Oklahoma State’s 2026 DL Commitment Vanishes Amid Mike Gundy Drama—What’s Really Behind the Fallout?

So, Oklahoma State’s got itself into a real pickle, huh? Mike Gundy’s been shown the door after just three games—1-2 start and boom, out he goes. Now, if you thought that was just a coaching shuffle, think again. The fallout’s hitting recruitment like a thunderclap. Take Landon Anderson, a prized defensive lineman from Edmond—local hero turned hesitant Cowboy recruit, who’s now hopping back onto the recruiting carousel after decommitting. And he’s not alone; a cadre of Cowboys’ hopefuls are tapping the brakes and reconsidering their futures. Makes you wonder: when a coach leaves midseason, does the loyalty leave the locker room too? The once-bright Cowboy recruiting board is shrinking, and their national rank? It’s in freefall—outpaced not just by Power Five peers, but mid-majors and heck, even some FCS teams. Is this the dawn of a rebuilding nightmare or just a blip? Hang tight as the Cowboys scramble under a storm of decommits and shifting priorities—it’s a wild ride just starting to heat up. LEARN MORE.

The recruiting fallout has commenced for Oklahoma State football following Mike Gundy’s dismissal. The Big 12 university fired Gundy nearly a week ago following its 1-2 start. Now a prized college football recruiting prospect committed to the Cowboys reopened his process.

Defensive lineman Landon Anderson is school hunting, after telling Hayes Fawcett of On3/Rivals he decommitted from the Cowboys. The 6-foot-4, 280-pounder chose Gundy and the Cowboys back in July.

The defender was a prized local talent heading to Stillwater — as Anderson hails from Edmond. He joins a growing list of former Oklahoma State commits following Gundy’s exit.

Four players decommitted from the Cowboys before Anderson’s decision. Linebacker Trey McGlothin was one of the more recent prospects to pivot elsewhere on Wednesday.

Defensive back Josiah Vilmeal is another who joined Anderson on the decommit list, McClain Baxley of 247Sports revealed Monday. Anderson is the state of Oklahoma’s No. 5 overall prospect per the recruiting outlet.

Who remains with Oklahoma State despite Mike Gundy decision?

Oklahoma State Head coach Mike Gundy walks on the field before an NCAA football game between Oklahoma State (OSU) and UT Martin in Stillwater, Okla., on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. — NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The list of 2026 pledges is starting to decrease for Oklahoma State. And their national ranking is on a significant decline too.

The Cowboys are left with just eight verbal commitments as of Monday afternoon. Four-star defensive linemen Danny Beale and Tajh Overton remain committed post Gundy.

Tennessee, however, emerged as the first team to attempt flipping Beale — offering him on Thursday. Overton attended the loss to Tulsa and remains a big priority for multiple power conference teams according to Grant Hughes of 247Sports.

The Cowboys, though, sit at No. 102 overall in the national recruiting rankings for the ’26 cycle. Mid-major programs Buffalo, Troy and Hawaii have put together higher ranked classes ahead of the Cowboys. Even Football Championship Subdivision program Idaho is rated higher than Oklahoma State per the 247 rankings, with the Vandals at No. 93 overall.

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