What Eric Morris Needs to Fix at Oklahoma State (A Lot)

Okay. Enough moping. Let’s talk about the rebuild.

Eric Morris has a massive job ahead of him at Oklahoma State. I’m not sugarcoating this. The roster is depleted. The culture needs a reset. The facilities need upgrades. The recruiting pipeline has dried up. This isn’t a one-year fix. This is a multi-year project.

But I’ve been watching film and talking to people and thinking about this way too much — because that’s what I do when I’m stressed, I analyze things until my brain hurts — and I think there’s a path forward. Here’s what Morris needs to address.

Problem 1: The offensive line is a disaster.

This is the biggest issue. You can’t run any offense — Air Raid or otherwise — if your quarterback is running for his life every play. The O-line got pushed around all year. Alan Bowman took way too many hits. The running game never got going.

Morris needs to hit the transfer portal hard for offensive linemen. Like, really hard. Experienced guys who can play immediately. The 2026 class needs to be heavy on O-line recruits too. You can’t build an offense without protection.

Problem 2: No identity on defense.

I honestly don’t know what the defense was trying to do this year. The scheme was confusing. The players looked lost. We gave up big plays constantly. The aggressiveness from previous years was gone.

Morris needs to hire a strong defensive coordinator and let them run their system without interference. Someone with a clear vision and the ability to develop players. The DC hire might be the most important decision Morris makes.

Problem 3: The culture eroded.

This is the hard one to talk about because it’s vague and feelings-based. But you could see it on the sidelines. The energy was off. Players weren’t playing for each other. The fight wasn’t there.

Morris is known as a high-energy guy. That’s what he brought to Washington State and Incarnate Word. He needs to bring that same energy to Stillwater. Get the players bought in. Make them believe the rebuild is possible.

Problem 4: Recruiting has slipped.

The last few classes were not good enough for Big 12 competition. Simple as that. The 2024 class was ranked 11th in the conference. Eleventh. Out of sixteen. You can’t sustain success with that.

Morris needs to re-establish Oklahoma State as a destination. Sell the vision. Sell the development. Sell the Air Raid offense to skill players. Get back to mining Texas for undervalued recruits like Gundy used to do.

Problem 5: Portal management.

The transfer portal is everything now. Morris needs to be aggressive — both in keeping his own players and bringing in immediate contributors. The portal can accelerate a rebuild by two years if you do it right. It can also destroy your roster if you do it wrong.

I’m cautiously optimistic. Morris has done this before. He built Incarnate Word into a powerhouse. He stabilized Washington State after the Pac-12 collapsed. He knows how to build something from nothing.

But optimism doesn’t win games. Execution does. And we won’t know if Morris can execute until we see it on the field.

Jake’s note: This is actually a really solid breakdown. I don’t have anything snarky to add. Which feels weird. Maybe I’m growing as a person. Probably not though.

The 2026 season is going to be rough. Probably 5-7 or 6-6 if things go well. But if Morris lays the foundation right, 2027 and 2028 could be special.

I’m choosing to believe. What else can I do?

— Mike