Despite returning the majority of their offensive unit that helped lead Mike Gundy’s team to a Big 12 Championship appearance, the Cowboys were notably absent from the video game’s Top 25 rankings.
EA Sports’ list included five Big 12 teams, with Colorado ranked 8th, Utah 11th, Kansas 14th, Arizona 15th, and UCF 21st. Oklahoma State is scheduled to face Utah and Colorado during their 2024 campaign.
The exclusion of Oklahoma State from the Top 25 offensive rankings in College Football 25 comes as a surprise, especially considering Kasey Dunn’s group averaged over 29 points per game last season.
The team is anchored by consensus All-American and Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon II, who amassed an impressive 1,732 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in 2023, along with 330 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Alongside Gordon, the Cowboys retain their entire starting offensive line, providing strong protection for quarterback Alan Bowman, who returns for his second year in Stillwater. Bowman, a seventh-year senior, achieved a career-high 3,460 passing yards and 15 touchdowns last season, bringing valuable experience and leadership to the offense.
Bowman will benefit from the presence of talented receivers like Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State’s leading receiver in 2023, who returns for his senior season after totaling 1,032 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns. Redshirt senior Rashod Owens, who recorded 895 receiving yards and five touchdowns, also returns, alongside promising 6-foot-2 wideout De’Zhaun Stribling, who averaged over 14 yards per catch last season.
In the tight end position, true freshman and local standout Josh Ford has shown promise and is expected to contribute significantly in the upcoming season.
