Get to Know Kasen Carpenter, Oklahoma State's Projected Center

STILLWATER – Kasen Carpenter was born to be a Cowboy. The transfer from the University of Tulsa grew up in Texas with a mom that was a teacher and is now the superintendent of schools in Argyle (Dr. Courtney Carpenter). His father, Craig, is an educator and a football coach that did a good job of preparing his son for what he is doing right now. Down to holding off on full contact football until Kasen was a seventh grader. Now while Carpenter was an All-State offensive lineman at powerhouse Allen High School and had been a frequent attendee to Oklahoma State games and the Down and Dirty OSU Linemen’s Camp he wound up at Tulsa. Carpenter talks about that and how he ended up at Oklahoma State on the latest Welcome Home Cowboy interview on OSU Max.

Pokes Report

Carpenter at Tulsa last season.

“We had about four offensive line coaches on our staff there at Tulsa,” Carpenter said of his time in T-town. “It was pretty demanding. They expected highly of us, and with Coach (Kevin) Wilson, he played offensive line, he’s coached it, and he coached us hard. It definitely brought the best out of you.”

Former Tulsa head coach Kevin Wilson, a former offensive coordinator at OU and at Ohio State and a head coach at Indiana, Wilson is an offensive line task master. After a redshirt season, Carpenter broke into the starting lineup at Tulsa playing center against Oklahoma State. He started the rest of the season. Cowboys recruiting analyst Zach Allen liked what he saw in person at Tulsa when the Cowboys beat the Golden Hurricane. He kept watching each week and evaluating the 6-3, 295 pound Carpenter.

Oklahoma State football

from left Marlon Trissel, Kasen Carpenter, Craig Carpenter.

He also found that he had a strong allie in Stillwater on being successful in getting Carpenter to OSU. Allen had liked him in camp, but the prevailing opinion was to get biger linemen in the class that could play tackle. If there were any sore feelings about Oklahoma State not offering, one man could smooth it over.

“My grandfather Marlon (Trissel) lives here and he is a big Oklahoma State fan, Kasen Carpenter said. “He loves OSU football and loves OSU softball too. He is a big fan and knows a lot of people around here.”

You can catch him many mornings down on Seventh Ave. downtown Stillwater drinking coffee with softball head coach Kenny Gajewski and others. he is glad to have his grandson at Oklahoma State and poised to win the job at center for the 2025 season. Carpenter was recruited by Allen, an Oklahoma State alum and now is coached by a pair of Oklahoma State alums in Andrew Mitchell and Cooper Bassett.

OSU Max

Kasen Carpenter being interviewed by Kenyatta Wright.

“It’s great and when I found that out I was very excited to know they were alums,” Carpenter said. “It is always good having more minds going into something. They are both piggy backing off of each other coaching us. Coach Mitch (Mitchell) and Coach Bass (Bassett) work well with each other. We’ve only been with them four or five weeks, but it’s been good.”

You can tell by looking at him that Carpenter is the kind of athlete that loves the weight room. He does. When asked where the challenges have been so far, he was quick to point at one of his favorite activities. 

“The weight room, I’ve got to say that. Body by Glass is a real deal, Carpenter told Cowboy Director of Football Finance Kenyatta Wright. “We’ve been in awhile, but now it is ramping up more. It’s good and we’re getting after it. It’s my favorite thing so far.”  

I’m predicting that Carpenter will have a lot of favorite things the next three years, he has that many to play. I also predict that Cowboy fans will really like that guy in the middle of their offensive line.