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Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy floats theory about player retention rates in college football

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Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy floats theory about player retention rates in college football


The transfer portal and name, image, and likeness (NIL) have certainly made an impact on college sports over the past couple of years.

The NCAA adopted the NIL policy in 2021. Since then, college football programs have often been faced with finding creative ways to keep their roster turnover to a minimum. The exercise is perhaps one of the unintended consequences of the policies.

Prior to the portal and NIL, coaches were largely focused on recruiting players to their respective programs and could typically rely on an athlete sticking around for multiple seasons.

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Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy walks off the field in the second half during an NCAA football game between Oklahoma State and Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

During a recent press conference, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy lamented the impact NIL has had on the sport.

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Gundy argued that monetary motivations are the driving force behind players’ decisions on which program they want to be a part of.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy walks on the sideline during a college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the West Virginia Mountaineers at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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“Player retention is based on money,” Gundy responded when asked about player retention. “I’ll give you an example. If you’re playing on our team and we go 3-9 and right now you’re making $12,000 and we say, ‘Hey, if you come back we’ll pay you $250,000.’ What are you going to do? Player retention is probably 90 percent built on money now. Not other things. It’s changed.”

Head coach Mike Gundy of the Oklahoma State Cowboys reacts on the sideline in the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies during the TaxAct Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium on December 27, 2023 in Houston, Texas.  (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

Gundy has been the head coach of the Cowboys since 2005. He added that he refuses to get in a bidding war over a player’s NIL value while the season is in progress. Gundy believes those negotiations should be reserved for after the season.

“I told the players there’s no negotiating now,” Gundy told reporters in August. “Portal’s over. All negotiation’s history. Now, we’re playing football. Just coaching and playing football.”

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Gundy doubled down on his position during this week’s press conference. “That’s what I told the players. There’s no negotiating now,” he said. “The portal’s over. All the negotiation’s history. Now, we’re playing football. Just coaching and playing football.”

While the advent of NIL and the transfer portal have introduced numerous benefits for the players, the policies have also come with some drawbacks. Oklahoma State enters this Saturday’s game against Baylor with a 3-4 record.

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Missing 12-year-old Oklahoma boy found safe

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Missing 12-year-old Oklahoma boy found safe


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Missing 12-year-old Ryan “RJ” Davis has been found safe, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Jan. 11, the OSBI said Davis was located in Chickasha.

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“The OSBI appreciates all our local law enforcement partners and search groups who assisted us throughout the week,” the OSBI posted. “We will provide updates when they become available.

The boy had been missing since Jan. 2.

News9 reported Sunday afternoon that OSBI spokesman Hunter McKee said the United Cajun Navy made contact with RJ and took him back to a hotel, where authorities processed him and took him to the hospital. Authorities said RJ appears to be fine physically, according to News9

The United Cajun Navy is a nonprofit grassroots group out of Louisiana that assists in search and rescue efforts and disaster recovery.

The boy’s mother, Kimberly Kay Cole, and stepfather, George Franklin Cole Jr., were arrested earlier this week on suspicion of child abuse and as of Sunday were still listed as being in custody at the Caddo County Jail in Anadarko. It’s not yet clear whether the charges are directly related to RJ’s disappearance, but the arrests came after officers interviewed the parents and obtained evidence from search warrants.

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Authorities said Thursday, Jan. 8, that they believed RJ was still alive. Prior to Sunday, he was last seen Jan. 2 near the Chickasha Quality Inn.

Searchers were targeting a vast rural area from Cement to Chickasha, which is within an hour’s drive from Oklahoma City. The search included properties associated with the family. It was unclear from the OSBI’s Facebook post where in Chickasha the boy was found.

This story was updated to add new information.

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Contributing: Staff writer Dale Denwalt



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Late surge lifts Texas A&M past Oklahoma in SEC road setback

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Late surge lifts Texas A&M past Oklahoma in SEC road setback


COLLEGE STATION, TX –

After building a four-point lead midway through the second half, Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball couldn’t close the door Saturday afternoon in College Station, dropping an 83-76 decision to Texas A&M Aggies men’s basketball.

Oklahoma led 67-63 with just over 10 minutes to play, but the Aggies finished the game on a 20-9 run, capitalizing on turnovers and trips to the free-throw line to pull away down the stretch.

Late mistakes prove costly

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The Sooners entered the game averaging a league-low 9.5 turnovers, but committed a season-high 17 against Texas A&M. Those miscues turned into an 18-8 disadvantage in points off turnovers and allowed the Aggies to control the closing minutes.

Texas A&M also made its mark at the stripe, going 21 of 25 (84%) at the free-throw line. Oklahoma finished 13 of 16 (81%), but the volume favored the home team.

“Well, a game that featured 19 lead changes, 42 fouls and 64 three-point attempts,” said Toby Rowland. “Texas A&M had the final kick in this one as they pulled away to the victory down the stretch. Oklahoma, a season-high 17 turnovers, and in the end, that did them in.”

Pack leads the way offensively

Despite the loss, Nijel Pack delivered one of his best performances of the season. The junior guard scored a game-high 24 points, matching his season high with six 3-pointers, while also adding six rebounds and five assists.

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Pack also crossed a milestone, surpassing 2,000 career points during the game.

Oklahoma got strong contributions in the frontcourt as well. Derrion Reid recorded the first double-double of his career with 19 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, knocking down four 3-pointers. Tae Davis added 12 points and 10 boards, giving the Sooners two double-doubles on the day.

Xzayvier Brown, who had averaged nearly 20 points over his previous six games, was held to seven points on 3-of-9 shooting.

Strong start, tough finish

Oklahoma scored the first five points of the game but trailed by as many as 10 in the first half before responding with a 20-10 run to tie it at 43 late. A late Aggie three sent Texas A&M into halftime with a 48-45 lead.

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The Sooners came out hot after the break, regaining the lead behind threes from Pack and Reid. Brown’s acrobatic layup and free throw pushed Oklahoma ahead 67-63, but the offense stalled from there. OU went 4 of 14 from the field over the final 10 minutes and missed its last 10 three-point attempts after starting 11 of 21.

What’s next

Oklahoma controlled the glass 43-32 and owned an 18-7 edge in second-chance points, but couldn’t overcome the late execution issues.

After back-to-back road losses, the Sooners return home Tuesday night to host defending national champion Florida Gators men’s basketball at Lloyd Noble Center. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT, with coverage on ESPN2.

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Oklahoma Well-Represented on NFL’s AP All-Pro Team

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Oklahoma Well-Represented on NFL’s AP All-Pro Team


Although only two Sooners landed on the first or second team this year, Oklahoma was well-represented on the 2025 Associated Press NFL All-Pro team.

Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey was named to the first team, and San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams was named second team.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson, Denver Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto and punt returner Marvin Mims, Washington Commanders punter Tress Way, Chiefs long snapper James Winchester, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Jalen Redmond all received All-Pro votes from the AP’s 50 media voters who cover the league.

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Last year, Humphrey and Mims earned first-team honors, while Bonitto, Johnson and Lamb made second team, giving OU five All-Pros — most of any school.

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It’s Humphrey’s third time on the AP All-Pro team and his second as a first-teamer. He led the voting at center with 93 total points, including 26 first-place votes. (First-place votes are worth 3 points, second-place votes are worth 1.)

Humphrey redshirted at OU in 2017, then was a three-year starter from 2018-2020 and was named Big 12 Offensive Lineman of The Year twice. Humphrey, from Shawnee, has made the Pro Bowl each of the last four seasons and is a two-time Super Bowl champion.

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Williams is a five-time All-Pro (first team 2021-23) and a 12-time Pro Bowler. By just one vote, Williams finished second in this year’s voting to Denver’s Garett Bolles, who got 74 points and 19 first-place votes, while Williams got 71 points and 19 first-place votes.

At OU from 2006-09, he was the fourth overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft after twice being named first-team All-Big 12 and Consensus All-America in 2009.

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Johnson had been on five previous AP All-Pro teams, including twice as a first-team selection. Johnson came to OU in 2009 as a junior college quarterback, moved to tight end, then defensive end and eventually offensive tackle in 2011, when he made second-team All-Big 12 in back-to-back seasons. He was third in the voting among right tackles, earning 12 votes.

Mims, a third-year pro, landed All-Pro accolades in each of his first two years in the league. At OU, Mims had 2,398 yards and 20 touchdowns as a receiver, and averaged 11.8 yards as a punt returner. He received 11 points (one first-place) and finished fourth in the voting.

Bonitto picked up his first All-Pro honor last year after registering 13.5 quarterback sacks (third in the NFL) and earning a spot in the Pro Bowl. Bonitto was a two-time AP All-American at Oklahoma (second team in 2022, third team in ’23), logging 33 tackles for loss, 18.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and one interception. He finished seventh in the voting among edge rushers, picking up 54 points (11 first place).

Winchester got five points (one first place) as long snapper and finished eighth in the voting. Way received 28 points (six first place) and was fourth in the voting at punter. Redmond got one vote as an interior defensive lineman, while Lamb got one vote as a wideout.

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Humphrey was the only former Sooner to land on the Pro Football Focus All-Pro Team (first team). He also was the only OU player with a spot on the ESPN All-Pro team (first team). 

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Humphrey (first team) and Williams (second team) also were honored by USA Today, Yahoo and Sports Illustrated.





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