Oklahoma State can’t be satisfied with just scoring points.
Cowboy football is approaching a highly anticipated season with it being Eric Morris’ first time at the helm of OSU, plus the addition of one of the best transfer portal classes in the nation.
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Players like Drew Mestemaker, Caleb Hawkins and Wyatt Young are names to watch out for next year, as they each had one of the best statistical seasons in their positions last year. Hopefully, they can repeat this success this coming year for the Cowboy offense, but offense isn’t the only thing OSU needs.
The Pokes will need a resurgence in their defense, as last year they had one of the worst defenses in the country. Oklahoma State allowed its opponents to score more than 33 points per game last season, ranking them last in the Big 12 and ultimately leading to its 1-11 record.
Similarly, the Cowboy defense allowed 418.3 yards per game, with 252.4 of those yards coming through the air. Oklahoma State’s defense had some really rough performances throughout the year, including a loss to Oregon, where the Ducks scored 69 points.
Last year showed that to be at the top of the Big 12, you have to have solid defense. Texas Tech won the conference and grabbed the four seed in the College Football Playoff. The Red Raiders were leaps and bounds better than everyone else defensively, only allowing 11.8 points per game, as well as 258.3 yards per game.
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Oklahoma State shouldn’t be discouraged if it doesn’t make the jump all the way to the top of the conference, but the expectation is set.
Luckily, the Pokes seem to be building quite the defensive roster as well through the portal. New linebackers for the Orange and Black include Isaiah Chisom from UCLA and Ethan Wesloski from UNT.
Chisom totalled 84 tackles for the Bruins last year and forced two fumbles in the process. He was the team’s second leading tackler and is hoping to continue this production for the Pokes. Wesloski was the Mean Green’s leading tackler, totalling 113 last season. He tallied 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and also had an interception by the time the season was said and done.
OSU also picked up other crucial pieces in the offseason, including defensive lineman Jerry Lawson, defensive edge James Williams and defensive lineman Braylon Rigsby. These incoming players will be in charge of securing the trenches for the Pokes and will have to make sure the game is won at the line of scrimmage.
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It will take a lot to come back from last year’s defensive performance by the Pokes, but to be successful, this new Cowboy defense will have to step up, and quickly.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahomastate as Cowboy Football Will Need A Better Season Defensively in 2026.
