Oklahoma State is bracing for a notable departure in the secondary. Dylan Smith, a starting safety for the Cowboys, is expected to enter the transfer portal, ending a chapter in Stillwater just as his role could have continued to grow.
Smith, a sophomore, has appeared in four games this season and is accepting a redshirt year, preserving two years of eligibility ahead.
Smith’s production in his career to this point is solid. Over his time with OSU, he recorded 77 tackles, two tackles for loss, three pass breakups, and two interceptions. As a former three‑star recruit, his contributions grew steadily: in 2024, he started 11 games (missing only BYU due to injury) and posted 42 tackles, tying for sixth on the team. That volume of playing time and consistency suggested he’d be part of the plan moving forward.
From a roster standpoint, this move will ripple through the safety room. OSU has a mix of returning safeties, transfers, and younger talent behind him. According to projections, the safety room will remain relatively deep, but losing someone with Smith’s experience still means the Cowboys must recalibrate. The staff will need to trust newer names or shift roles among the remaining vets to compensate.
For Smith himself, entering the portal gives him a clean slate. He can explore opportunities where he might start immediately, contribute to key packages, and leverage his experience from a Big 12 program. That kind of profile often attracts interest from teams seeking to bolster their secondary depth.
This isn’t necessarily a surprise in today’s college football climate, where movement via the portal is commonplace, but it’s still meaningful at a power‑conference school like Oklahoma State. In losing a player of Smith’s experience, the Cowboys must show that they can not only reload but also maintain continuity in their defensive backfield.
How OSU responds over the coming weeks, in both recruiting and internal promotion, will be critical. A secondary with new faces needs steady leadership, and Smith’s exit creates both opportunity and risk.
