiple All-District and All-Area selection by The Tulsa World. 

What: He is a large and very strong offensive tackle candidate that can be a driving run blocker but is also athletic enough and light on his feet to be a highly effective pass protector. He plays offensive line with a defensive attitude. Once he is engaged he is hard for the defender to escape. 

Why: Oklahoma State needs help on the offensive line with the loss of a lot of personnel. Haff has loads of experience at a very high level of high school football. He has been in an elite high school strength program and has also trained extra on the side. For all of those reasons, plus an older brother that played Division I college football, Haff figures to have it figured out earlier so as to be able to play.

How: His older brother, Spencer, played at NEO A&M Junior College before going to Tulsa. There he played for current Oklahoma State recruiting coach Zach Allen. Charlie Dickey had already established a strong recruiting relationship and talking to the parents when Allen came onboard that solidified it. He committed early but already had offers from Iowa State, Kansas State, Houston, Minnesota, Texas Tech, UNLV, and UTSA.

Isaiah Kema, OL, 6-4, 296, Wolfforth (Frenship), Texas 

Who: Kema was a 2023 graduate of Frenship High School that helped the team to deep playoff runs and lots of success. He racked up a lot of honors. He was chosen to the 2022: U.S. Army All-American Bowl, UnderArmour All-American, ESPN Top 300, Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Super-Team (3rd-Team), Texas Football Texas Top 300; 2021: Texas All-State (1st-Team/Sportswriters), All-District 6A-2 (1st-Team/Coaches).

What: He is 6-4, 298-pounds and has played primarily center and guard for the powerful Frenship program. Watching him play, he is a leader on the offensive line and is capable of doing about anything. He is bull run blocker but also has the quickness and punch to pass protect. He is a wrestler in high school, which has served him well in leverage and being quick and balanced on his feet. That may be the most fun thing to watch with Kema is his ability to block on the run and pull down the line of scrimmage even from the center position. 

Why: Oklahoma State needs plenty of help on the offensive line. He’ll have catching up to do, but his maturity and his desire will help him do that rapidly.

How: Oklahoma State offensive line coach Charlie Dickey and recruiting analyst Zach Allen did the bulk of the recruiting. Kema’s father is a college coach and appreciated how his son was recruited. He also considered: Kansas, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Air Force, Army, Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, California, UConn, Hawaii, Houston, Illinois, Louisiana Tech, Navy, New Mexico, SMU, Texas State, Texas Tech, Troy, Utah State, Virginia, Wisconsin.

Chandavian Bradley, Edge/Leo, 6-4, 242, Hutchinson C.C., Kan./Tennessee/Platte Co., Mo.

Who: Coming out of high school Bradley was a top 100 recruit and a Bonafide four-star edge rushing prospect. He was out of Platteville County High School in Missouri and chose Tennessee over South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Colorado among many others.  He left Tennessee last June after his freshman year and has played for Hutchinson C.C. this fall and is still playing as they will be in the NJCAA semifinal at Georgia Military College.

What: He is a legit early contributor as he has the size and the skill and gained a lot of valuable experience this past season at Hutchinson with 23 total tackles, 12 unassisted tackles, six tackles-for-loss, and a sack. Hutch is 9-1 on the season and went 5-1 in the Jayhawk Conference. 

Why: On Bradley’s side it is because he felt he was getting into things at Tennessee that took him away from football and his goals. He sees Oklahoma State as a place that will allow him to lock back onto football and working toward a degree in Sports Management. For Oklahoma State, Collin Oliver is off to the Senior Bowl and the NFL. The Cowboys need that special presence on the edge of the defense in an elite outside linebacker/edge rusher, a Leo.

How: This came about quickly and I’m sure that Todd Bradford and D.J. Linton were involved in the recruiting, but I think defensive line coach Paul Randolph and head coach Mike Gundy were heavy on influencing Bradley to Oklahoma State. He is a mid-year transfer.

Rashod Bradley, DE, 6-3, 255, East Mississippi C.C., Miss./Lake City (Columbia), Fla.

Who: How crazy? Oklahoma State gets two Bradleys on the defensive line down the stretch of the recruiting process. Rashod Bradley is bigger and more of a true defensive end in the Oklahoma State defensive system. Originally out of Lake City, Fla. where he was an All-State player, he has the size of a defensive end, is athletic, and now is more mature with the experience of two seasons in the Mississippi junior college ranks. 

What: Bradley should compete for playing time right away. Talking to him I could sense a hunger to get going at the Division I level. This season at East Mississippi C.C. Bradley had 19 total tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, a half-sack, recorded a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pass defended. His freshman season at EMCC he had 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, and a sack. 

Why: Oklahoma State needs help on defense. It’s great to get the edge rusher in Chandavian Bradley and an ultra-talented Michael Riles from Port Arthur, Texas, but this is a player Oklahoma State needs. Bradley seemed to lock on to OSU as well.

How: Todd Bradford and Cameron O’Neal both have connections in the Mississippi region and in the MCCAC (junior college league). Once on campus defensive line coach Paul Randolph connected well with Bradley. Oklahoma State had to compete with Arkansas, Toledo, Temple, South Florida, FIU, Troy, and Southern Miss. He is a mid-year transfer.

Michael Riles, Edge/Leo, 6-4, 245, Port Arthur (Memorial), Texas 

Who: Riles has developed into one of the very best pass rushers in the Texas high school ranks. At the same time his recruiting picked up even more from the junior year, spring, and summer when he committed to Oklahoma State. He has the size, frame, and athletic explosive ability to develop into a tremendous outside linebacker/edge player. He will be a “Leo” end at  OSU.

What: This season Memorial finished 8-4 losing in the second round of the playoffs in a tight game with Angleton. Our count off video had him 38 tackles,18 tackles-for-loss, and 15 sacks. He first emerged as a sophomore earning first-team All-District 8-5A-I honors. That season he had 45 tackles, 24 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, two fumbles forced, and a fumble recovered. 

Why: You don’t see a player like Riles come along and continue to develop in front of your eyes after he has committed. Just wait until he gets into the college environment. He seems to be an excellent fit into the Cowboys program as a person and a player.

How: Defensive line coach Paul Randolph and head coach Mike Gundy have developed strong relationships with both Riles and his mother. That was on display recently after a home game as I witnessed Gundy talking with the prospect and his mom. D.J. Linton did an excellent job on the groundwork with Riles. This was a player that you beat a lot of good schools on in Texas A&M, Florida, Georgia Tech, Houston, Nebraska, Missouri, Texas, SMU, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF, USC, and more. Texas A&M was pushing hard the last two months.

Carl’Veon Young, LB, 6-4.5, 215, Midwest City (Carl Albert), Okla.

Who: Young is a late developing defensive powerhouse for one of the best defenses seen in recent memory in the Oklahoma preps ranks. This is amazing and I have hardly ever seen this, Young went from being unranked in October to being rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports on Dec. 2. His size and athletic ability give him the versatility to attack the backfield, to spy a player, and to drop back and be effective in pass coverage. “We have a lot of good players,” Carl Albert head coach Mike Dunne told me in warmups before the playoff game with Midwest City. Dunne, a veteran coach, knows talent and the Titans program has had so much. “Carl’Veon is very talented, and he may have the most potential of any of our players. He has not played his best football, and he is capable of being very, very good.”

What: Young has 62 tackles now and this defense has rarely had to play deep into games. Often, they are on the sidelines resting and staying healthy by the middle of the third quarter. Young has 48 unassisted tackles and 10 tackles-for-loss with two sacks, an interception, and a fumble forced. 

Why: Oklahoma State kept evaluating him and even sent his tape off to a pair of veteran NFL defensive coaches that came back with the same opinion that he was the player they would want. Oklahoma State offered, Young visited, and then committed.

How: Good decision making on the part of the recruiting staff and head coach Mike Gundy liked what he saw. The Cowboys made a decision on Young and acted quickly. Linebacker analyst Justin Gordon was one of the people that pushed Young’s profile.  

Kobi Foreman, DB, 6-0, 175, Richardson (Berkner), Texas 

Who: Foreman was the recruit that I thought more members of the Oklahoma State staff were tuned into in the recruiting cycle. He is such a talented athlete. A Texas Top 100 player and Dallas Morning News All-Metro performer. His plays in the Texas 7v7 State Championships were instant Twitter crazed posts. At Berkner, he was a contributor on both sides of the ball and on special teams. 

What: Foreman missed time this season due to injuries, but when he played he was spectacular and was honored several times with Player of the Week awards. A 4.3 speedster that has also clocked a 10.6 in the 100 meters. Foreman is a three-way threat that can play offense, plays cornerback, and can return kicks. Last season he returned one interception for a touchdown. He contributed on all sides of the football but spent most of his time on defense. As a sophomore, Foreman had 172-yards and a touchdown receiving, 138-yards and a touchdown rushing, and 12 tackles on defense.

Why: You never turn down a supreme athlete and that is what Foreman is. He will be pointed toward the corner position. Oklahoma State needs help in the secondary, particularly at corner.

How: Tim Duffie and Cameron O’Neal were the heavies on this recruiting. Duffie is an excellent recruiter especially in the Dallas Metroplex. O’Neal is also a veteran coach that recruits well and makes strong connections. Foreman had 18 total scholarship offers and it was Arizona State, Baylor, Houston, and SMU that were the finalists in the end with Oklahoma State.

Draden Fullbright, CB, 5-11, 175, North Crowley, Texas

Who: Fullbright de-committed from Tulsa late in November and made a visit to Oklahoma State and it stuck. The 5-11, 175 pound corner has excellent cover skills and four interceptions this season. He has been seen making excellent stops on pass plays for a 13-0 team that is now set to play Allen this coming Saturday Dec. 7 in the Regional final in the Class 6A-I Texas State playoffs. You have to like seeing this to - according to TITAN Sports, which measures speed on the field with devices worn by players, he has the sixth fatest speed in Texas High School Football this season at North Crowley.

What: Fullbright has had lots of experience in the high school ranks in two different states where high school football is played with skill and passion. He is a physical player for the corner position. Of course, Fullbright has been a little bit of everything in his prep career that has taken him from Terrell, Texas as a freshman to Wayne Co., Georgia and back to Texas to North Crowley. As a freshman in Terrell, he was named District 7-4A Offensive Newcomer of the Year playing running back and rushing 66 times for 492-yards and five touchdowns. He moved to Wayne Co., Georgia and helped them to the state quarterfinals in Class 3-AAAA. He played both corner and running back with 36 tackles, six passes defended, and four interceptions on defense. His stats weren’t readily available for this season, but he has started every game and is listed as one of the top 100-area players by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and by Texas Football Magazine. He is a track athlete as well that specializes in the 200 meters.

Why: Oklahoma State needs corners and Fullbright is an excellent prospect. He also is friends with some of the other Oklahoma State commitments in the 2025 class. That helped.

How: As stated above, Fullbright had relationships with some of the incoming Cowboys and that helped. Oklahoma State wasted no time in reconnecting to him as soon as he de-committed. Speed helped. Tim Duffie and Cameron O’Neal were also a major part of this.

Chase Pinkston, Saf., 6-0, 195, Jones Community College/Hattiesburg (Oak Grove), Miss.

Who: A standout athlete at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Pinkston had offers from Arkansas State and UNLV coming out of high school with interest from schools like Arkansas, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, and Texas. He opted for Jones Community College and had a strong season. Oklahoma State had their eyes on him and offered and pursued accordingly. He has size and athleticism to help soon on defense. He also has a high football IQ. It runs in the family with his father, Todd Pinkston, being the running backs coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.

What: Chase this season had 30 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, three Interceptions and a pick six, four passes defender and a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He came out Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Miss. He was ranked the No. 45 player in Mississippi and rated a 3-star prospect by 247Sports. Pinkston helped the Warriors to a 13-1 record and MHSAA 7A State Championship last season, while being credited with 75 tackles and three interceptions.

Why: Oklahoma State needs defensive help. The Cowboys struggled at every level of the defense and Pinkston gives them a player that could help on the corner, safety, or the nickel position.

How: There were connections here as Director of Recruiting Todd Bradford coached at Southern Miss, shortly after Todd Pinkston (Chase’s father) played there. They were aware of each other. There was also the connection between Cameron O’Neal, who played at Southern Miss for Bradford and was also on staff at the school. They were the major players in recruiting Pinkston.

Ayden Webb, Saf., 6-2, 178, Dallas (Lake Highlands), Texas

Who: He is a long athlete that fits perfect for safety. Once he gets in a college weight room and his frame adds the expected bulk, he is going to be a 6-2, 200 pound safety that will pack a punch. His ball skills are spectacular as he made one of the most acrobatic interceptions this season in a win over Dallas Jesuit.

What: He finished with two interceptions this season, including the one we spoke of above. He is a winner and he has helped the Lake Highlands Wildcats in that regard. This past season they were Texas Bi-District Champions with a 9-3 record and a District 7-6A-I. As a junior, he had three interceptions, a team high for the 9-3 Wildcats and he had a team high 28 passes defended. In track he has a personal best of 23.62 in the 200-meters and he had a long jump this spring of 26 feet, 3.5 inches. Webb is very athletic and should be a guy that puts on weight in the Glass strength program.

Why: You don’t turn down players that have the kind of upside and potential that Webb has. 

How: Safeties coach Dan Hammerschmidt did a lot of the work here along with Cameron O’Neal. “It was really Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, and Houston and that was really it,” Webb said of his recruiting choices even though he had offers from the likes of Kansas, SMU, TCU, Oregon State, and others. “I would say it was the coaches, the players, and the feeling that I got on my visit that made my decision. When I was there on my official, I was able to get a good feel of what it was like and how the players care for each other and the program. After that it became an easy decision for me.”