Sad News: Oklahoma State Cowboys Key Star Commits to New Team

One of Oklahoma State’s recent departures has found his next team.

Over the past week, the Cowboys have continued to be active in the portal, but they have also lost some guys. Among those on their way out is nose tackle Justin Kirkland.

Kirkland spent the past two seasons with the Cowboys after starting his college career at Utah Tech. On Thursday, Kirkland made the return to his home state official, committing to BYU.

Kirkland’s return to his home state isn’t ideal for the Cowboys, considering he could have been a key contributor for the OSU defense again next season. Without Kirkland, OSU will have to rely on some of its younger guys and also the players it has brought in through the transfer portal.

Last season, Kirkland was one of the lone consistencies for the OSU defense, playing in all 12 games for the Cowboys. He finished the season with 18 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack.

Across his two seasons in Stillwater, Kirkland had the opportunity to play against his future team twice. Although he only tallied one tackle in the 2024 matchup, Kirkland had a couple of tackles and a pass breakup in OSU’s comeback win in 2023 that punched the Cowboys’ ticket to the Big 12 Championship.

Kirkland’s most productive season overall came in 2023, when he finished with 22 tackles, three tackles for loss and a couple of pass breakups. His impressive abilities made him a key part of Bryan Nardo’s scheme across the two seasons they were together.

OSU will need to rely on its added size to replace Kirkland’s impact, but considering all of the additions OSU has made along the offensive line, that might not be much of a problem. Still, even with the added talent, Kirkland’s production can make him a difficult player to replace.

In any case, OSU’s new defensive coordinator, Todd Grantham, has been among the most ambitious in the country when it comes to recruiting defensive players out of the portal. Assuming his additions can make a similar impact to Kirkland’s, this move could be something that works out well for both sides.