STILLWATER — Trip White ranks in the top 20% of longest-tenured Oklahoma State football players, yet for much of the last three months, it hasn’t felt that way.
“Since it’s, like, 87 new people, I kinda feel like the new person on the team,” White said Wednesday after the Cowboys completed their fourth spring practice under new coach Eric Morris. “If you’ll just be a good teammate, you’ll fit right in. Everybody will want to know you.
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“I know most of the defense, so that’s the good part. I just need to get to know more of the offensive guys.”
A linebacker whose role grew throughout last season, White is one of the 24 players who remained after the disaster of 2025, and his desire to see OSU football succeed was one of the key pieces that kept him in Stillwater.
“I really love the OSU culture,” he said. “I wanna see us win, and I know this is gonna be the season.”
White is part of a linebacker group that is full of experience, and his desire to put a better product on the field this year has been evident since the new staff arrived.
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Trip White (30) runs drills during Oklahoma State football practice in Stillwater, Okla., on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
“He was sold on what Coach Morris was bringing, and he wanted to stay and compete,” linebackers coach Reggie Johnson said. “You look at him, gah, he’s a good-looking rascal.
“He’s long, he’s athletic and he’s got a lot of ability. So it’s my job to get his butt coached up. And he’s been good.”
The Pokes were in shoulder pads Wednesday for the first time in spring, so the intensity has begun to build a bit more. But the learning curve remains the most important focus for now.
“Everyone’s buying in,” White said. “The team’s locking in, trying to come as one.
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“Coach Johnson, he’s a cool guy. I love Coach Johnson. He’s funny, but he’s about business, for sure. He’s a business guy, and he’s a good teacher.”
Drew Svoboda faces unique challenge building special teams
Drew Svoboda is a man of many titles.
He’s Morris’ associate head coach, along with being the special teams coordinator and the tight ends coach.
Yet among all those roles, his duties building the special teams units might be the most challenging in the current situation.
Svoboda was familiar on some level with most of the specialists he brought in at kicker, punter and longsnapper. But building the depth chart for the coverage and return teams is a much different animal.
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“We’ve got 81 new players, and where that is felt most is special teams, because you’re involving everybody,” Svoboda said. “You’re learning what they can all do, getting the right people on the bus, getting them in the right seats. And then as we start the development process, we start to get the scheme taught.
“But the biggest thing is finding out what these guys can do and what their capacity is for learning all the different phases of the game.”
Head coach Eric Morris stands on the field during Oklahoma State football practice in Stillwater, Okla., on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
Deep connection drew tight end Donovan Green to OSU
Donovan Green was a highly regarded tight end prospect when he came out of Dickinson High School outside of Houston in 2022. His career has taken some unexpected twists, with stops at Texas A&M and LSU before arriving at OSU for his redshirt senior season.
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And his draw to Stillwater began with a connection from his days at Dickinson.
“Coach Svoboda, when he was at Alabama and I was in high school, he actually tried to recruit me,” Green said. “He’s from Tomball, Texas, which is kinda close to my home. He actually played at (Stephen F. Austin) with my high school tight ends coach.
“He knew the head coach at my high school, too, so that was a pretty close connection.”
That, paired with the Cowboys’ need at tight end, made for an intriguing situation in the recruiting process.
“They weren’t the first school to reach out, but once they reached out, they became a big contender right away,” Green said.
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Green, who is listed at 6-foot-3, 238 pounds, feels his versatility is an ideal fit in Morris’ offense.
“I feel like I can stretch the field, and I feel like I can still get down and block,” he said. “As a tight end, being able to do both can increase your value on the field. You don’t have to play one role. It changes everything.”
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on X at @ScottWrightOK. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football’s Trip White explains why he stuck with Cowboys
