A Top 10 ranking, playing Notre Dame in the Fiesta and playing in the Big 12 Championship seems to be paying dividends for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, at least in recruiting.

OSU coach Mike Gundy signed 17 players to this 2022 class last week, including 10 offensive players and seven defensive players. This class was rated third among Big 12 schools and in the Top 25 of the nation.

“Quite honestly, I don’t pay attention to stars,” Gundy said. “I’m not leading you in the wrong direction, I don’t have a clue how many four stars we have. What we’re looking for is young men who fit our culture. Ones that we know will work hard and come in here and do all the things I talk about.”

Gundy signed eight players from Oklahoma, including

Talyn Shettron (Edmond Santa Fe), Tabry Shettron (Edmond Santa Fe), Braylin Presley (Bixby), CJ Brown (Beggs), DeSean Brown (Choctaw), Jaleel Johnson (Putnam City), Gabe Brown (Stillwater) and Mason Gilkey (Pawhuska).

Braylin Presley of Bixby will join his brother Brennan at OSU.

“Same type of player,” Gundy said. “He’s more right to left: tougher to two-blow in a phone booth, would be my guess. I don’t know who’s faster. They argue over it all the time. We’ll race them this summer; we’ll see who’s faster. I’m guessing there’s not going to be that much difference in either one of them. [Braylin and Brennan] are tough, highly competitive, love to play football, come from a great family – very athletic family – they understand right from wrong, mom and dad don’t put up with any B.S. They’re going to do what you tell them. They’re going to love the team. Both of them could run a 40-yard dash under a table and not hit their head. That’s what you get.”

“We feel like there’s players here that people overlook,” Gundy said of OSU’s latest batch of in-state recruits.

OSU signed 4-star quarterback Garret Rangel from Frisco, Texas (in the Dallas Metroplex).

“Nice size, 6-2,” Gundy said. “Going to develop. His body is thin right now, which more high school quarterbacks are. He should push up around 190 in a year or so. Throws a nice ball, competitive. He’s got a good demeanor. Mom and dad raised him right. He wants to be here. He understands our culture. He understands being unselfish. He’s not into all that B.S. He just wants to come here to play football and get an education.”

In the past, OSU has struggled get top rated recruits and has relied on finding players they can develop into stars.

“As I scan here we had what could be five (signees) that were offered or pursued heavily” Gundy said. “It kind of goes back to what I said two weeks ago, we have a chance right now at Oklahoma State, if it’s handled correctly, to move to the top. If we do it right. I can’t control that because I’m not in charge of the overall concept of what we’re doing here, but we have a real chance if we’re willing to move forward and take that step right now.

“I don’t know we’ve ever signed … four or five players that had traditional offers from schools we don’t beat.”

OSU Recruiting Class

Linebackers

  • Xavier Benson
  • Gabe Brown, Stillwater

Running backs

  • C.J. Brown
  • Ollie Gordon, Ft. Worth, Texas

Defensive ends

  • DeSean Brown, Choctaw
  • Landon Dean, Frontenac, Kansas
  • Jaleel Johnson, Putnam City

Cornerbacks

  • Cameron Epps, St. Louis
  • Dylahn McKinney, Coffeeville, Texas

Wide Receivers

  • Mason Gilkey, Pawhuska
  • Braylin Presley, Bixby
  • Talyn Shettron, Edmond

Offensive line

  • Calvin Harvey, Houston
  • Austin Kawecki, Frisco, Texas
  • Tyrone Webber, Ontario, Canada

Quarterback

  • Garret Rangel, Frisco, Texas

Tight end

  • Tabry Shettron, Edmond