QB
CTop-3 of 73.0, the weakest unit on the roster.
**Dynasty-start roster (CFB 26)**DC Rating 7.0 / 10
Oklahoma State
Scheme Guru Gundy with the only A/A+ coach grades at sub-4-prestige in CFB 26 and a 4-HB top-10 room running Power Spread plus 3-4 Multiple.
The Dynasty Verdict
If you want a Mike Gundy program where the only A/A+ coach grades at sub-4-prestige in CFB 26 meets a 4-deep top-10 RB room, Oklahoma State is the Big 12 team built on stability rather than recruiting volume. Brock IV anchors the Year 1 backfield at 87 with acceleration 93. Howland, Hicks, and Vailahi round out a four-deep RB top 10, the deepest single-position room in the editorial set. Davies takes the senior CB snaps at acceleration 95. Duhon returns at sophomore LEDG with injury 92. The home pipeline is Tier-4 Oklahoma plus Tier-4 North Texas plus Tier-3 East Texas, the only dual-Tier-4-plus-Tier-3 setup at 3.5-Big-12 prestige.
What makes Oklahoma State different from the other Big 12 program with elite coach grades at the lower prestige tiers is the company it keeps. Iowa State under Campbell asks you to ride a 5-deep junior cluster at 3-prestige under A-/A- coach grades. Oklahoma State asks you to ride a 4-deep multi-year cluster plus a 4-HB top-10 room at 3.5-prestige under A/A+ coach grades, the only A+ stability mark at sub-4 prestige in CFB 26. Same conference, opposite prestige tier, the highest stability mark in the sub-4 set.
The 7.0 lands on Gundy's stability advantage. A coach prestige and A+ coach stability at 3.5 prestige is the rarest coach grade combination at this tier: only the 4.5+ powers Clemson, Oregon, Penn State, Texas, Georgia, and Notre Dame match that elite combination. Gundy's 20-year tenure is the structural reason. The catch is the C QB grade and the C+ OL/LB/TE grades that drag the roster's secondary positions below the Big 12's higher-grade peers. Don't pick OK State for a Year 1 ceiling chase. Pick OK State for the slow-compound dynasty where Gundy's stability holds the four-HB rotation, Duhon, and Shettron together long enough for the Year 1 QB and OL recruits to inherit Year 2's identity.
Head Coach
Mike Gundy
Scheme GuruGundy is a Scheme Guru archetype with A coach prestige and A+ coach stability, the only sub-4-prestige team in CFB 26 with A+ stability paired with A coach prestige. Gundy's 20-year tenure has built Oklahoma State on continuity at a tier where most peers churn coaches every three to five years. The launch hands him six seniors (Brock IV, Davies, Howland, Fitzpatrick, McCoy, McDaniel) and four multi-year top-10 players (Duhon, Shettron, Hicks, Vailahi). The catch is the QB and OL grades: A+ stability holds the program together, but it can't out-recruit the top of the Big 12 on home pipelines alone, and the Year 1 offense leans heavily on the RB room to cover the C QB grade.
Team at a Glance
| Conference | Big 12 |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Mike Gundy · Scheme Guru |
| Team Prestige | 3.5 stars |
| Team Overall (in-game) | 79 |
| Top Position Group | Running Back · B+ · top-3 avg 83.0 |
| Weakest Position Group | Quarterback · C · top-3 avg 73.0 |
| Stadium Atmosphere | B+ |
| Brand Exposure | A- |
| Coach Prestige | A |
| Coach Stability | A+ |
| Top-10 Senior Departures After Year 1 | 6 of 10 |
Top 10 Players
By overall rating at dynasty start
| # | Player | Pos | Yr | OVR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Freddie Brock IV | HB | Sr | 87 | Acceleration 93 |
| 02 | Jaylin Davies | CB | Sr | 84 | Acceleration 95 |
| 03 | Kyran Duhon | LEDG | So | 84 | Injury 92 |
| 04 | Trent Howland | HB | Sr | 82 | Injury 99 |
| 05 | Talyn Shettron | WR | Jr | 81 | Acceleration 93 |
| 06 | Bryan McCoy Jr. | MIKE | Sr | 80 | Pursuit 89 |
| 07 | Christian Fitzpatrick | WR | Sr | 80 | Spectacular Catch 97 |
| 08 | Kalib Hicks | HB | So | 80 | Acceleration 92 |
| 09 | Sesi Vailahi | HB | So | 80 | Injury 92 |
| 10 | Mordecai McDaniel | FS | Sr | 79 | Acceleration 94 |
Position Group Grades
RB
B+Brock IV at 87 (senior, acceleration 93), Howland at 82 (senior, injury 99), Hicks at 80 (sophomore, acceleration 92). Top-3 of 83.0, the strongest unit on the roster.
WR
B-Shettron at 81 (junior, acceleration 93), Fitzpatrick at 80 (senior, spectacular catch 97). Top-3 of 79.7.
TE
C+Top-3 of 76.0.
OL
C+Top-3 of 75.3.
DL
B-Duhon at LEDG (84, sophomore, injury 92). Top-3 of 79.3.
LB
C+McCoy at MIKE (80, senior, pursuit 89). Top-3 of 76.7.
DB
BDavies at CB (84, senior, acceleration 95), McDaniel at FS (79, senior, acceleration 94). Top-3 of 80.3.
ST
CTop-3 of 73.3.
Recommended Playbooks
Offense
Power Spread (Oklahoma State Default)
Run Power Spread because the 4-deep RB room is the design's whole point. Brock IV explodes through the line at acceleration 93 and agility 90. Howland punishes contact at injury 99. Hicks at sophomore HB carries the multi-year rotations at acceleration 92. Vailahi at sophomore HB rotates as the third-down back at injury 92. Fitzpatrick stretches the field at spectacular catch 97. The C QB grade is the structural risk: the Year 1 QB has to manage games more than win them.
Why this fits
A B+ RB grade and four top-10 HBs give the Power Spread the run-game depth the scheme demands. Hicks and Vailahi carry the multi-year backfield bridge into Year 2-3 behind whoever the Year 1 QB recruit becomes.
Defense
3-4 Multiple (Oklahoma State Default)
Run the 3-4 Multiple because the front-and-back senior-sophomore mix is the design's whole point. Duhon hunts the QB at injury 92 and pursuit 89. Davies locks the boundary at acceleration 95. McCoy reads run-pass at pursuit 89. McDaniel patrols deep at acceleration 94.
Why this fits
Duhon's sophomore eligibility carries the multi-year edge bridge into Year 3-4. The 3-4 Multiple's flexibility lets Gundy scheme around the LB grade C+ depth and protect McCoy's senior MIKE.
Recruiting Outlook
Pipeline regions
- OklahomaTier 4
- North TexasTier 4
- East TexasTier 3
- Southern CaliforniaTier 2
- MissouriTier 1
- UtahTier 1
- ArizonaTier 1
- KansasTier 1
- LouisianaTier 1
- Southwest TexasTier 1
You'll recruit hard in Oklahoma and Texas. The dual Tier-4 (Oklahoma and North Texas) and Tier-3 East Texas anchor the entire recruiting plan, the only dual-T4-plus-T3 home in the 3.5-Big-12 editorial set. Below those three, the visit budget gets thin: a Southern California Tier-2 reach plus six Tier-1 long-distance reaches that aren't worth the spend. Gundy at A coach prestige and A+ coach stability can land specific recruits the bigger Big 12 schools also want, and the home pipeline depth gives OK State recruiting volume that compensates for the C-grade QB and OL rooms.
Position priorities for Year 1 are dictated by the 6-senior cliff at HB/CB/HB/MIKE/WR/FS plus the C QB grade. Quarterback is critical. The Year 1 QB recruit becomes Year 2's identity behind a thin OL. After QB, replacement OL behind the senior interior, replacement CB depth behind Davies, replacement MIKE behind McCoy, replacement HB1 behind Brock.
Avoid the Northeast and Sun Belt entirely beyond a single targeted player. The Tier-1 cluster (Missouri, Utah, Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, Southwest Texas) is for filling specific position gaps with single-player targets only.
Your Year-by-Year Path with Oklahoma State
Year 1
The 4-HB Year
You're inheriting a 3.5-prestige roster with a 79 overall and the only A+ coach stability at sub-4 prestige in CFB 26. Don't experiment. Run Power Spread, ride the 4-HB rotation (Brock, Howland, Hicks, Vailahi), let Davies and McDaniel lock the back end. Year 1 is bowl eligibility and a 7-8 win baseline where the senior anchors carry the offense and the multi-year cluster develops. While you're winning, sign the Year 1 QB recruit and the Year 1 OL class that Gundy's A coach prestige closes.
Goal
Big 12 bowl eligibility, 7-8 wins, top-25 recruiting class with QB and OL at the top, the 4-HB room and the senior secondary carry the floor.
Years 2-3
The Multi-Year Window
Six senior anchors graduate. Duhon becomes a senior, Shettron becomes a senior, Hicks and Vailahi become juniors. The Year 1 QB recruit becomes Year 2 starter behind a thin OL. Gundy's Scheme Guru archetype combined with A/A+ coach grades means the recruits arrive coached and the system holds together.
Goal
7-8 wins, Hicks and Vailahi at 84+ as juniors, top-25 recruiting class maintained.
Year 4+
The Tenure Compound
By Year 4, the dynasty is whatever the recruits became under Gundy's stable system. A+ coach stability at launch is the structural advantage. If Gundy stays, OK State holds a 7-8 win Big 12 baseline with stable coaching. The catch is the real-world ceiling: 20-year tenures eventually end, and the post-Gundy transition is the dynasty's biggest open question.
Goal
Stable 7-8 win Big 12 program with the Scheme Guru tactical edge intact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Oklahoma State good for dynasty mode in CFB 26?
Yes for a Gundy stability-anchored project with a deep RB room and elite coach grades, with caveats. Oklahoma State enters CFB 26 with a 79-overall roster, A coach prestige and A+ coach stability Gundy under a Scheme Guru archetype, and Brock IV at HB senior 87 plus a 4-HB top-10 room. The C QB grade and 3.5-prestige cap are the structural caps.
What's Oklahoma State's prestige in CFB 26?
Oklahoma State enters CFB 26 with a 3.5-star prestige rating, paired with A coach prestige and A+ coach stability, the rarest A/A+ coach grade combination at sub-4 prestige in CFB 26 (Air Force and Army hit A+ stability without the A coach prestige). The Tier-4 Oklahoma plus Tier-4 North Texas plus Tier-3 East Texas home gives OK State the only dual-Tier-4-plus-Tier-3 home in the 3.5-Big-12 editorial set.
What playbook does Oklahoma State use in CFB 26?
Gundy's Oklahoma State runs a Power Spread offense and a 3-4 Multiple defense. The Power Spread fits the 4-HB top-10 (Brock, Howland, Hicks, Vailahi) plus Fitzpatrick at WR. The 3-4 Multiple deploys Duhon at LEDG (84, sophomore, injury 92), Davies at CB (84, senior, acceleration 95), and McCoy at MIKE (80, senior, pursuit 89).
Who is Oklahoma State's best player in College Football 26?
Freddie Brock IV at 87 OVR, senior running back, with acceleration 93, agility 90, and stamina 91. Brock IV is the highest-rated player on the roster and the Year 1 anchor of Gundy's Power Spread. Jaylin Davies at CB (84, senior, acceleration 95) and Kyran Duhon at LEDG (84, sophomore, injury 92) round out a top three split between the senior identity and the multi-year defensive bridge.
Should I rebuild Oklahoma State or take an easier team?
Oklahoma State is a Gundy stability project with a deep RB room, not a Year 1 CFP contender. The Year 1 ceiling is bowl eligibility plus a 4-HB rotation; the Year 2-3 floor depends on whether the Year 1 QB and OL recruits develop behind the multi-year cluster. Take Oklahoma State if you want the only A+ coach stability at sub-4 prestige plus the deepest top-10 RB room in the editorial set. If you want the same elite-stability shape at a lower prestige tier, look at Iowa State or BYU.