After three seasons at Oklahoma State, former Cowboys running back Jaden Nixon has found a new home at Western Michigan.

Nixon appeared on the Broncos’ roster after initially entering the transfer portal in December following a third season in the Pokes running back rotation.

While the Frisco Lone Star (TX) product had a decent year in 2023, tallying 320 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, Nixon would likely be buried on the depth chart once again with Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon II returning to OSU for another season.

Additionally, Kasey Dunn and company added former Arkansas and Tulsa Union (OK) running back AJ Green and former Indiana bruiser Trent Howland over the offseason to help add depth to the position group. While Green is likely going to miss the majority the 2024 season with an undisclosed leg injury, Howland and Gordon could be a solid veteran duo in the new-look Big 12.

For Nixon, the change of scenery gives the Dallas-area product a fresh start and the opportunity to earn more touches than Oklahoma State’s offense would be able to give him this season. In three years with the Cowboys, Nixon racked up 815 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns.

One of the biggest moments of Nixon’s career in Stillwater came with just over three minutes left against BYU last season, when the 5-foot-10, 185-pound tailback caught a swing pass behind the line of scrimmage and ran through a tackle on fourth down to pick up a crucial first down that helped OSU secure a victory and a berth in the conference title game.

Coming out of high school, Nixon was a 3-star prospect, choosing the Pokes over Tulsa, UTSA, North Texas, Nevada and others.

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It sounded too good to be true.

But it is definitely true.

Jordan Vyborny, a tight end who caught only 13 passes for 166 yards his junior year at Harlem, became an overnight NCAA Division I recruit after moving to Utah to live with his uncle and enrolling at Corner Canyon, which has won three of the last five Utah Class 6A state titles and played in the state championship game five years in a row.

Vyborny hasn’t played a game there yet. The season is still two months off. But he has committed to play for Oklahoma State — even before attending his first practice at Corner Canyon.

“I am surrounded by a ton of talent,” Vyborny said during a recent visit back to Rockford. “It’s not only me they are looking at recruiting-wise. Everyone here is going to want to show themselves and represent.”

More: Boylan grad Dean Lowry excited to play for another ‘iconic’ NFL team, Pittsburgh Steelers

Before picking Oklahoma State, Vyborny also took official visits to Eastern Washington and Boise State and unofficial visits to USC and UCLA.

While the tight end is an integral part of the NFL passing game — some announcers like to joke “the tight end is always open” — it is less so in high school and college football.

“There are a few colleges that are known for it,” Vyborny said. “Michigan dumps it to their tight ends a lot. Utah does it, too. Iowa State, believe it or not, does too. Oklahoma State is starting to change it up a little bit. The tight end is going to be more of a focal point and catch a lot more balls. It will play a huge role in their offense. They are moving to more 12 personnel (two tight ends, one running back).”

Vyborny may be the NIC-10’s biggest recruit since Auburn offensive tackle Vederian Lowe, now with the Patriots, went to Illinois in 2017. Vyborny is also the league’s first D-I recruit who didn’t make all-conference in the NIC-10 since Auburn’s Ray Robey, a starting defensive tackle on Northwestern’s fabled 1995 Rose Bowl team.

But Robey’s omission was highly controversial. His coach reportedly missed the all-conference meeting and no one nominated him. Vyborny was different. He basically went unnoticed. Until he left Rockford. Then, he was immediately discovered at a 7-on-7 tournament in Las Vegas, catching passes from four-star recruit Helaman Casuga.

More: Rockford NFL tackle Vederian Lowe to give back with camp: ‘I grew up on that side of town’

Scouts immediately fell in love with not only Vyborny’s hands, but also his measureables — 6-foot-5, 232 pounds and 4.68 speed in the 40-yard dash. He was quickly labeled a three-star recruit.

He also had the athletic pedigree. Vyborny’s sister, Mya Davidson, a 6-2 guard/forward, landed an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship. His grandfather and great uncle, Jerome and Julian Vyborny, were Boylan grads who played football for the Illini. He had six aunts play basketball in college.

Vyborny will join a team that finished 10-4 last year and is 10-4 in bowl games the last 14 years under 19-year coach Mike Gundy.

“The environment, the coaches, everything about the program, I fell in love with,” Vyborny said. “The way I was treated. And not just me; also my uncle and my mom.

“I know I will be developed there. And Coach Gundy made it clear he is not looking for just talent, he is looking for leaders in the community. He is awesome. I love him.”

And he is eager to show off skills he never got to showcase in Rockford. And see how far that can take him.

“I want to show how explosive I am now,” Vyborny said. “How much faster I’v gotten. How much better at route running. I am expected to be more physical and show that on tape.”

On a recent episode of College Hoops Today with Jon Rothstein, the show’s host revealed his Big 12 Preseason Power Rankings.

“Kansas is (No. 1) followed by Houston, Baylor, Iowa State and Arizona,” Rothstein said. “Colorado, Utah, West Virginia, Oklahoma State round out the Big 12 Preseason Power Rankings.”

The CBS Sports insider picked Oklahoma State to finish last place in the conference after the Cowboys went 4-14 in Big 12 play last season, resulting in a 13th place finish, coming in ahead of only West Virginia.

After a tumultuous year that resulted in Mike Boynton being fired and a number of the Pokes key pieces leaving Stillwater, OSU hired former Western Kentucky head coach Steve Lutz to take the reigns.

Lutz quickly got to work, adding Arkansas transfer Davonte Davis, Texas Tech transfer Robert Jennings II, West Virginia transfer Patrick Suemnick, Xavier transfer Abou Ousmane, UCF transfer Marchelus Avery, Western Kentucky transfer Brandon Newman, Florida International transfer Arturo Dean, La Salle transfer Khalil Brantley, St. Mary’s (TX) transfer Tyler Caron and Coffeyville Community College transfer CJ Smith over the offseason.

Despite adding a number of solid players with varying skill sets, Lutz and the Cowboys still have their work cut out for them as the Big 12 expands once again this season. After welcoming Houston, BYU, CIncinnati and UCF to the conference last year, Arizona State, Arizona, Colorado and Utah will join the league this year.

Adding well established basketball programs like Houston and Arizona to the Big 12 only makes things more difficult for a program like Oklahoma State. Still, Lutz seems to have rounded up a decent amalgamation of talent in Stillwater and will have the opportunity to prove Rothstein and many others wrong in 2024-25.

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