Oklahoma State football: Three priorities for new DC Derek Mason in 2022

3. Hit the transfer portal

OSU has lost considerable talent already to the transfer portal, seeing safety Tanner McAllister follow Jim Knowles to Ohio State and Jarrick Bernard-Converse return to his native Bayou State to play for Brian Kelly at LSU.

The Cowboys could reverse that trend with the splashy Mason hire, however. Consider the talent that Mason was able to work with while serving as Auburn’s defensive coordinator: 16 Tigers players have heard their names in the past three years’ NFL Drafts, including nine defensive players.

With the chance to enter the transfer portal free of any restrictions on their remaining eligibility, would any current Tigers players see greener grass in Stillwater under Mason and head coach Mike Gundy?

Looking to replace outgoing players through the transfer portal doesn’t have to be limited to just Auburn players, obviously.

There are plenty of players playing in a lower-tier conference or level of football who could contribute or star in the Big 12. Look at two dynamic skill OSU position players in 2021: running back Jaylen Warren, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards after transferring from Utah State, and Tay Martin, who led the team in receiving after transferring from Washington State (yes, the slight against the Pac-12 is intentional). Danny Godlevske was the Cowboys’ starting center for much of the season after moving from Miami (Ohio) of the MAC.

Point is, there are many defensive players right now who are looking to make the move up to a power conference team. Several of these players could contribute immediately to a Derek Mason-led defense at OSU.