Which Oklahoma State football seniors can return in 2024 due to COVID eligibility rule?

STILLWATER — While Oklahoma State hopes to have two more games after Saturday, this marks the final game at Boone Pickens Stadium for several Cowboys.

OSU plays host to BYU at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, with the annual senior day celebration set to take place beforehand.

Twenty-eight players will be recognized as part of the festivities, though several of them have a year of eligibility remaining — should they choose to use it — based on their participation during the COVID-impacted 2020 season.

Seventeen of the players set to be honored have an extra year available, though their decisions to play next season are not expected to be made until December or January.

And a couple others could petition the NCAA for a medical hardship waiver granting them a seventh year of eligibility.

Here’s a look at the players expected to be recognized Saturday:

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No remaining eligibility

Xavier Benson, linebacker: Having started all 24 games of his two-year OSU career to this point, Benson has 126 tackles with 11 for loss during his time as a Cowboy. Including his redshirt freshman season at Texas Tech, he’s closing in on 200 career tackles.

Alan Bowman, quarterback: After three years at Texas Tech and two at Michigan, Bowman settled in at OSU for his sixth season and has been strong as the starting quarterback, throwing for more than 2,400 yards and completing nearly 60% of his passes. Bowman could consider applying for a medical hardship waiver, based on his 2019 season when he broke his collarbone three games into the season.

Braden Cassity, fullback: Recruited as a defensive end, Cassity found his home on the offensive side of the ball as a tight end and fullback. He has 12 receptions for 123 yards, but has been far more impactful as a blocker and special teams player, appearing in 58 career games to this point.

Elijah Collins, running back: The Michigan State transfer has battled injuries recently, but has been a beneficial addition to the running back room. He has 142 yards and two touchdowns this season, bringing his career total to 1,648 with 13 scores.

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Ian Edenfield, tight end: The Division II transfer succeeded in making the jump to Power Five football, having played in 10 games this season as a blocking tight end.

Anthony Goodlow, defensive end: The Del City native who transferred from Tulsa has been a big addition in his lone OSU season, totaling 35 tackles with 4.5 for loss and two sacks. He has started or entered early in all 11 games so far. For his career, he has 25 tackles for loss and 14 sacks.

Alex Hale, placekicker: The Australian enters his final regular season game leading the nation with 24 made field goals, having earned a semifinalist spot for the Lou Groza Award. He was also a semifinalist for the award in 2020, ultimately tearing his ACL after going 13-for-14 in field goal attempts. For his career, he is 40-of-50 with a long of 53 yards.

Josiah Johnson, tight end: A quarterback who converted to tight end while at UMass, Johnson has been a heavily used piece in the OSU offense this season. He has 146 yards and a touchdown on 19 receptions, while also playing a key role as a blocker.

Leon Johnson III, receiver: A heartwarming story after transferring from Division III George Fox University, the 6-foot-5, 217-pound Johnson looked likely to redshirt this season until injuries forced him into the lineup. Making his first start and catching his first pass in the final week of October, Johnson has surged into the No. 4 spot on the team’s receiving yardage list for the season with 314 yards and a touchdown on 18 catches.

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Nathan Latu, defensive end: A junior-college transfer from Snow College in Utah, Latu gradually worked his way into more and more playing time over his three years at OSU, earning a regular starting spot this year. He has 38 tackles with 9.5 for loss and 6.0 sacks in his Cowboy career.

Justin Wright, linebacker: The Tulsa transfer was injured early in the season, appearing in two games. He has said he will apply for an NCAA medical hardship waiver in hopes of being granted a seventh year of eligibility.

Zeke Zaragoza, long snapper: The junior-college transfer waited his turn and has been successful as the snapper for field goals and point-after tries this season.

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Additional eligibility available

Cole Birmingham, offensive lineman: A key starter this season and on the 2021 team that went 12-2, Birmingham has overcome injury issues to remain an important piece of the Cowboy offensive line. He told the media earlier this week he is likely to return for a super-senior season.

Korie Black, cornerback: Black was a special teams contributor his first two years then stepped into a starting role last year and never gave it up. For his career, he has 62 tackles with one interception and 11 pass breakups.

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Collin Clay, nose tackle: A product of Putnam City High School, Clay came to OSU after a strong freshman season at Arkansas. He has battled significant injuries, but has been a regular starter or rotational player the last two years. He has 41 tackles with 5.0 for loss and six quarterback hurries.

Dalton Cooper, offensive lineman: A Prague native who transferred from Texas State in the offseason, Cooper has been critical to the offense’s success with his play at left tackle after moving there in the third game of the season.

Kenneth Harris, cornerback: A transfer from Arkansas State, where he had three successful seasons, Harris has played in just four games this season and could return as a redshirt senior next year, while also still having an additional year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic-impacted season of 2020.

Isreal Isuman-Hundley, defensive end: Though his in-game appearances have been limited, Isuman-Hundley has been a valuable part of the program over the last five seasons.

Joe Michalski, offensive lineman: With 20 career starts, mostly at center, Michalski’s importance has consistently grown in significance over the past few years. He has appeared in 44 games over his career.

Taylor Miterko, offensive lineman: Another of the six offensive linemen who are redshirt seniors, Miterko has held a variety of roles in his career. He has started, come off the bench and been a special teams contributor in his 33 career games.

Brennan Presley, receiver: The slot receiver from Bixby is in OSU’s all-time top 10 for career receiving yards, receptions, kickoff return yards and yards per return. He could return next year, but either way, Presley’s legacy among the great Cowboy receivers is solidified.

Xavier Ross, defensive end: Previously a defensive tackle, Ross moved to end when the Cowboys switched to the 3-3-5 defense and has been a strong contributor. He has eight tackles with three for loss and got the first sack of his career earlier this year.

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Trey Rucker, safety: A transfer from Wake Forest who walked on and earned a scholarship, Rucker has had at least eight tackles in each of the last seven games this season, his first as a starter. For his career — which includes two years at Wake and three at OSU, he has 178 tackles and four interceptions.

Jake Schultz, fullback: A walk-on from Prague who has played multiple positions on both sides of the ball, Schultz settled in as a blocker at tight end and fullback over the last couple years. He has also been a significant special teams player who has appeared in 48 career games.

Jake Springfield, offensive lineman: A former walk-on who became a starter as a redshirt freshman and earned a scholarship that same year, Springfield has started 37 of the 46 career games he has played over the last four years.

Peyton Thompson, quarterback: The walk-on has spent multiple years as a key member of the OSU scout team, stepping away for one season to play at Central Oklahoma.

Kody Walterscheid, defensive end: This is the 10th straight year with one of the Walterscheid brothers on the OSU roster — five with Cole from 2014-18 and now five with Kody from 2019-23. And Kody could return for one more if he chooses. Kody has appeared in 47 career games with 51 tackles, three forced fumbles and two sacks.

Preston Wilson, offensive lineman: Wilson has overcome injuries to appear in 45 career games with 33 starts at four different positions on the offensive line. He has been a key leader and contributor in a variety of ways over his five seasons in Stillwater.

OSU vs. BYU

KICKOFF: 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater (ABC)

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football roster 2024: Seniors who can return due to COVID