Justin Kirkland Enters Into NCAA Transfer Portal
STILLWATER – The transfer portal can deliver, and it certainly can take away. Defensive tackle Justin Kirkland entered the portal late Friday night, mere hours away from the NCAA Transfer Portal closing, giving Oklahoma State their first two-deep loss to the transfer portal.
The 6-3, 330-pound Kirkland had dropped about 25-30 pounds this offseason and was playing excellent throughout the spring. He had five tackles in the Orange-White spring game and was a defender the fans certainly noticed as he helped the Orange team to a 14-10 win.
Kirkland came to Oklahoma State from Utah Tech where he had gone to play after completing his religious mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The extremely athletic big man from West Haven, Utah, who played high school football and tennis at Roy High School, was also a great personality and individual to have on the team. He is an excellent student and a good football player.
In his first season at OSU (2023) he had 22 total tackles, 11 unassisted, 3.0 tackles-for-loss, two quarterback hurries and two pass deflections. Last season he had 18 tackles, 11 unassisted, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and his first sack at Tulsa.
The expectation is he will end up back in Utah at BYU. The Cougars are spending a lot of money in the current transfer portal window.
The Cowboys return both Iman Oates and Aden Kelley at defensive tackle along with redshirt freshman Luke Webb.
Oklahoma State has two defensive tackles coming via the portal this summer in De’Marion Thomas, who just signed last weekend coming from Vanderbilt. The 6-3, 330-pound Thomas is a former All-State player at Tulsa Union High School. Also arriving is Michael Diatta from Virginia. The 6-4, 292- pound Diatta had 57 tackles, five tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks in his four seasons there.
