Brennan Presley, Korie Black among Oklahoma State football players facing key decisions

STILLWATER — Decision season has arrived in college football, and Oklahoma State knows from recent experience just how impactful the month of December can be.

So far, transfer portal movement is glacially slow at OSU, especially compared to a year ago, when departure after departure was announced in the early days of the portal window.

As of Tuesday afternoon, only two scholarship players had announced intentions to enter the portal, with junior cornerback Lardarius Webb and true freshman defensive lineman Ricky Lolohea.

Bigger departures seem likely to come, but predicting the names is a fool's errand.

Expect the unexpected.

OSU coach Mike Gundy said on Monday he anticipates having a “large, large majority” of his current team available for the Texas Bowl, when the 20th-ranked Cowboys face Texas A&M at 8 p.m. Dec. 27 at NRG Stadium in Houston.

More: Which Oklahoma State football players have entered the transfer portal? Here's the list

Of course, from an outside perspective, breakout star running back Ollie Gordon II is a player a lot of more lucrative programs would like to poach, and the Cowboy coaches know they can’t be blind to that fact.

“Of course, now, you’re worried about him,” offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn said after Saturday’s loss in the Big 12 Championship Game. “The kid loves it here and he’s killing it. And he has done everything for us and knows he’s gonna get the ball again next year.

“Everything points in the direction of the Cowboys. But… there’s a price for everything, I suppose.”

Regarding the offensive players in whole, Dunn said he planned to be in his office early this week for any player interested in discussing his situation.

“I’m gonna be around and available, for sure,” he said. “Just try to be there for those kids.

And while portal movement is a virtual certainty, the bigger looming decisions for OSU will come within the senior class.

The Cowboys honored 28 players on Senior Day a couple weeks ago, and 16 of them have another year of eligibility remaining, granted by the NCAA after the COVID-impacted 2020 season.

Players like Brennan Presley and Korie Black filled major roles this season, and both could return for another year if they so choose.

The majority of the starting offensive line can return for a sixth season. Same for a few defensive linemen and starting safety Trey Rucker.

Gundy anticipates knowing those decisions by the start of classes in January, while those debating a jump to the NFL have until Jan. 16 to enter their name.

Black would be among OSU’s top NFL Draft prospects should he choose to go, but he also has a starting job locked down after a strong senior season in Stillwater.

More: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M in 2023 Texas Bowl: Score prediction, scouting report

Presley is an even more intriguing case.

The 5-foot-8, 175-pound slot receiver is having his best season as a Cowboy, with 839 yards and six touchdowns on 85 receptions, all personal bests.

For some reference, in Presley’s first three seasons, he had three games of at least 90 receiving yards. He had four such games over the last five weeks.

He’s small by NFL standards, but offers versatility because of his good hands and return skills.

Having a few weeks to work with, Presley won’t rush his decision.

“Just talking to my family and seeing what happens,” he said. “I’m just more conscious about being around my guys right now and having fun. (Gundy) gave us a week off, so that’s great. Just getting back for the bowl game and having fun with the guys. Just trying to be in the moment right now.”

Here’s a look back at what we learned from the Cowboys’ Big 12 title game defeat:

More: Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy says Texas A&M uncertainty 'very unusual' for Texas Bowl prep

Top 5 players of the week

Receiver Rashod Owens: He came into the game with one touchdown catch all season but added two more, plus 85 yards on four catches. After hardly playing the first four games, Owens had six games of 65 yards or more in the final nine weeks.

Receiver Brennan Presley: Targeted 15 times, he pulled in nine receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown, his third straight game with at least 90 yards.

Nose tackle Justin Kirkland: Aside from one big run by Texas, the Cowboys defended the run game well on a day when not much went smoothly for OSU. And Kirkland was a big part of that, posting a season-high five tackles.

Linebacker Nick Martin: Another double-digit tackle effort, with 13, plus his second interception of the year. The pick came at a time when OSU could’ve still gotten itself back into the game.

Quarterback Alan Bowman: With the run game stuffed and little offensive momentum to speak of, Bowman’s play was solid. He completed 22 of 38 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns, his lone interception coming on an underthrown deep ball.

More: Which players are committed to Oklahoma State football in the 2024 recruiting class?

Top 5 players of the season

Running back Ollie Gordon II: Even without much to do in the run game on Saturday, Gordon maintained his lead on the NCAA rushing title with 1,614 yards, and he added some receiving yardage, too, finishing with 88 yards from scrimmage. That puts him second nationally in all-purpose yards (first in Power Five) with 1,940.

Linebacker Nick Martin: Now with 133 tackles for the year, Martin tied the most tackles by an OSU player in one season since 1986. He’s one short of joining the program’s overall top 10 list. Seven more tackles in the bowl game will move Martin to the No. 6 spot, currently held by John Little from 1968.

Receiver Brennan Presley: His final five weeks of the season totaled 521 yards on 46 catches, nearly matching the numbers of his entire sophomore season.

Quarterback Alan Bowman: While the offense lost its edge over the final few weeks of the season, that wasn’t all on Bowman. He completed 62.6% of his passes for 1,478 yards over the final five games. His biggest negative was the seven interceptions thrown in that span.

Linebacker Collin Oliver: His season included some moments when you could tell it was his first season playing in space the way a true linebacker is asked to do. But overall, he was regularly in the right spot and his pass-rush skills continued to shine.

More: Why Mike Gundy is 'proud' of Oklahoma State after loss to Texas in Big 12 championship

Redshirt tracker

With the current NCAA rule allowing redshirting players to participate in postseason games without it counting against the four-game limit, OSU’s redshirting players are set.

Five redshirt-eligible players surpassed the four-game mark during the regular season, nullifying their redshirts, and 13 others played in games without breaking the barrier.

Freshman safety Kam Franklin played in the Big 12 Championship Game on Saturday, which was his fifth game of the season, but it doesn’t count against the four-game total.

Here’s the redshirt tracker after 13 games:

Not eligible to redshirt: Longsnapper Shea Freibaum (Fr.), receiver Leon Johnson III (Sr.), punter Hudson Kaak (Fr.), nose tackle Justin Kirkland (So.), safety Dylan Smith (Fr.).

Played but eligible to redshirt: Receiver Tykie Andrews (Fr.), offensive lineman Jack Endean (Fr.), safety Kam Franklin (Fr.), cornerback Kenneth Harris (Sr.), receiver Camron Heard (Fr.), cornerback R.J. Lester (Fr.), linebacker Andrew McCall (Fr.), receiver Jalen Pope (Fr.), offensive lineman JaKobe Sanders (Fr.), receiver De’Zhaun Stribling (Jr.), linebacker Poasa Utu (Fr.), running back Sesi Vailahi (Fr.), safety Lardarius Webb Jr. (Jr.).

Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached atswright@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at@ScottWrightOK. Sign up forthe Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasinga digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.

Texas Bowl

No. 20 Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M

KICKOFF: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27 at NRG Stadium in Houston (ESPN)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Brennan Presley, Korie Black among OSU players facing key decisions