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There\u2019s a cruel reality creeping into college football now, and Oklahoma State reserve LB Tom Watts just became the latest example of it. One day you\u2019re flying downhill in a spring game, making yourself known; the next day, NCAA compliance is pushing you to the exit door because you became an extra. Oklahoma State Sr. Associate AD for Compliance Ben Dyson confirmed the situation publicly.<\/span><\/p>\n Watch What\u2019s Trending Now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cTom Watts was a football student-athlete at Oklahoma State University during the Spring 2026 term,\u201d Ben Dyson wrote in a statement. \u201cDue solely to roster limitations, Tom was removed from the team following the conclusion of spring practice. Oklahoma State University fully supports Tom\u2019s ability to transfer to another NCAA institution and continue his athletic career.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The NCAA\u2019s post-House settlement structure reshaped roster management across Division I athletics. For football, the number is now 105 players. And once those rosters are locked, they\u2019re locked, and Tom Watts became the one on the outside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The NCAA rules are supposed to empower college players. Athletes can transfer more easily, profit from NIL, and leverage opportunities that didn\u2019t exist five years ago. But at the same time, schools are making colder business decisions than ever before.<\/span><\/p>\n Tom Watts, the sophomore NEO transfer LB and former Bishop McGuinness product, turned heads during Oklahoma State\u2019s spring game. He tied for the team lead with four tackles alongside Ethan Wesloski, LaDainian Fields, and Jaleel Johnson. Late in the game, he dashed downhill and slammed a ball carrier with the hardest hit of the afternoon. He showed how dominant and aggressive he could\u2019ve been.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n NEW: Oklahoma State\u2019s Sr. Associate AD for Compliance, Ben Dyson, says they removed a player from the roster and instructed him to transfer to another NCAA institution.<\/p>\n Transferring without entering the portal can trigger harsh penalties.<\/p>\n Feels pretty negligent by OSU\u2026 \ud83d\ude33 pic.twitter.com\/uj2aF5n54k<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 College Transfer Portal (@CollegeFBPortal) May 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n And yet, a few weeks later, he\u2019s leaving because college football\u2019s new roster rules turned him into collateral damage. Still, if Tom Watts transfers to another school without entering the portal, he would trigger another NCAA violation called ghost transfers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Back in April, the NCAA approved automatic penalties for schools that accept transfers outside the official portal window. The punishment is massive, with a 50% suspension for the head coach plus fines totaling 20% of the sport\u2019s budget.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis change addresses gaps in the transfer and tampering policies that have allowed for abuse,\u201d Illinois AD Josh Whitman said when the rule was announced.<\/span><\/p>\n Now players like Tom Watts are stuck in a system that somehow became both freer and stricter at the same time. And honestly, Oklahoma State was always going to face roster chaos the second Mike Gundy\u2019s era ended<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n When Eric Morris arrived from North Texas, he was handed an unstable roster. Only 25 players returned from last season\u2019s 115-man roster. Meanwhile, 67 Cowboys transferred out following the coaching change. And the harsh truth buried inside those numbers tells you everything about where Oklahoma State stood as a program. Only 25 of those transfers landed at other Power Conference schools. The remaining 42 ended up outside the power structure. That\u2019s usually what happens after a 1-11 season.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Eric Morris responded as any other modern coach would by exploiting the portal. Seventeen North Texas players followed him to Stillwater, including QB Drew Mestemaker, RB Caleb Hawkins, WR Wyatt Young, and several defenders from a Mean Green defense that ranked among the nation\u2019s better units.<\/span><\/p>\n ESPN<\/span><\/i> even ranked Oklahoma State fifth in the Big 12 for offseason work because of how aggressively Eric Morris attacked the portal. But aggressive rebuilding comes with casualties because roster caps don\u2019t care if a walk-on LB looked like he belonged. And for Tom Watts, the numbers finally ran out.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Football Oklahoma State\u2019s roster overhaul under Eric Morris<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n