Oklahoma State Football Injury Tracker: Every Injury Update from Camp and What it Means
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys are gearing up for the 2026 football season and have 25 practices planned before their season opener against Tulsa on Sept. 5.
More than 100 players are in Stillwater working under first-year head coach Eric Morris, who was hired to replace the legendary Mike Gundy in the offseason.
Morris led North Texas to an American Conference championship game appearance and went 11-2 before he took the Cowboys job. He's flipped the roster almost completely. He's brought in nearly 90 new transfers, including almost 20 from his former school. Thirteen returning letterwinners are back and a solid freshman class has also joined him at OSU.
With workouts underway check here constantly for injury updates on the Cowboys and what they mean going into the 2026 season.
Aug. 8
Morris Striking Balance With OL's Recovery
During his media day interview, head coach Eric Morris provided one notable injury update on offenisve lineman Braydon Nelson, who was one of three North Texas transfers up front.
Nelson missed time with a knee injury and is still working his way back. Morris said they're trying strike a balanced tone with Nelson's recovery, noting that the elimination of redshirt rules (the new age-based five-for-five eligibility rule) means the Cowboys aren't forced into trying to make a decision with him too soon.
"It's on a timeline that we're staying super aggressive with," Morris said. "Like there's still a chance he could play in the first couple games. And then, realizing too, it's not a thing that we're gonna push on on Braden either."
What it Means: Most outside preview publications have tagged Nelson as the starting left tackle. This would seem to put the competition in play and it makes the Cowboys' first scrimmage an important benchmark to see if Nelson plays or not. The first scrimmage is set for Aug. 15, with the other scrimmage set for Aug. 22.
Aug. 5
Two Injured Players Return for Workouts
Eric Morris didn’t report any new injuries to the media during his first press conference after the initial workout, but he did talk about two players that missed time in the spring and summer due to injury that were back on the field.
Defensive end Malik Charles, who had three sacks as a junior for OSU last season, was back on the field on Wednesday. Charles suffered a scary neck injury during the Kansas game last season. He was not available during the spring.
“He’s big enough to be a presence on the end, and athletic enough to do that,” Morris said. “And then you know, in certain packages, we can move him down and get him matched up on guards as a three technique.”
The 6-3, 284-pound end is a redshirt senior and preparing for his last year of college football after stops at Western New Mexico, Northern Arizona and West Georgia.
The other was offensive lineman Ashton Lepo, who transferred in this season from Michigan State. The 6-7, 320-pound lineman played four seasons with the Spartans and was a full-time starter at right tackle in 2024. His recovery allowed him to work individually this spring but not with the team.
“You knew the skill is there,” Morris said. “He's a little out of shape today. You know, we got to get him in playing shape.”
What Does it Mean: Charles is a player that Morris sees as a rotational player both inside and outside. A quicker twitch player inside would help on passing down and he could rotate with Jaleel Johnson and James Williams on the edge. Lepo should compete for the starting right tackle job, where he has the most experience. Once he’s in shape, the battle will be between him and Joseph Hanson.
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Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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