Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy was brutally honest about the NIL cost of backup linebacker Collin Oliver. His candid quote about the offseason acquisition was misconstrued as disrespect due to some questionable reporting.
In reality, he offered a unique perspective on the current interworkings of college football.
Gundy and the Cowboys are 2-0 in 2024 after a double overtime win over the Arkansas Razorbacks. They have legitimate College Football Playoff hopes behind star running back Ollie Gordon and seventh-year quarterback Alan Bowman. It could be a very special year in Stillwater if all of the pieces come together in the right way at the right time.
However, Oklahoma State will likely need to play the rest of the year without starting linebacker Collin Oliver. The All-Big 12 player who made 73 tackles in 2023 will be out no less than a month after leaving the game against the Hogs with a foot injury.
Mike Gundy saw a diamond in the rough!
Obi Ezeigbo is going to have to step up. He is a fifth-year senior who arrived in the spring of 2024 after five years at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. Gannon is a Division II school.
His first game as a prominent role player for the Pokes was an overwhelming success! Ezeigbo made nine tackles in place of Oliver on Saturday.
When asked about his decision to add a player from such a small school to his roster, Gundy gave a very blunt answer. The money was a major factor.
In an era of college football where NIL has a direct impact on recruiting – especially through the transfer portal — and a D2 player requires a much smaller payout than a Power Five transfer. Less status + less experience (on the FBS level) + less demand = less money. It was not a knock on Ezeigbo!
https://t.co/FOcYMCxExl pic.twitter.com/aVAyRqok8D
— Aslan Hajivandi (@AslanHodges) September 9, 2024
Unfortunately, the quote was initially presented in a way that made it seem like a slight.
If that was the full quote, it would be entirely fair to say that Mike Gundy was talking down on Obi Ezeigbo. But… that was not the full quote!