The Oklahoma State Cowboys are a Big 12 Championship game contenders again. It's going to help them on the recruiting trail. It may already be doing the trick.

The Cowboys hosted many of their commitments for their Class of 2027 and brought in a ton of other players that they're either trying to flip for 2027 or trying to keep interested for classes beyond this year. It was the perfect time to do so.

The Cowboys beat the Colorado Buffaloes, 57-24, and as chaos reigned around them in the Big 12, they found themselves squarely in the race to get to the Big 12 Championship game in December in Arlington. The Cowboys still need a little help, but so long as they keep winning, they'll have a shot. Recruits have noticed. One quote from one recruit says it all.

The One Quote That Defines OSU’s Recruiting Status

Rivals (subscription required) spoke to several Oklahoma State recruits that attended the game. Many of them had great things to say about the experience. It wasn't just the game. Homecoming was that weekend and Stillwater was filled with alums and fans and students alike. The atmosphere got rave reviews from recruits.

But this is the quote that matters, the quote that is relevant to Oklahoma state's current recruiting efforts for 2027 and what head coach Eric Morris and his staff could build beyond this year.

“It’s definitely great to be recognized by a playoff contender — and that plays a part in my recruitment because I love to win, so them being a contender definitely gives them a leg up,” Crandall (Texas) running back Darrik Ward Jr. said to Rivals.

Morris made this point after the Cowboys upset Oregon in Week 2. It's a lot easier to recruit when you can bring a winner to the table. Right now, the Cowboys are winners. Morris and his team are continuing to erase the stench of what happened the past two seasons.

In 2023, former head coach Mike Gundy took the Cowboys to the Big 12 Championship game where they lost to Texas. What happened next took everyone by surprise. The Cowboys went 3-9 in 2024 and lost all nine Big 12 games. It got worse in 2025, as the Cowboys went 1-11 and Gundy was fired after the Week 3 lost to Tulsa.

Morris was hired to try and turn around a program that went a combined 4-20 and had lost 18 straight Big 12 games. He started his era with a loss to Tulsa on the road. The Cowboys are 5-1 since that opener, with the only loss to a ranked Houston team by three points.

The Cowboys re-entered the AP Top 25 at No. 24 this week after a one-week absence. That helped the Big 12 have six ranked teams for the first time since 2012.

It's also going to help Morris and the Cowboys on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal after the season concludes. That one quote says everything about what the Cowboys could capitalize on this offseason.