2023 College Football Catalog: Previewing the Oklahoma State Cowboys
Josh Frey
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Just like the NFL season is right around the corner, college campuses are preparing to welcome back their football squads for the fall season.
As the summer progresses we will be taking a look into how many of the FBS college football programs fared in 2022, what they did during the offseason, and how they can find success during the 2023 season. Today, we move onto the Oklahoma State Cowboys to discuss their chances in the Big 12 conference this upcoming season.
Other Big 12 previews:
Big 10 previews:
- Michigan
- Ohio State
- Penn State
- Maryland
- Michigan State
- Indiana
- Rutgers
- Purdue
- Minnesota
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Wisconsin
- Nebraska
- Northwestern
Overview
2022 Results
- W vs. Central Michigan, 58-44
- W vs. Arizona State, 34-17
- W vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 63-7
- W @ (16) Baylor, 36-25
- W vs. Texas Tech, 41-31
- L @ (13) TCU, 40-43
- W vs. (20) Texas, 41-34
- L @ (22) Kansas State, 0-48
- L @ Kansas, 16-37
- W vs. Iowa State, 20-14
- L @ Oklahoma, 13-28
- L vs. West Virginia, 19-24
- L vs. Wisconsin, 17-24 (Guaranteed Rate Bowl)
Overall Record: 7-6 (4-5)
2022 All-Big 12 Members
- DL Brock Martin (Second-Team)
- DL Collin Oliver (Second-Team)
- LB Mason Cobb (Second-Team)
- DB Kendal Daniels (Second-Team)
- DB Jason Taylor II (First-Team)
- K Tanner Brown (Second-Team)
Recent Vikings Draft Picks
N/A
2023 Draft Selections
- R4, P130: DE Tyler Lacy (Jacksonville Jaguars)
- R7, P234: S Jason Taylor (Los Angeles Rams)
2023 Schedule
- 9/2 vs. Central Arkansas
- 9/9 @ Arizona State
- 9/16 vs. South Alabama
- 9/23 @ Iowa State
- 10/6 vs. Kansas State
- 10/14 vs. Kansas
- 10/21 @ West Virginia
- 10/28 vs. Cincinnati
- 11/4 vs. Oklahoma
- 11/11 @ UCF
- 11/18 @ Houston
- 11/25 vs. BYU
Notable Additions
- RB Elijah Collins (transfer portal, Michigan State)
- WR Arland Bruce IV (transfer portal, Iowa)
- WR De’Zhaun Stribling (transfer portal, Washington State)
- TE Josiah Johnson (transfer portal, UMass)
- OT Dalton Cooper (transfer portal, Texas State)
- OT Noah McKinney (transfer portal, UNLV)
- DL Justin Kirkland (transfer portal, Utah Tech)
- EDGE Anthony Goodlaw (transfer portal, Tulsa)
- LB Justin Wright (transfer portal, Tulsa)
Recruit/transfer information can be found at 24/7 Sports
Notable Losses
- QB Spencer Sanders (transfer portal, Ole Miss)
- RB Dominic Richardson (transfer portal, Baylor)
- RB Braylin Presley (transfer portal, Tulsa)
- WR John Paul Richardson (transfer portal, TCU)
- WR Bryson Green (transfer portal, Wisconsin)
- WR Stephon Johnson (transfer portal, Houston)
- OT Caleb Etienne (transfer portal, BYU)
- OT Eli Russ (transfer portal, Troy)
- DL Trace Ford (transfer portal, Oklahoma)
- DL Tyler Lacy (NFL Draft, Jacksonville Jaguars)
- DL Samuela Tuihalamaka (transfer portal, San Diego State)
- LB Mason Cobb (transfer portal, USC)
- CB Demarco Jones (transfer portal, Tulsa)
- CB Jabbar Muhammad (transfer portal, Washington)
- S Thomas Harper (transfer portal, Notre Dame)
- S Jason Taylor (NFL Draft, Los Angeles Rams)
- S Kanion Williams (transfer portal, Tulsa)
Transfer portal information can be found at 24/7 Sports.
Keys to 2023
Does the Defense Get Any Better?
Oklahoma State had some major struggles on the defensive side of the ball last season, allowing 28.9 points per game. That ranked 89th out of 131 programs in the FBS. The defensive struggles were especially apparent during their 48-0 shutout loss to Kansas State that essentially ended their Big 12 title hopes.
For better or worse, this offseason saw some major losses for Oklahoma State on that side of the ball. They have to replace three defensive linemen, two linebackers, and four defensive backs this year, including DL Tyler Lacy and S Jason Taylor who were selected in this spring’s NFL Draft.
Even with some struggles last year, the number of veterans that are departing from the roster could lead to some more trouble on that side of the ball. However, keep an eye on defensive lineman Justin Kirkland, who transfers in from Utah Tech.
QB Alan Bowman Takes Over the Offense
The Cowboys lost their starting QB Spencer Sanders this offseason, who transferred over to Ole Miss after a four-year career in the Oklahoma State program. In 2022, he passed for 2642 yards and 17 TDs compared to 9 INTs. He also added 391 yards of rushing and 8 rushing TDs for the offense.
With his departure, the program now turns the offense over to Texas Tech and Michigan transfer, Alan Bowman. The QB was a starter from the jump during his first three seasons in the Texas Tech program. Over the course of those seasons, he completed 67% of his passes for 5260 yards, 33 TDs, and 17 INTs.
However, after transferring to Michigan in 2021, Bowman hasn’t seen much playing time since. Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy have been the guys for the Wolverines during their recent stretch of success, meaning Bowman has attempted just 11 passes in the past two seasons.
Oklahoma State relied on a high-flying, very streaky offense to carry the way for them in 2022, but it remains to be seen if Bowman can replicate that type of success after spending two years riding the pine.
Light Big 12 Schedule
Ultimately, the Cowboys fare pretty well in terms of their schedule for 2023, particularly within the Big 12. They avoid some of the heavyweights like TCU and Texas, with their toughest matchup being Kansas State.
Perhaps a lighter schedule than last year can lead to an overall better record for this program than what they saw in 2022.
Prediction
- W vs. Central Arkansas
- W @ Arizona State
- W vs. South Alabama
- L @ Iowa State
- L vs. Kansas State
- L vs. Kansas
- L @ West Virginia
- W vs. Cincinnati
- W vs. Oklahoma
- L @ UCF
- L @ Houston
- W vs. BYU
Overall Record: 6-6 (3-6)
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.