The Cowboys’ Big 12 season didn’t end like they wanted but several of them were honored for their efforts by the league’s coaches.

Kendal Daniels earned Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year and Jason Taylor II was named an all-conference first-team selection while five Cowboys were named to the second team and 10 were given honorable mentions.

Taylor’s six interceptions are tied for most in the FBS currently and lead the Big 12. The redshirt senior also tied for the league lead in passes defended with 13, has seven pass breakups and two tackles for loss. And he leads the league and is tied for second nationally in solo tackles. Taylor was also an honorable mention for Defensive Player of the Year.

Daniels, a redshirt freshman who played in all 12 games, was a no-brainer for Defensive Freshman of the Year, leading all Big 12 freshmen in interceptions (three), tackles (69), solo tackles (43), passes defended (six) and tackles for loss (5.5). He also earned all-conference second-team honors.

Joining Daniels on the Big 12 second team are kicker Tanner Brown, linebacker Mason Cobb and defensive linemen Brock Markin and Collin Oliver. Oliver was last year’s Defensive Freshman of the Year.

First Team All-Big 12 Cowboys
Jason Taylor II – Safety

Second Team All-Big 12 Cowboys
Tanner Brown – Kicker
Mason Cobb – Linebacker
Kendal Daniels – Safety
Brock Martin – Defensive Line
Collin Oliver – Defensive Line

Honorable Mention All-Big 12 Cowboys
Tanner Brown – Special Teams Player of the Year
Tyler Lacy – Defensive Line
Jabar Muhammad – Defensive Back
Jaden Nixon – Returner, Offensive Freshman of the Year
Brennan Presley – Wide Receiver
Spencer Sanders – Quarterback
Jake Schultz – Fullback
Jake Springfield – Offensive Line
Jason Taylor II – Defensive Player of the Year
Hunter Woodard – Offensive Line

It didn’t take long for the Cowboys’ staff to extend an offer to Tulsa’s leading tackler.

Within two hours of Justin Wright announcing he would enter the transfer portal, the linebacker tweeted that he has received an offer from Oklahoma State. Wright led the Golden Hurricane with 101 total tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss this season.

In 39 games with Tulsa across the past five seasons, Wright had 254 total tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.

Originally out of Abilene, Texas, Wright was a two-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class. He chose Tulsa over offers from Texas State, Nevada, UL-Monroe and UTEP and went on to star for the Golden Hurricane.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 244 pounds, Wright was named an All-Conference Second Team selection this season as Tulsa went 5-7.

The Cowboys have one committed linebacker in its 2023 high school class in Kennedale, Texas standout Poasa Utu.

Carson Cunningham and Colby Powell briefly discuss the loss to West Virginia and focus on the futures of Kasey Dunn, Mike Gundy and the football program.

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The Cowboys struggled to control the line of scrimmage late this season — one possible solution is to work smarter.

Oklahoma State offered a pair of Ivy League transfers this week in Yale offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo and Dartmouth defensive lineman Shane Cokes. Gargiulo has named an All-Ivy League first teamer last week while Cokes was named to the All-Ivy second team.

Nick Gargiulo

Gargiulo’s offer was first reported by Rivals’ Richard Schnyderite. Listed at 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, Gargiulo began starting games for the Bulldogs in 2019, primarily playing left tackle.

Yale won the Ivy League this season averaging 31 points and 412.5 yards of total offense a game.

A New York native, Gargiulo also has transfer offers from Syracuse, Boston College and Rutgers, according to Schnyderite.

Shane Cokes

Listed at 6-3, 275 pounds, Cokes had 53 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, a pass breakup and a forced fumble this season for Dartmouth.

That came after an impressive 2021 season that saw him record 32 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and four sacks as a junior.

Since announcing his intention to transfer Nov. 22, Cokes has already posted offers UConn, Wake Forest, Purdue, UMass, Coastal Carolina, Washington State, West Virginia and now Oklahoma State.

STILLWATER — For much of the early part of this season, Moussa Cisse, Kalib Boone and Tyreek Smith have been able to bully teams in the paint, but against the best team the Cowboys will have played to this point, the Pokes’ frontcourt will face its biggest test thus far.

Oklahoma State plays No. 8 UConn at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. There won’t be a ton of teams able to compete with the size of the Cowboys, but UConn might. Each team primarily uses three big men. OSU’s three average out to 6-foot-10, 210 pounds. UConn’s three average out to 6-10, 240 pounds.

Adama Sanogo leads the Huskies frontcourt, and while he might not be as tall as Moussa Cisse, Sanogo won’t be easily moved off the block at 6-foot-9, 245 pounds. And even if you do get Sanogo on the perimeter, isn’t as simple as leaving him out there, as he is 7-for-14 from 3-point range this season while averaging 18.5 points and seven rebounds a game. Through Tuesday’s games, Sanogo ranks ninth in KenPom’s national player of the year standings.

If that name sounds familiar, it’s because at one point the Cowboys were thought to have a shot at Sanogo. Sanogo had the Pokes in his Top 10 way back when before he ended up at UConn.

“I recruited Adama myself for a while,” Boynton said. “I might’ve been right on that one. You either get them or you don’t in recruiting. Being close, we’ve been close on a few. It doesn’t really matter when you’re close.”

Alex Karaban is the Huskies’ other starting big. A 6-8, 210-pound redshirt freshman, Karaban is averaging 10.4 points a game this season while shooting 40% from 3.

The game will likely start out with Cisse matched with Sanogo and Boone on Karaban.

Cisse is averaging a double-double this season and has four double-doubles in seven games this year. For what it’s worth, Sanogo has only one double-double this year — a 27-point, 15-rebound performance against Boston. Sanogo has scored in the 20s four times this season; Cisse’s season-high is 14.

“I feel like we’re prepared for it,” Cisse said. “It’s not gonna be easy, but it’s not gonna be hard because we have confidence in ourselves. They’re a good team. They’ve got good players. We’ve got a good team. We’ve got good players, too. So, we’re gonna compete.”

The bench matchup will also be interesting between Tyreek Smith and Donovan Clingan. At 6-9, 217 pounds, Smith is known for his power, but Clingan is an absolute unit at 7-2, 265. Clingan is more of a traditional big — he isn’t going to shoot a ton of 3s and is making only 56% of his free throws. But, you just can’t teach that kind of size.

Sanogo and Clingan haven’t shared the court a ton this season, but the matchups could be even more interesting if they do Thursday.

This game will be a good measuring stick for OSU in a lot of ways, but it starts down low.

“That’s why we recruit like we recruit — we expect to play against teams like this,” Boynton said. “I’m excited to see them in this challenge to play against guys who they gotta really work. Those guys have done a really good job of really dominating the glass on both ends, and it won’t be as easy.”

After stumbling a bit in the early part of the season, the Cowboys have picked things up as of late, but Thursday provides Oklahoma State with its biggest test of the young season.

The Cowboys head to Connecticut for a battle against No. 8 UConn as part of the Big 12-Big East Battle. Here is a breakdown of the matchup.

Viewing Info

Time: 5:30 p.m. CT Thursday
Location: Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut
Watch: FS1 (Kevin Kugler and Bill Raftery)

Team Stats

Projected Starters

Series History (OSU leads 2-0)

This will be the third meeting between these teams but the first held at one of their campuses.

The Cowboys and Huskies got together in the first round of the Maui Invitational in 2016, an 98-90 win for the Pokes. Jawun Evans (one of the most underrated players in OSU’s history) scored 35 points that day. He had six assists to only one turnover while getting help from Phil Forte and Jeffrey Carroll, who had 18 points apiece.

The teams’ other meeting came in the Bayou Classic of 1970, an 80-64 win for OSU in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Boynton Previews UConn

The Cowboys are in need of some experience and depth along their offensive line, and OSU’s coaching staff has been taking steps to try and fill that need.

OSU recently offered Florida transfer Joshua Braun, a guard who started several games for the Gators. Now they’ve made the cut for a highly ranked interior lineman from the junior college ranks.

OSU made the Top 12 for Keyshawn Blackstock, a four-star prospect and the top-ranked junior college interior offensive lineman in the country, according to 247 Sports.

When OSU offered Blackstock in September he was unranked, but his offer sheet included the likes of Auburn, Kansas and Fresno State. That offer sheet has since exploded, as has his star ranking.

Blackstock now boasts 45 (!!) offers with more than 20 of them being from Power Five schools. The Cowboys have made the latest cut, but they’re still fighting against the following schools for his services: Oklahoma, Illinois, Florida State, Michigan State, Tennessee, TCU, Auburn, Oregon, Penn State, Houston and South Carolina.

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Georgia native is listed as an interior lineman by recruiting services, but he played in multiple spots including left tackle for Coffeyville Community College (Kansas). He is currently the No. 1 JUCO interior lineman in the 2023 class, the No. 2 player out of Georgia and the No. 6 overall junior college prospect.

OSU has 11 commitments for the 2023 class including three offensive linemen: Jack Endean, JaKobe Sanders and Gage Stanaland. But if the Cowboys were to land Blackstock, he could be an instant contributor on an offensive line that has struggled with depth and health over the last couple of seasons.

STILLWATER — The Oklahoma State basketball team travels to the northeast this weekend for a game against No. 8 UConn as part of the Big 12-Big East Battle. Mike Boynton, Moussa Cisse and Avery Anderson met with reporters after the team’s Tuesday practice to preview the trip.

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

OSU Bullets

• OSU is investing $55M into their football stadium, largely for fan experience upgrades

• Five guys OSU would love to keep their hands on and out of the portal – I’ll hear arguments for Jason Brooks over Etienne

• Looking forward to Cowboy Basketball’s game tomorrow against a blue blood – Cowboys are headed to Storrs, CT for a 5:30pm tipoff

• You’re too late, Matt Rhule – OSU is bringing in Nebraska’s player of the year next season

• Jason Taylor wasn’t named a finalist for the Thorpe Award (booooo) but Matt Hembrough was named a finalist for the long snapper of the year

• Somebody like this would be a great idea to compete with Garrett Rangel for the starting job – I’d take a long look at Tulsa’s Davis Brin as well:

Non-OSU Bullets

• US advanced to the Knockout Rounds of the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Iran
• Fun story – a grandma and teen have been doing Thanksgiving together for years after an accidental invite

Dogs are the best.