Three Bold Predictions for Oklahoma State's 2024 Season
Oklahoma State had one of the most interesting seasons in college football last season, and 2024 could be another big year.
In 2023, the Cowboys rebounded from a rocky start to finish with 10 wins and made a trip to the Big 12 Championship. Over the offseason, almost all of the Cowboys’ starters pledged their return for this season.
As one of the favorites in the Big 12, OSU could have one of the best seasons in the Mike Gundy era. Considering the new-look Big 12 and new College Football Playoff format, the Cowboys have as much upside in 2024 as ever.
Three bold predictions for OSU’s 2024 season:
Ollie Gordon has a 2,000-yard season and is a Heisman finalist
Gordon’s 2023 season finished as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, the Doak Walker Award winner and the nation’s leading rusher. Somehow, he still has room to improve.
After running for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns last season, Gordon will be the superstar going into 2024. While navigating a position battle for the first three games, Gordon had only 109 yards in nonconference play. If he had the same average production in those games as he did in the final 11, Gordon would have finished with 2,065 yards last season.
Brennan Presley becomes OSU’s all-time leader in receptions
Presley enters 2024 with 225 receptions, needing 69 to surpass Rashaun Woods as the program’s leader. Woods’ 293 catches have stood as the record for more than two decades, but Presley is on the verge of becoming the first player to eclipse 300 receptions as a Cowboy.
In 2022, Presley had 67 catches, which would be just shy of the record. However, if he can replicate his 101 receptions from last season, he will run away with the record with ease and perhaps have it stand for even longer than Woods’.
OSU doesn’t lose the turnover battle in any game
One of the most important parts of football is having the football, and the Cowboys could excel in that area this season. Last season, OSU had two fewer turnovers than it had takeaways but lost the turnover battle in four games.
If Alan Bowman can improve on his 14 interceptions from last season as he gets more comfortable in his second season in Stillwater, the Cowboys should have no issues in that area. With so much experience on offense, ball security is something that should come naturally.
Meanwhile, Bryan Nardo’s defensive unit will need to be opportunistic. Considering how well the defense played throughout last season, forcing teams into mistakes could be a calling card, particularly for the veteran players on that side of the ball.
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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.