PFF Tabs Oklahoma State's Wesloski Top Big 12 Linebacker

What Happened

Per Yahoo Sports, PFF has named Oklahoma State linebacker Ethan Wesloski the highest-rated returning linebacker in the Big 12 heading into 2026. The grade stems from a 90.6 PFF mark Wesloski posted at North Texas before arriving in Stillwater. The report frames him as a proven building block for a Cowboys defense being reshaped under head coach Eric Morris. No official school statement accompanies the PFF release, and Oklahoma State has not issued separate comment on the grade.

Why It Matters

• Gives Oklahoma State a graded-elite piece at linebacker heading into a defensive rebuild, rather than a full teardown
• PFF's system rewards Wesloski's North Texas tape, which raises the bar for how he needs to perform against Big 12 competition
• A returning number this high gives Eric Morris a known quantity to build defensive calls around instead of guessing at his front seven

Josh's Receipt

THE PATE STATE READ

THE PATE STATE READ: A 90.6 grade at North Texas is real production, and PFF isn't handing that number out for showing up. The jump from North Texas competition to the Big 12 is the actual test here, not the grade itself. Oklahoma State's defense needs an identity after last season, and a proven linebacker gives Morris something to design around rather than someone to hope develops. This is a solid building block. It is not confirmation the whole defense is fixed.(Josh has not yet commented.)

What's Next

• Oklahoma State fall camp practices, expected to open in early August, will show whether Wesloski's role matches the hype
• Cowboys season opener will be the first live look at how his North Texas tape translates against Big 12-level competition