How Oklahoma State's offensive line created a domino effect that could result in a championship run (2024)

STILLWATER — These days, the transfer portal feels inevitable, especially in college football.

For individuals, it offers a fresh start, but sometimes, the portal can loom over teams to an extent.

“When I first got here, the transfer portal wasn’t as relevant,” Oklahoma State offensive lineman Preston Wilson said. “It was a thing, and people could do it, but there were a lot more precautions like having to sit out, just a lot more things that could come into play with your eligibility. Now it is a little weird knowing that your teammates can just pack up on you and leave.”

Wilson and the rest of the Cowboys proved to be the exception to the rule this offseason. Despite graduation, the NFL Draft and the portal, Oklahoma State returned players responsible for 83% of its starts last season and 100% of its starts on the offensive line.

Even Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy isn’t totally sure how the Cowboys remained so intact this offseason.

“It is hard to tell nowadays, rhyme or reason for why things, young men come back or stay,” Gundy said. “I will say traditionally the group of offensive linemen, those guys kind of do things together, and we have a large number of … sixth, seventh-year guys and they decided they all wanted to come back and be together, and I think some of them followed.

“I think there can be a domino effect at the end of December and at the end of spring portal based on whether it goes for you or against you.”

Center Joe Michalski wasn’t there when Gundy said that, but you wouldn’t know that hearing him describe the offensive line’s decision to run it back in 2024.

“It was like a domino thing,” Michalski said. “It wasn’t like we sat down and talked about it at the end of the year. Everyone was like, ‘why not?’”

When asked why he came back, the Oklahoma State center spoke of enjoying a culture and a life in Stillwater that was tough to leave. There’s also what Michalski refers to as his “ultimate goal” of playing professionally.

“I like college football,” he said. “I mean, not a lot of people get to do it as long as I do. So, I’m very appreciative of that fact. I have higher aspirations and goals, and I feel like this year might help me reach those goals in the future.”

Wilson didn’t mention a specific reason why he chose to return for a sixth season of college football, but he might have smiled more than any other player who spoke to reporters during the spring.

“It is really fun,” Wilson said. “The guys are having a lot of fun because we are going into spring knowing everything. We have all the guys with the experience. It is more fun when things are flowing together, and things are piecing together early before the season even starts.”

Experience doesn’t begin to do Oklahoma State’s line justice.

All of Oklahoma State’s offensive linemen combined have 215 FBS starts and 331 game appearances between them. In 2023, Florida State’s offensive line led the nation with 214 FBS starts and 307 games played.

Six of the seven returning offensive linemen who started at least three games for the Cowboys last season have been involved with college football since 2019.

As the only fifth-year player out of the bunch, Jason Brooks is the odd man out. He and Dalton Cooper are the only returning linemen relatively new to Stillwater. They arrived in 2022 and 2023, respectively, while Wilson, Michalski, Jake Springfield, Cole Birmingham and Taylor Miterko have all proudly worn orange since 2019.

“It’s a special thing to be able to play this game with the same group of guys,” Michalski said. “Not a lot of people get to play for more than two years with the same people. We’ve been here for six years, so it just makes sense.”

If possible, Wilson believes the trust among the linemen got even stronger this offseason as all seven starters last season made good on promises to return. Wilson credited that bond with a more productive spring than past seasons.

Oklahoma State’s offensive linemen weren’t pleased with how they started last fall, but they believe what they accomplished this spring could be key to success in the opening weeks of next season.

“It should give us an edge to start faster than everybody else,” Michalski said. “Since we are not cycling in a bunch of new guys and trying to teach them the plays. … Doesn’t matter unless we do it. So, we got to know what we have and the opportunity we have, but we still got to seize it.”

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