McCleskey to redshirt, transfer
STILLWATER — Senior Jalen McCleskey, Oklahoma State’s active leading pass-catcher and arguably one of the top10 receivers in program history, has elected to sit out the remainder of this season, redshirt and transfer to another program for 2019, coach Mike Gundy announced Monday.
Gundy dropped the bombshell at the end of his weekly news conference ahead of the Cowboys’ Saturday matchup with Kansas, saying he told McCleskey he didn’t believe transferring to be the best decision but that
he would support him.
“Jalen McCleskey is not with us anymore,” Gundy said. “He did not feel good about us getting the ball to him, so he’s decided to redshirt and transfer, so we’re gonna let him sit the rest of the year. That decision was made this morning.”
McCleskey, who ranks sixth in OSU history in receptions and ninth in touchdown catches, will take advantage of a new rule that allows players to participate in four games and still redshirt. Saturday’s 41-17 loss to Texas Tech was OSU’s fourth game; McCleskey had four catches for 52 yards, both marks second among Cowboys.
Although Gundy claimed McCleskey does not have to graduate first to be eligible at another school in 2019, Kevin Fite, OSU’s senior associate athletics director for compliance, said that would be the case only if McCleskey received a waiver for personal circumstances.
McCleskey led OSU in catches as a sophomore in 2016 with 73, averaging 5.62 catches per game. He averaged 3.85 receptions per game in 2017 and was averaging 3.75 through four games this season. McCleskey will end his OSU career with 167 receptions, leaving him 13 away from the program’s top five.
“He’s been awesome for us,” Gundy said. “I hated to see it . ... Great, great young man, great family. Just didn’t feel like that he was getting the ball enough and wants to save this year and sit and transfer to another school. If that’s what guys on the team want to do, that’s what we’ll allow them to do.”
Gundy said Monday was not the first time he had heard McCleskey express the possibility of a transfer, though those conversations did not include McCleskey demanding the ball more.
“We can’t control who touches the ball all the time, especially at the wide receiver position,” Gundy said. “... We’re certainly not going to tell our quarterback, ‘We want you to throw to this guy for certain reasons.’ And he didn’t ask us to do that, but that’s what you would be doing.
“Offense is one guy gets the ball and 10 unselfish guys have to go play their (butt) off.”
Gundy expressed displeasure not with McCleskey for transferring, but with the rule that allows him to do so. A handful of Auburn players took advantage of the redshirt rule in the same manner last week.
Gundy said he would like to see such actions limited to first- or second-year players. He also noted that McCleskey’s exit leaves OSU with a scholarship opening and no way to immediately fill it.
It is unknown where McCleskey, who declined an interview request from The Oklahoman, intends to transfer, though it’s worth noting his father, JJ McCleskey, is Tulane’s defensive backs coach. McCleskey is from Covington, Louisiana.
Without McCleskey, Landon Wolf, a redshirt sophomore put on scholarship ahead of this season, rises up the depth chart, while Dillon Stoner, who missed most of last week’s loss with what Gundy called a “slight pull,” will also see increased responsibility, though his status for the Kansas game remains in doubt. Tracin Wallace, twin brother of leading receiver Tylan Wallace, is expected to have surgery for a right knee injury, leaving OSU without depth at inside receiver.
“Thinner than what we’ve been, but it is what it is,” Gundy said. “We don’t have a plan B. Can’t pick a guy up on (waivers). That’s why we have coaches. That’s why they get paid all the money they get paid, figure something out, come up with a plan, let’s keep rolling.”