TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER

Steve Lutz has landed another double-digit scorer out of the transfer portal.

Jaylen Curry, a 6-foot, 168-pound point guard, is transferring to Oklahoma State from UMass. Curry averaged 13.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals a game as a sophomore last season for the Minutemen. He should have two seasons of availability left.

 

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Out of Charlotte, North Carolina, Curry played his final high school season at Calvary Christian Academy in Florida. He was the No. 174 recruit in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite ranking. He ended up at UMass but had reported offers from Alabama, Florida State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, Xavier and others.

He won gold with Team USA at the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, where he averaged 8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists a game while playing alongside the likes of Robert Dillingham, Ron Holland, Liam McNeeley, Justin McBride (former Cowboy) and David Castillo (Oklahoma native).

Curry was an Atlantic 10 All-Rookie selection as a freshman in the 2023-24 season. He averaged 7.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a freshman while playing in all 31 of UMass’ games with one start. He scored in double figures 10 times that year, including a season-high 18 against Loyola-Chicago.

He started all 29 games he played as a sophomore and scored in double figures 22 times. He dropped a career-high 24 in a game against Northeastern and scored in the 20s on three other occasions. Curry flirted with different variations of a double-double this season. Against New Hampshire in November, he had nine points and 12 assists (with zero turnovers). Against Harvard in November, Curry had 10 points and nine rebounds.

Last season, Curry had 112 assists and just 42 turnovers. He also took a big step forward in his 3-point shooting. As a freshman, he shot just 25% on 89 attempts, but as a sophomore he made 35% of his 84 attempts.

 

Curry is the seventh player the Pokes have added from the portal this offseason and the sixth who averaged double-figure scoring this past season. OSU was in need of another point guard after Arturo Dean and Jamyron Keller hit the portal. Curry joins Mississippi State transfer Kanye Clary as traditional point guards on the Cowboys’ roster, though incoming 6-foot-5 transfers Isaiah Coleman (Seton Hall), Anthony Roy (Green Bay) and Vyctorius Miller (LSU) could also fill in there.

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STILLWATER — With one week left in the regular season, the Cowgirls have played in Cowgirl Stadium only 11 times in 2024.

That’s the fewest amount of home games among Big 12 teams. Oklahoma State enters Tuesday ranked 19th in the RPI, and the only team in the Top 50 of the RPI that has played fewer home games than the Cowgirls is Nevada (39th in RPI).

Weather-dependent, the Cowgirls could play four games at home this week starting with a game at 6 p.m. Wednesday against North Texas before hosting Utah in a three-game weekend series.

“I knew (the schedule) was soft on home games, but I couldn’t get people here,” OSU coach Kenny Gajewksi said Tuesday. “I actually took over the schedule late, too, so that was one thing that was kind of behind the eight ball. No fault of anyone, I just took back the schedule. So, I’m working on that now. I’m working on next year already. We’re all working on that and years to come, so I think we’re already in a better place on that.

“We’ll take a little bit more risks with some weather maybe early. But you know what, everybody’s doing it and they’re figuring out a way, so we’re gonna go ahead and go that route, too. But I still want to have the quality opponents here. I don’t want to just bring anyone in here to play.”

The Cowgirls’ experience on the road could prove handy because OSU might be on the outside looking in of a regional host spot, given the Cowgirls are 19th in the RPI and 29-17 this season.

OSU ranks 11th nationally in strength of schedule, according to Warren Nolan, which is the second-highest among non-SEC teams, trailing only Duke. OSU is 11-8 in true road games and 11-5 on neutral fields. A strong week and a strong Big 12 Tournament (May 7-10 in OKC), could still be enough to keep the Cowgirls home for the regional round, but if they do have to go on the road, they’ll be used to it.

“I’ll let you know (if playing on the road so much has provided benefits) because I think we’ve kind of let the hosting kind of slip away,” Gajewski said. “And that’s OK. Like I told our team, that’s our journey. I wanna host everything. Who wouldn’t want to be playing at home? But we are not phased on the road, so that won’t be anything new.”

Gary Ward in the Batting Cages

The Cowgirls had a legend in their batting cages on Tuesday in former OSU baseball coach Gary Ward.

Ward, who is 84, coached the Cowboys from 1978 to 1996, leading OSU to 16 straight conference titles and 10 trips to the College World Series.

Gajewski said he hopes he makes it to Ward’s age and that he hopes he is as sharp as Ward is at that age.

“He’s been around,” Gajewski said. “I’ve been asking Coach Ward to come around for many years. One of the most touching things I think he’s ever said to me is — his wife, Cathy, died a few years ago, and he took care of her. He’s taken care of her almost my whole time here. She’s been sick the whole time. He told me, he said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna be around as much as I can, but I have to take care of her. She’s taken care of me and this family forever.’ And I was like, ‘Gosh, that is a man.’

“He’s slowly starting to come around more. He’s sitting up there now, and we’re talking. We’re just talking. We’re watching, and he’s talking to me about things that he sees. He knows every one of our kids. It is crazy. And he knows the way their swings work, and it’s really kind of cool, which tells me he’s watching every time we’re playing. It amazes me, so it’s really cool. This game, he loves this game. He loves our kids, and he loves the bat and ball.”

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After a trip to Stillwater this past weekend, four-star quarterback Oscar Rios has trimmed his list of suitors.

Listed as highly as the No. 10 quarterback in the 2026 class, Rios is down to Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, UCLA, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Kentucky. He announced via his Instagram that he will make a college decision on June 25.

 

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247Sports lists Rios as the No. 144 player in the 2026 class, making him the No. 10 quarterback in the cycle and the No. 22 player from the state of California. Out of Downey High School, which is in the Los Angeles area, Rios threw for 2,554 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior while running for another 735 yards and 11 scores.

In his sophomore and freshman seasons, Rios combined to throw for 3,355 yards and 31 touchdowns while giving up just six interceptions. He ran for 905 yards and 10 touchdowns across those two seasons, as well.

Reported offers that didn’t make Rios’ cut include Auburn, Arizona State, Nebraska, Michigan State, Kansas, Purdue and Washington.

OSU’s new staff offered Rios on Jan. 28, and he has since been to Stillwater twice. He visited April 7 then returned for his official visit this past weekend. Rios also took an official to Kentucky earlier this month and has other officials scheduled to Utah (June 6), Arizona (June 13) and Colorado (June 20).

The Cowboys are off to a strong start in the 2026 class — one that would be even better with a high-level quarterback. OSU has 11 pledges in the class that currently ranks 19th nationally and fourth in the Big 12, according to 247Sports. If Rios were to commit now, it would bump OSU’s class up to No. 16 nationally — just behind Miami and ahead of Arkansas, Florida State and Oregon.

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The former All-American and OSU sack leader has found a new home. One that is, relatively, not far away.

Emmanuel Ogbah signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

 

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It was part of a busy weekend as teams rushed to fill needs they failed to during the draft. Ogbah comes in as the projected No. 3 edge rusher behind Jaguars Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.

The veteran DE spent the last five years with the Miami Dolphins (just a five or so hour drive south). Ogbah had been released in 2024 after his contract expired, failing to find a fit in the new regime only to be picked back up by Miami. He still racked up five sacks, 11 QB hits and nine tackles for loss this past season.

Ogbah was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft where he spent three seasons. He spent 2019 in Kansas City where he won a Super Bowl ring, but he was sidelined during the Chiefs’ playoff run with an injury.

His first two seasons with the Dolphins (2020-21) were his most productive, logging nine sacks per season and totaling 45 QB hits and 15 tackles for loss. Under the Mike McDaniel regime, his production dropped off to just one sack and one tackle for loss thanks to injury and defensive scheme change in 2022. But he bounced back the past two seasons, combining for 10.5 sacks across 2023 and 2024 to go with 12 tackles for loss and two interceptions.

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Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news.

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OSU Bullets

• The portal gave OSU an ACC starter on the offensive line yesterday but saw a defensive line staple exit (PFB)

• Pokes added a defensive back commitment from DFW yesterday, as well as a quarterback transfer from TU (PFB)

• Solid take here on what’s ahead for Cowboy Football this fall in light of transfer portal changes. 

Virtually the entire two-deep will be made up of new faces this season, but after a 3-9 season, that might not be a bad thing. Mike Gundy and company have been as aggressive as we’ve seen them in the portal this cycle, and several incoming pieces should help right away.

There’s quiet confidence that the Pokes still have a winning formula in the locker room, but with a tough 2025 schedule, it’s going to come down to what kind of production OSU gets at the quarterback position.

[HCS]

• Quotes from NFL squads on the players they’ve added (PFB) 

• Let’s see some of that Boys from Oklahoma money in action: 

Recruiting News: Top-25 prospect Jalen Montonati recently hosted Kansas State for an in-home visit and OKST is scheduled for an in-home tomorrow.

Oklahoma and BYU are also expected to visit Montonati at his school this week.

Kansas State, SMU, Louisville, and OKST completed… pic.twitter.com/MOnk3mu2Zf

— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) April 28, 2025

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Non-OSU Bullets

• Gratitude’s benefits
• I’m a big fan of Todoist

“People are always looking for happiness at some future time and in some new thing, or some new set of circumstances, in possession of which they some day expect to find themselves. But the fact is, if happiness is not found now, where we are, and as we are, there is little chance of it ever being found. There is a great deal more happiness around us day by day than we have the sense or the power to seek and find.”

Thomas Mitchell

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The Cowboys’ defensive line took a hit Monday when news broke that defensive tackle Justin Kirkland hit the portal, but Oklahoma State’s staff is already making moves to try to fill that void.

Two defensive linemen are set to visit Oklahoma State this week. Kentucky transfer Darrion Henry-Young will visit Wednesday, according to 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Houston Christian transfer Zae Smith took to X to announce he’ll be in Stillwater on Friday and Saturday.

Here’s a little bit about each guy.

Darrion Henry-Young

Listed at 6-foot-4, 290 pounds while at Kentucky this past season, Henry-Young was a four-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class, listed as the No. 154 player in the cycle. He started his college career at Ohio State, picking his home state Buckeyes over reported offers from Tennessee, LSU, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame and others.

He played in four games across his two seasons in Columbus, where he recorded one tackle — a sack.

Henry-Young transferred to Kentucky ahead of the 2022 season and took part in five games for the Wildcats that year, recording a sack.

He played in eight games in 2023, finishing with 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry before suffering season-ending knee injury. That injury saw him miss all of 2024, as well.

Zae Smith

A 6-foot-1, 270-pound defensive tackle for La Marque, Texas, Smith had a massive season at FCS Houston Christian in 2024, where he recorded 54 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.

In four seasons with the Huskies, Smith has played in 36 games and compiled 134 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries.

2024 film pic.twitter.com/akvUfYgfzZ

— Zae Smith (@ZaelynSmith) December 3, 2024

Since hitting the portal in December, Smith has announced offers to Cal, Miami (OH), Sam Houston, North Texas, Marshall, Ball State, Hawaii, Louisiana Tech and others.

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Four former Oklahoma State players heard their names called in the NFL Draft this past weekend, which is the most the program has had since 2021.

It started Friday when Nick Martin went 75th overall to the San Francisco 49ers — higher than many had him projected. Collin Oliver was next to go when the Green Bay Packers took him in the fifth. Then came Ollie Gordon, who the Miami Dolphins took in the sixth before the New York Giants took Korie Black in the seventh.

Now that the dust has settled on the NFL Draft, here are some things NFL teams said about their former-Poke selections.

Martin a ‘Run-and-Hit Player’

Two things that aren’t all that surprising to people who have watched Martin play at OSU: He is fast, and he is physical.

When Martin made 140 tackles in 2023, it was the most any OSU player had compiled in a season since 1984. Martin missed much of 2024 with injury, but 49ers general manager John Lynch raved about his third-round pick. Lynch compared Martin to Dre Greenlaw, who left the organization in free agency this past season after making 56 starts over the past six years.

“Nick Martin, he’s the linebacker, he’s a run-and-hit player,” Lynch said. “He fits our style of physicality and playing the game the right way. Two-time captain at Oklahoma State. Just had our type of player all over it.

“Swarms to the football, and you feel him on the field. Not the biggest guy but has long arms. It kind of mimics Dre (Greenlaw) in a lot of ways. That’s high praise, and he’s got a long way to go to show that he can be like that, but that was a guy that was reminiscent of that.”

Packers Like Oliver’s Speed, Versatility

One of the big question marks surrounding Oliver’s NFL future was what position he was going to play.

Oliver spent his first two seasons at OSU as a defensive end before moving back to linebacker, with his size falling somewhere between those positions. It sounds as if that versatility was a plus in the Packers’ eyes as it projects to Oliver’s future.

“I would say he’s a little bit more of a DPR (designated pass rusher) at this standpoint,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “But one thing that I think was pretty evident throughout the course of the season is we needed a little bit more speed and a speed rusher on the edge, and I think that’s exactly what he does. But he’s another guy that has versatility in terms of we feel he can play as an off-the-ball linebacker, as well.”

Packers’ GM Brian Gutekunst also spoke glowingly about Oliver’s speed and his ability to develop into a linebacker.

“We talked a lot about just having guys like that that can chase the quarterback down,” Gutekunst said. “There’s not a lot of guys in our league that win with pure speed on the edge, but there are some guys that have some really good get-offs and quickness. One thing that I’m always concerned about with guys if all they can do is rush the passer and they’re that size, when you have injuries and they gotta play more on first and second down, that can put you in a spot. I think with Collin, with his situation, he can actually stand up and play some linebacker, too. He can play some Sam linebacker. I think that versatility made us comfortable with it.”

Ollie ‘Eager to Prove Himself’

After being named a consensus All-American and winning the Doak Walker for the 2023 season, it felt as if Ollie Gordon was the next big thing when it comes to running backs. But a down 2024 saw Gordon fall to the sixth round before the Dolphins scooped him up.

Gordon ran for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2023 before putting up 880 yards and 13 scores this past season. Dolphins’ coach Mike McDaniel was asked about Gordon’s 2023 tape.

“Saw a lot of really good stuff,” McDaniel said. “It’s not the first time that we’ve come across an evaluation, even at that particular school, where you have someone have a really big year followed by maybe a year that they didn’t anticipate or is underwhelming for them. What’s interesting is really unpacking that. You watch any differences in play, you try to really understand the totality of the environments, but the biggest thing is you try to meet the player, engage with him and see what the experience, how it’s affected him. You’re hoping that it burns a fire inside, and I think it’s pretty evident when we visited with him that he is eager to prove himself.

“I think the ’23 tape was very impressive. Based upon our interactions with him, we feel optimistic that is the version that we’re gonna improve upon moving forward, which will be up to him and what he does with this opportunity.”

Giants Value Black’s Speed, Special Teams Acumen

Korie Black has been a staple on the OSU defense the past five years, where he’s taken part in 62 games and made 38 starts.

Black’s speed started getting some more pub going into this past season, with a bunch of his teammates labeling him as the fastest player on the team. Speed is always good to have, and it sounds like another reason the Giants were high on him was his knack as a special teamer. That speed off the edge saw Black block a handful of field goals in his time as a Cowboy.

“Korie Black — 6-foot, 200 (pounds) and ran 4.3,” Giants GM Joe Schoen said. “Press corner that late in the draft has traits that you look for. Tough kid. He’s also a good tackler. Has special teams value, as well.”

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The Cowboys have added a lot to their defensive front via the portal this offseason, but while the portal giveth, it has now taketh.

Justin Kirkland hit the portal as a grad transfer on Monday, according to reports from On3’s Pete Nakos and 247Sports’ Chris Hummer. Listed at 6-foot-3, 335 pounds, Kirkland played in all 26 of the Cowboys games during the past two seasons, where he recorded 40 tackles, seven tackles for loss and a sack.

“Oklahoma State has truly been one of the biggest blessings in my life,” Kirkland wrote in an X post. “From the moment I arrived in Stillwater, I was welcomed with open arms by the fans, my teammates, and the entire OSU community. …

“This decision was not easy, and it does not change the love and pride I have for Oklahoma State. Cowboy nation, thank you for everything. I will always be proud to say I was a Cowboy, and Stillwater will always feel like home.”

Kirkland joined the Cowboys after spending his freshman season at Utah Tech. That came after Kirkland, who is from West Haven, Utah, went on a religious mission out of high school.

In his first season with the Cowboys in 2023, Kirkland made six starts and finished the year with 22 tackles and three tackles for loss. He made one start this past season and made had 18 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and a sack on the year.

As far as defensive tackles go, Kirkland was a bit of a fan favorite in Stillwater given his size and interesting tidbits like how he played tennis in high school.

It’s not an ideal loss for the Pokes, but OSU’s new staff has done a good job at recruiting along the defensive line in the portal this offseason. Just here recently, the Cowboys added Vanderbilt transfer De’Marion Thomas, a 6-2, 334-pound defensive tackle who started all 13 of the Commodores’ games in 2024. OSU added 6-2, 300-pound Sitiveni Havili Kaufusi from UCLA this offseason after he made three starts from the Bruins this past season. And the Cowboys also landed in the 6-4, 292-pound Michael Diatta from Virginia. Iman Oates is also set to return to Stillwater after starting all 12 of the Cowboys’ games in 2024.

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