A Cowboy ultimately entered the transfer portal just days before it was scheduled to close.
Donovan Stephens reportedly made his portal debut on Monday, as reported by McClain Baxley of 247Sports. Stephens then used X to personally validate the news. Stephens, a redshirt junior linebacker from Del City, finished the previous season with 10 tackles, including two tackles for loss and a half sack. Wednesday is the portal’s closure day.
Stephens was a three-star recruit when he arrived to OSU. In the 2021 recruiting class, he was ranked No. 808 by 247Sports Composite. He turned down offers from Texas Tech, Boise State, Baylor, Hawaii, and other schools in favor of OSU.
After serving as a redshirt in 2021, he participated in all 13 Cowboys games in 2022, mostly as a special team member.
In 2023, Stephens participated in ten games, with four of them stops coming in the Big 12 championship matchup with Texas. Against Central Arkansas, he recorded a half-sack. He was involved in a half tackle for loss against Arizona State and a tackle for loss against UCF.
With 140 tackles in the previous season, Nick Martin enjoyed a breakthrough campaign for OSU at linebacker. Stephens and Martin came from the same recruiting class. As it is, the Cowboys appear to have a deep position group. Although Collin Oliver is labeled as a linebacker, in 2024 he might find himself closer to the line of scrimmage. Justin Wright, who moved from Tulsa and missed the majority of the previous campaign due to injury, is also a member of the group.
In addition, linebackers Jeff Roberson, Gabe Brown, and Poasa Utu have had glimpses in their early careers. Additionally, OSU coach Mike Gundy stated in the spring that safety Kendal Daniels may spend some time nearer the line of scrimmage in 2024.
Being the first player from OSU to reach the portal during this window is quite an accomplishment for the team, especially considering the current state of collegiate athletics.