STILLWATER – It’s always silly season until the first game of a new season is played and 2026 is certainly no exception as FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt as Oklahoma State at No. 25 in his preseason poll.
“How often do you see a team that went 1-11 [the year before] start out in the top 25?” Klatt said on FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt Show. “Welcome to the new, modern age of college football. Listen, I keep telling you guys that this is better than it used to be, and I’, kind of proving it here. There’s so much turnover that you can immediately turn your fortune around, and I think Oklahoma State is gonna be able to do that. I really do.
“Mike Gundy, great coach. Twenty-one years, so many 10-win seasons, a guy that I really, really respect and like a lot, but he’s out and now Eric Morris is in at Oklahoma State. Eric Morris comes in from North Texas. He led them to the No. 1 scoring offense in the country a year ago. Morris has worked with kind of a who’s who of quality offensive players in college football — Baker Mayfield, Patrick Mahomes, Cam Ward — in his career. So, you know he’s gonna get the most out of his quarterback. He did that a year ago with Drew Mestemaker, and now Drew Mestemaker is with him in Stillwater at Oklahoma State.
“I love this. Completely different team; 55 transfers, 17 of them from North Texas, including Mestemaker who led the country in passing. Caleb Hawkins, their running back, he led the country in rushing touchdowns as a freshman. Their slot receiver, a guy that I think is a really good player, Wyatt Young — third in the country in receiving yards last year.
“I think that this is a really good football team that can turn it around quickly, remember, in a conference in the Big 12 where everyone’s kinda mashed together. So, all of a sudden, you start winning some close games, and you can have a big bump in year one. I think that that might happen for Eric Morris there at Oklahoma State. Can’t wait to see that.”
There has certainly been a plethora of opinions about the Pokes going into the 2026 season, everything from middle-of-the-road results, losing record and College Football Playoff dark horse. One thing is certainly clear: there is a ton of hope and optimism in football following the arrival of Eric Morris and his high-powered offensive schemes and players.
Do I think the Pokes could run the table in the Big 12 to make the CFP? It’s entirely too early to tell. Do I think they’ll have a losing record? Most likely no, but I do believe we’ll see a marked improvement on the field at Boone Pickens Stadium this fall.
