Oklahoma State’s Stealthy Watch List Honoree Can be ‘Fast Twitch’ Star for Cowboys

This Oklahoma State Cowboys skill player is on an award watch list just days after Eric Morris praised him during workouts. Here’s why.

Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

College football is in its second week of the release of national award watch lists and thus far the Oklahoma State Cowboys haven't gotten that much love.

As one might expect, quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins were named to the Maxwell Award watch list, which is given to the nation's best overall college football player. But the rest of the week went by with the Cowboys receiving little attention.

Well, it was a new week on Monday, and the Cowboys have another watch list player and it’s one that wasn’t necessarily expected. Wide receiver Miles Coleman was added to the Paul Hornung Award watch list, which is named for the former Notre Dame and Green Bay Packers legend. The award is given to the nation’s most versatile player.

It’s a boost for Coleman and a nod to how the Cowboys might use him this year.

Eric Morris on Miles Coleman

Oklahoma State’s Miles Coleman. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Head coach Eric Morris said that Coleman had as good a summer of development as any player on his roster. He should know — he’s coached Coleman for three seasons. He’s aware of what his receiver can do and how good a 1-2 punch he was with Wyatt Young last year at North Texas.

“Those two guys [can] kind of be a one-two punch,” Morris said. “Different bodies out there. Wyatt’s a bigger, stronger guy, and Miles is a smaller, twitchy, fast guy. I think I will be able to really use that combo really well.”

Coleman — who played at the same high school as Mestemaker, Vandergrift in Austin, Texas — showed off that versatility last season with the North Texas Mean Green, where he played alongside Mestemaker and played under Morris.

He caught 47 passes for 550 yards and three touchdowns as a wide receiver and earned six starts at the position. He was the Mean Green’s primary punt returner. He returned 10 punts for a total of 42 yards.

That was a flip from his freshman season in 2024 when he returned more kickoffs than punts. He returned eight kickoffs for 172 yards, an average of 21.5 yards per return. He also caught 36 passes for 378 yards and two touchdowns.

He enters his third collegiate season with 928 receiving yards, 26 rushing yards, 38 punt return yards and 188 kickoff return yards.

There is potential for Morris and his staff to deploy Coleman in similar situations in 2026. Even with a pecking order of Young, Chris Barnes and Justin Bowick at wide receiver, Coleman figures to get second-team reps regularly and be on the field in sets with four wide receivers.

As a 5-6 slot receiver, he's going to get specific routes and plays that should allow him to utilize his speed. Additionally, he and Barnes — the latter of which was a third-team All-ACC selection and return man last season — can share duties on kickoffs and punts and make things difficult for opposing special teams.

Coleman made the list because of his body of work the past two years. He's dangerous because he could take it up a notch in 2026. At least that's what Morris is counting on.