Bedlam softball will be a Big 12 battle for the last time this weekend, but that no longer means the end of the rivalry on the diamond.

Oklahoma State will play Oklahoma this weekend, with the series starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday at OU’s new Love’s Field in Norman. It will be the last time the rivals meet as conference foes before OU leaves the Big 12 for the SEC at the end of this academic year. OU coach Patty Gasso met with media Tuesday ahead of this weekend’s series, though, and announced that Bedlam will continue next season with a game played at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, which hosts the Women’s College World Series annually. A date will be announced later.

OSU coach Kenny Gajewski is not scheduled to talk to media until Wednesday afternoon, but last year he said he wanted to continue Bedlam but couldn’t get OU to agree to play. 

“I’ve tried to tell them that we want to play, but I don’t have very good luck getting responses,” Gajewski said last year. “I’m pretty open that we want to play. I don’t know how that looks. I don’t know if we could play three games and it’s one [in Stillwater], one [in Norman] and one [in Oklahoma City], or if it’s a weekend. I think it would be good for both teams. I know that they’re going into the No. 1 conference. But it would shock me if they didn’t want to play, to be honest.

“… I ought to think that we’ll play, but I don’t have any kind of clarification. I don’t have any communication.”

OU and OSU enter the last Big 12 series sitting at No. 1 and No. 3, respectfully, in conference standings with Texas separating the two. OSU beat Texas in a series earlier this season before the Longhorns beat OU.

The Cowboys’ linebacker group lost a productive starter but returns pretty much everyone else and could even get some help from a bonafide playmaker elsewhere on the defense.

As we but a bow on OSU’s spring practice, let’s turn our attention to the linebacker group.

Don’t to check out our previous previews: QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL

Who’s Back

The Cowboys return some star power in Nick Martin and Collin Oliver. Martin led the Big 12 with 140 tackles last year and tied for second in the league with 16 tackles for loss. Martin also tied for the team lead of six sacks with Oliver, who transitioned to the linebacker group from defensive end last year. Although he will apparently get more time on the edge this fall, Oliver is still considered an LB according to the roster.

OSU will be without Xavier Benson who left with 37 career starts, but there is a cast of potential replacements starting with Justin Wright, who started 32 games for Tulsa and who would have factored more heavily in last year if he weren’t sidelined due to injury. Other potential rotation players include Jeff Roberson, Gabe Brown and Poasa Utu.

Who’s New

Just like Colin Oliver could see time on the edge, another versatile defender could also move around. Earlier this spring, Mike Gundy alluded to safety Kendal Daniels getting some reps at closer to the line of scrimmage after beefing up to nearly 240 pounds.

Also, Temerrick Johnson came in as an early enrollee out of high school.

Number That Matters: 3×100

Nick Martin’s 140 tackles last year were the most by a Cowboy since 1984. With safeties Kendal Daniels and Trey Rucker, OSU is the only Power Five team returning three triple-digit tacklers.

LB Outlook

With all that potential movement, i.e. Oliver and Daniels, don’t be surprised to see the Pokes’ front seven as a pretty fluid group this fall — which should make things that much harder for opposing offenses and staffs.

The Cowboys return plenty of star power and depth in the middle of their defense. But their versatility and skill all around the defense could make for a fun, if not an overall more effective, unit with the LBs being the anchor.

Spring LB Depth Chart Prediction

This is a bit of a guesstimation and will be subject to change, especially with the Cowboys expected to employ multiple packages up front and move players between traditional position groups.

LB1: Collin Oliver
LB1: Nick Martin
LB1: Justin Wright

LB2: Jeff Roberson
LB2: Gabe Brown
LB2: Kendal Daniels

Wyatt Hendrickson landed in Stillwater, even if just for a layover.

Hendrickson, who has wrestled at heavyweight for Air Force the past four years, posted on Instagram on Monday that he visited Oklahoma State after entering the transfer portal last week. His caption was, “1 of 4,” alluding Stillwater was his first of four stops before deciding his next and final destination. Missouri, Michigan and Minnesota have also reportedly been in the mix to land the top prospect in the portal this offseason.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Wyatt Hendrickson (@wyatt_hendrickson)

Hendrickson is a two-time Big 12 champion and two-time All-American, placing third at heavyweight the past two seasons at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. He was Most Outstanding Wrestling after winning his first conference title at the Big 12 Wrestling Championships in 2022. Hendrickson beat OSU’s Luke Surber in the finals that year. Surber started at 197 pounds for the Cowboys this past season. Hendrickson has also led the country in falls the past three seasons, and in 2022 and 2023 was awarded NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler honors, which is given to the wrestler who earns the most points for their team during the season.

Transferring from a service academy was not a simple process for Hendrickson, prompting the late entry after competing at the United States Olympic Team Trials two weeks ago. He was unable to use his extra year of eligibility because of COVID at the academy and had to receive clearance from the United States Air Force to transfer in order to use that last year of eligibility. He reportedly entered the portal on Wednesday.

So far, OSU has had two portal commitments this offseason in Dean Hamiti and Caleb Fish, both of which wrestled at 165 pounds this past season. Hamiti is a two-time All-American from Wisconsin and Fish was a three-year starter at Michigan State. Those two additions are compared to the Cowboys losing only 149-pounder Sammy Alvarez so far to the portal despite coach John Smith retiring. OSU wrestlers are able to transfer within 30 days from Smith’s retirement, which would be May 11. OSU has yet to announce its next head coach, with Coleman Scott serving as interim head coach since Smith’s retirement.

Contract details for new Oklahoma State basketball coach Steve Lutz have started coming out.

According to The Oklahoman‘s Scott Wright, Lutz’s deal is five years, $13.5 million. Here is how it breaks down:

2024-24 — $2.4 million
2025-26 — $2.55 million
2026-27 — $2.7 million
2027-28 — $2.85 million
2028-29 — $3 million

That’s quite the pay raise for Lutz, who was reportedly making $650,000 at Western Kentucky.

His new deal at OSU also comes with some additional benefits, according to Stillwater News Press’ Marcus Trevino. Those include a membership at Karsten Creek, four tickets to OSU football games, a luxury suite in Gallagher-Iba Arena, eight tickets for home basketball games and 12 postseason tickets.

Lutz’s deal also reportedly includes some performance-based incentives:

Big 12 regular season championship — $100,000
Big 12 tournament championship — $50,000
NCAA Tournament appearance — $50,000
Second Round appearance — $50,000
Sweet 16 appearance — $50,000
Eight Eight appearance — $50,000
Final Four appearance — $50,000
NCAA championship game appearance — $50,000
NCAA title — $150,000

Lutz’s $2.7 million average ranks about 50th nationally, according to USA Today’s database, though that database isn’t totally updated at this point (it still shows Mike Boynton at OSU, for example) and also is without some private schools’ numbers.

Here is how Lutz’s numbers stack up to the available Big 12 schools in that database. Again, this isn’t a perfect list. It’s not fully updated. It doesn’t included Darrian DeVries at West Virginia yet nor BYU’s numbers. But, this shows you sort of the ballpark:

Bill Self (Kansas) — $9.6 million
Scott Drew (Baylor) — $5.1 million
Kelvin Sampson (Houston) — $4.6 million
Tommy Lloyd (Arizona) — $4.1 million
Jamie Dixon (TCU) — $3.8 million
Jerome Tang (Kansas State) — $3.2 million
Grant McCasland (Texas Tech) — $2.9 million
Bobby Hurley (Arizona State) — $2.8 million
Steve Lutz (Oklahoma State) — $2.7 million
Tad Boyle (Colorado) — $2.6 million
Wes Miller (Cincinnati) — $2.6 million
T.J. Otzelberger (Iowa State) — $2.5 million
Craig Smith (Utah) — $2.1 million
Johnny Dawkins (UCF) — $1.7 million

TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER

Another Mike Boynton Era Cowboy has found his next landing spot.

Justin McBride on Monday announced he has committed to Nevada. McBride was a later entry to the portal than most, going in on April 15. He was a freshman for Oklahoma State this past season, where he played in 24 games and averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds a game.

McBride joins a Nevada squad that went 26-8 this past season, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament under Steve Alford — whose name was tossed around for the OSU vacancy.

Listed at 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, McBride put up a career-high eight points against Sam Houston, a game in which he went 2-for-4 from 3. He was the Big 12’s youngest active player during the 2023-24 season, according to OSU, as he won’t turn 19 until late July.

He came to Stillwater as a four-star prospect out of Plano, Texas. He reported offers from Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Kansas State, Arizona State, TCU and others as a high schooler.

McBride was also part of the Team USA’s FIBA U16 Americas Championship roster in 2021, where he took home a gold medal and averaged 7.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks a game alongside Brandon Garrison and Eric Dailey Jr.

New OSU coach Steve Lutz is in the midst of nearly an entire roster overhaul, as McBride was one of five players to enter the portal since Boynton’s dismissal. OSU also lost three players from last season’s squad because of exhausted eligibility.

McBride joins Dailey (UCLA) and Quion Williams (Abilene Christian) as former Cowboys who have announced their new homes. The only two still in the portal now are Brandon Garrison and Javon Small.

Lutz has pulled in three players from the portal at this point in Arturo Dean (FIU), Robert Jennings II (Texas Tech) and Marchelus Avery (UCF). That trio is set to join up with returners Bryce Thompson, Jamyron Keller and Connor Dow. The Cowboys also have one high school player signed in Jeremiah Johnson.

Mere days before the transfer portal is set to close, a Cowboy finally entered.

Donovan Stephens entered the portal on Monday, according to 247Sports’ McClain Baxley. Stephens then confirmed the news himself via X. Out of Del City, Stephens is a redshirt junior linebacker who made 10 tackles last season, including two tackles for loss and a half sack. The portal closes on Wednesday.

Stephens came to OSU as a three-star prospect. He was the No. 808 player in the 2021 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite ranking. He picked OSU over offers from Baylor, Texas Tech, Boise State, Hawaii and others.

He took a redshirt in 2021 before taking part of all 13 of the Cowboys’ games in 2022, primarily as a special teamer.

Stephens played in 10 games in 2023, recording four of his tackles in the Big 12 title game against Texas. His half sack came against Central Arkansas. He had a tackle for loss against UCF and another half tackle for loss against Arizona State.

Nick Martin had a breakout season at the linebacker position for OSU this past season, piling up 140 tackles. Martin and Stephens were part of the same recruiting class. The Cowboys seem fairly deep at the position group as things stand. Collin Oliver is listed as a linebacker but could spend more time closer to the line of scrimmage in 2024. The group also has Justin Wright, who missed most of last season with injury after transferring from Tulsa.

Jeff Roberson, Gabe Brown and Poasa Utu are also linebackers who have shown flashes earlier in their careers, and OSU coach Mike Gundy said this spring that safety Kendal Daniels could spend some time closer to the line of scrimmage in 2024.

Stephens is the first OSU player to hit the portal in this window, which is rather impressive from OSU given the modern landscape of college athletics.

Spring practice is now complete, and we’ve got a long summer before fall camp starts in August. In the meantime, let’s continue our look at OSU’s position groups.

The Oklahoma State defense hit some struggles over the back half of last season, dinged up with injury and still adjusting to a new system under Bryan Nardo as the competition stiffened. But now it’s Year 2 and the defense needs to step up if the Cowboys, who return one their most experienced and talented offenses in some time, can live up to their potential.

Let’s look at the defensive position groups starting up front with the defensive line. Be sure to also check out our previous previews: QB | RB | WR | TE | OL

Who’s Back

The Cowboys lost most of its starts on the edge this offseason with defensive ends Anthony Goodlow and Nathan Latu gone, but still returns Kody Walterscheid (17 starts) and Xavier Ross (four). Although a clue from spring practice should ease fans’ minds. More on that below.

On the inside, the Pokes return both nose tackles that made starts last year in Collin Clay and Justin Kirkland, two big guys who are tough to block. Clay was a double-team monster in the three-man front last year, he could pose even more trouble for opposing blockers. Also back are DeSean Brown and Jaleel Johnson who saw the field last year.

Also, (sort of) back is Collin Oliver.

Oliver made the switch to linebacker last season and is still listed as such on the roster. But the Cowboys are expected play four defensive linemen more often this fall than last, and it would be hard to imagine one of those lineups that didn’t include Oliver. And he even alluded to as much earlier in spring ball, stating that OSU was going to be playing more four-man fronts and that he would be playing the role of edge rusher.

“I love it,” Oliver said of lining up on the edge. “And we’re in the Big 12 too, with the teams we play, pass rushing’s going to be very important and that’s what the four-man front brings to the table. You get your best pass rushers out there in certain stack passages so, yeah I love it.”

Who’s New

The Cowboys added Obi Ezeigbo by way of Gannon University, Bryan Nardo’s former school. Ezeigbo brings with him 37 games of experience in which he logged 108 tackles, 25 TFLs and 14 sacks.

The Cowboys also added an early enrollee who might just vie for early action. Armstrong Nnodim has already made a splash in the weight room this spring.

“He’s young, but he’s gonna get it,” said senior linebacker Collin Oliver. “Dude power cleaned the same weight I did, 365 as freshman. That tells you all you need to know about his strength and it’s in the name.”

Oliver also lauded Nnodim for how he takes on coaching early. “He’s gonna be real good. He’s gonna be real good.”

Also new is veteran DL coach Paul Randolph who arrived in Stillwater ahead of the spring after spending the last two years at Indiana. Randolph replaced Greg Richmond who spent six years coaching the D-Line.

Number That Matters: 4

When the 2021 Cowboys boasted a Top 10 scoring defense, they did so with no small credit due to their nation’s best four sacks per game. But in the last two years the Pokes have averaged 2.0 and 1.93 respectively, good for the middle of the Big 12.

The sack numbers aren’t the entire story, but just as Oliver stated above, getting to the QB is paramount in this league. If the changes OSU is making up front can push that number higher, the Cowboys will be able to get off the field quicker and give the ball back to their experienced offense.

DL Outlook

With a new coach and some tweaking of personnel, the Cowboys hope their D-Line will be one of the best in the Big 12 this season, and there’s reason for optimism.

The Cowboys lost some experience in the trenches but with them moving some of their more talented pass rushers, like Oliver, back to the edge, they shouldn’t miss a beat. If they can create a little more havoc in opposing backfields, the defensive line should be a strength for the Cowboys.

Spring DL Depth Chart Prediction

Here’s how we see the pecking order shaping out after spring practice. We went with a four-down look to get as many names on it as possible.

DE: Collin Oliver
DT: Collin Clay
DT: Justin Kirkland
DE: Kody Walterscheid

DE: DeSean Brown/Jaleel Johnson
DT: Iman Oates
DT: Aden Kelley
DE: Obi Ezeigbo