Brennan Presley Leaving a Lasting Legacy at Oklahoma State
The Cowboys will honor their seniors on Saturday, and one stands out above the rest.
Throughout the past five seasons, Brennan Presley has been a staple of Oklahoma State football. The wide receiver out of Bixby has been among the best in the country in his career and even climbed to the top of OSU’s career receptions list this season.
In five seasons, Presley has played in 62 games and caught 297 passes for 3,218 yards and 23 touchdowns. From Spencer Sanders to Shane Illingworth to Alan Bowman, Presley has been a reliable target for every OSU quarterback in that time.
Presley’s work ethic has never been questioned during his time in Stillwater, and OSU coach Mike Gundy has even struggled to get him to take a break. The senior star has led by example throughout his career, and it holds as true as ever, even in a 3-7 season.
"We use him as an example a lot,” Gundy said. “I think I shared with you guys that I've been trying to hold him out of practices the last month, and he'll come in a visit with me individually about wanting to practice. I've worked to convince him that his body needs a rest, and he refuses to take a break. He just continues to compete, and that's really a great role model for the younger players.”
Presley’s competitive fire has fueled some of the most memorable moments for OSU over the past few years. Along with being among the best receivers in the country, Presley has been an electric returner.
His 100-yard kickoff return against Oklahoma in 2021 was an instant classic in the Cowboys’ Bedlam win. With 5,045 all-purpose yards, Presley’s impact on the field has been among the greatest in school history.
Still, despite what Presley has accomplished in games, his experience in Stillwater comes down to the people around him. While there have been so many big moments on the field, all of those start with what happens away from the game.
"I've made a lot of friends, a lot of relationships here that'll last me a long time,” Presley said. “Guys that have left that I still talk to, guys that are here I still talk to, and even when we leave, I'll still talk to them. Even guys that are going to be here after I leave that I'll probably still talk to. I think that's the biggest thing."
On and off the field, Presley has been one of the most important pieces of Cowboy football in the 2020s. 2025 will be the first season without him in half a decade, and the program will never find another Brennan Presley.
“I'm just very proud of the time here, sad that it's coming to an end,” Presley said.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.