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Eric Morris, the newly installed Oklahoma State football coach, has been fostering team unity well ahead of the Cowboys' fall camp kickoff on Wednesday. Since being appointed in November to succeed legendary coach Mike Gundy, Morris has integrated 88 new players into the roster, including 21 who followed him from North Texas State.
Speaking to the Associated Press outside the team's training facility, Morris emphasized the importance of relationship-building during the offseason, noting, "Our guys have meshed. We spent a lot of time together this offseason because I thought building relationships was such an important thing." The Cowboys return just 25 players from a squad that went 1-11 last season and has not secured a Big 12 Conference victory since November 25, 2023.
Morris acknowledged the challenge of integrating so many unfamiliar faces, stating, "We just have so many new people that don't know each other and I think that was something that we've done a good job of. Now we've got to bring 'em all together, teach them how to play football and get them to execute on Saturdays." Execution was a glaring issue in 2024 and 2025, culminating in Gundy's dismissal after the third game of the 2025 season. Gundy, a star quarterback for the Cowboys in the late 1980s, had posted winning records every season from 2006 to 2023, finishing with a 170-90 career mark.
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Morris, known for his quarterback development acumen, is banking on North Texas transfer Drew Mestemaker to ignite the offense. Mestemaker impressed as a redshirt freshman last season, throwing for 4,379 yards and 34 touchdowns. Morris expressed eagerness for the upcoming season, saying, "I just want to see these guys compete. Luckily, I've been in the majority of the Big 12 stadiums. I've coached in them, so it's not like a thing where I'm anxious to see the crowd or whatever. But I do think it will be a ton of fun for me and a great personal experience to walkout into Boone Pickens (Stadium) for the first time."
While the NCAA does not track records for most newcomers, Colorado's 2023 roster, Deion Sanders' first season, featured 87 new players. Morris acknowledged the magnitude of the overhaul, remarking, "We've broken a lot of records in our time. Time will tell if this is one I'm proud of or not proud of. I think I'll be able to answer that question after you look at our wins and losses this year."
Originally reported by clickorlando.