In a dramatic and unexpected turn, Oklahoma State’s 2026 football recruiting class has entered a period of uncertainty following sweeping changes to the coaching staff. With longtime head coach Mike Gundy dismissed and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham also relieved of his duties, several committed prospects have made the decision to decommit and reopen their recruitment. While this doesn’t necessarily mean these players are permanently moving on from OSU, it reflects the instability that often comes with such seismic changes within a program. For many of these young athletes, their commitment was tied as much to relationships with individual coaches as it was to the university itself. With those coaches no longer in place, it’s entirely within their rights to evaluate other options.
The Shakeup & Its Ripple Effects
Oklahoma State entered the fall with a strong foundation in its 2026 recruiting class, holding commitments from 15 players across multiple positions. The dismissals of both Gundy and Grantham sent immediate shockwaves through the recruiting landscape. Many prospects had developed close ties with these coaches, and their departures left a vacuum of clarity regarding the future of the program. As a result, the aftermath has seen a steady trickle of decommitments, with players either formally reopening their recruitment or taking visits to other schools while waiting to see how the new coaching staff shapes up.
This pattern is not unique to OSU. In modern college football recruiting, commitments are often based on personal trust and familiarity with the coaching staff. Once that foundation is removed, players and their families are justified in stepping back to reassess their decisions. In some cases, this will result in permanent separation. In others, the new staff will have an opportunity to re-recruit and bring them back into the fold. But for now, the 2026 class is in a holding pattern, shaped more by transition than certainty.
Status of the 2026 Prospects: Who’s Holding, Who’s Gone, Who’s Watching
At this point, the recruiting board for Oklahoma State is a mixed bag of firm commitments, soft verbal pledges, and outright decommitments. Among the players who have officially decommitted are Landen Anderson, Kase Evans, Kaydin Jones, Carter Langenderfer, Aiden Martin, Trey McGlothlin, Jabarie Thornton, and Josiah Vilmael. These decisions reflect not only the coaching changes but also the pressure from competing programs that have wasted no time jumping into the race for these recruits.
On the other hand, a few prospects have held firm in their commitment despite the uncertainty. Danny Beale, Landon Bland, Brandon Ford, Bryton Niu, Tahj Overton, Braeden Presley, and Sunia Vuki remain committed to OSU at the time of this writing. Their decisions to stay put could provide some much-needed stability for the future staff to build around. However, even those who remain pledged to the Cowboys have begun receiving and entertaining offers from other schools, signaling that nothing is locked in until the dust settles in Stillwater.
Several of the decommitted players are local or regional recruits, which makes their decisions even more significant. Prospects from Oklahoma and surrounding states have traditionally formed the backbone of OSU’s recruiting classes. Losing players like Langenderfer, Anderson, and McGlothlin isn’t just a short-term setback — it also risks weakening the program’s long-standing regional pipelines. Others, like quarterback Kase Evans, have already scheduled visits and picked up offers from other Power Four programs, indicating their recruitment is accelerating away from OSU. Kaydin Jones, one of the class’s more explosive playmakers, has drawn interest from schools across the country. Even Braeden Presley, who remains committed, is reportedly weighing new offers and could become a flight risk if the new staff doesn’t move quickly to secure his future in Stillwater.
What This Means: Challenges & Opportunities for the New Staff
For the incoming coaching staff, the situation presents both a challenge and an opportunity. On one hand, the erosion of trust and relationships built by the previous staff will take significant effort to repair. Many of these players committed because of personal ties to coaches who are no longer part of the program. Rebuilding that trust will require immediate, proactive outreach and clear communication about the vision moving forward.
At the same time, a new coaching staff brings with it a chance to reset the program’s narrative. A clean slate can be attractive to both committed and uncommitted prospects. Coaches with strong recruiting ties can open up new pipelines and breathe fresh life into the class. If the right hires are made, especially at coordinator and position coach levels, it’s entirely possible that many of the decommitted players could find renewed interest in Oklahoma State. This could be true. but they would need to make the hire for head coach sooner because the 2026 recruits would want to know who will be their coach before a decision is made or even further interest is made.
What to Watch: Key Prospects & Indicators
As this transition unfolds, certain players will become barometers for how successful the new staff is in stabilizing the class. Braeden Presley is one such prospect. Though still committed, he’s attracting strong interest from other schools, and his decision will likely be influenced heavily by the direction of the new staff. Kase Evans, the talented quarterback who recently decommitted, is also a priority. If the new offensive staff can re-engage with him and present a compelling plan for development, he could be brought back into the fold.
Kaydin Jones and Aiden Martin are also worth watching closely. Their recruitment is picking up steam, but neither has ruled out a return to Oklahoma State. Much will depend on how quickly the Cowboys act to rebuild relationships and re-establish credibility.
Conclusion
Oklahoma State’s 2026 recruiting class has gone from promising to precarious in a matter of weeks. The combination of Gundy’s and Grantham’s exits has left recruits in limbo, and the program is now in a race against time to retain talent, rebuild trust, and reestablish direction. Decommitments are not death sentences for a class, but they do serve as clear signals that recruits are watching closely.
If the right hires are made, and if the new staff can effectively communicate its vision and culture, there’s still a path to reassemble a competitive class. But the window is narrow, and the urgency is real. The 2026 class may still define the next era of Oklahoma State football — the question now is who will be part of it.