OSU Football: Cowboys Returning Second-Most Starters in College Football
The current iteration of college athletics as a whole doesn't exactly promote loyalty or consistent rosters. College basketball is currently in the middle of roster turnover all around, just as college football saw in December -- and will see again when the spring window opens.
Fortunately for Oklahoma State, they returned 21 starters from the 2023 college football season. The Cowboys finished the season 10-4 with a Texas Bowl victory over Texas A&M. This was after a 2-2 start to the season with a loss to South Alabama.
Needless to say, the Cowboys figured things out more and more as the season rolled on. Their experience will play a big role in their performance in the upcoming college football season. They're returning the second-most starters among power conference programs in college football.
Cody Nagel of 247Sports broke down the power conference programs with the most returning starters.
"Oklahoma State has not always capitalized on rosters with a large number of returning starters from the previous season. Sometimes the hype is too high for the Cowboys. But after making a late charge to an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game in 2023, the experienced Pokes are built to make another run at their first conference title since 2011. Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon headlines the long list of returning starters for Oklahoma State after a breakout campaign," Nagel wrote.
The most notable returners are on the offenseive side of the ball. Alan Bowman is back for his seventh season of college football, throwing to a dynamic trio of wide receivers. Ollie Gordon is a threat in the backfield -- having proven to be the best at his position in the nation a season ago. The offense all comes together behind a powerful offensive line, too.
Experience and returners are going to pose a big opportunity for Oklahoma State, and there is no limit on what they can accomplish in a new-look Big 12. With 21 starters returning, coaches understand their personnel and how to game plan with them. There is no excuses for the Cowboys in the 2024 college footbal
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Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's On SI in 2022