OSU Football: Replacing Receiver Talent Provides Opportunities for Next Season
Oklahoma State is without some of its best receivers from last season, but the team is well-equipped to make up for it.
Last season, OSU’s offense was headlined early by a three-man quarterback battle. Eventually, Alan Bowman won the contest and helped OSU to a 10-win season that included a Big 12 Championship appearance.
Although Bowman got into a groove alongside Ollie Gordon in the backfield, without the Cowboys’ receiving core, Bowman’s success would have been minimal. Stars such as Brennan Presley are set to return next season, but some of the Cowboys’ most important receivers are no longer in Stillwater.
Among those players is Leon Johnson III, who forfeited his redshirt and remaining eligibility to give OSU a boost in the middle of the season. Johnson played in 10 games throughout the season, including the team’s final eight games.
Although his season-high 149-yard performance came against Cincinnati on homecoming, Johnson’s biggest game came in the Cowboys’ regular-season finale against BYU. With nine catches for 132 yards, Johnson helped the Cowboys complete an 18-point comeback to clinch a spot in the Big 12 Championship.
Johnson made the move from George Fox to OSU for just one season, but another Cowboy left Stillwater this offseason to continue his career elsewhere. After spending three seasons with OSU, Jaden Bray entered the transfer portal and will play next season at West Virginia.
After a successful freshman season where he accumulated 250 yards and two touchdowns, Bray played only three games due to injury in 2022. But he came back to make a significant impact for the Cowboys in 2023.
Playing 10 games last season, Bray finished with at least 40 yards in six matchups, including a 77-yard outing against Kansas State.
Although OSU is losing two of its top four receivers from last season, the return from injury of De’Zhaun Stribling could aid the Cowboys’ losses. Of course, with the Cowboys’ two leading receivers, Presley and Rashod Owens, back next season, their load will again be high.
Although some of the Cowboys’ top guys will return to aid the departures, it also leaves room for growth for other receivers, such as Talyn Shettron. OSU’s receiver room will miss some of their significant contributors from last season, but it’s hard not to be optimistic about the production returning for next season.
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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.