It appears that many players were waiting for the end of the College Football Playoff semi-finals to enter the transfer portal, including Oklahoma State cornerback DJ McKinney. He joins at least 24 other players who have put their names into the portal today.
McKinney joins the transfer portal after a quiet week for the Cowboy’s following their bowl game win against Texas A&M. While the momentum of Oklahoma State is still in a very positive direction following Ollie Gordon III announcing he would be returning next season, this is a tough blow that the team didn’t want.
DJ McKinney played in all 14 of Oklahoma State’s games in 2023, starting OSU’s Texas Bowl win against Texas A&M. On the year, he had 38 total tackles and five pass breakups. McKinney’s best game came against the Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 Championship Game where he totaled seven tackles.
According to PFF, DJ McKinney was targeted against 49 times this past season, and allowed 22 catches for 446 yards. While those stats aren’t phenomenal, with an off-season to improve, many believed that he had the potential to be a true lockdown corner that offenses avoid throwing against.
Perhaps the most concerning part of his transfer is that he is joining safeties Lardarius Webb Jr. and Nick Session as secondary players transferring from the team. The secondary now becomes an area of emphasis for the Cowboy’s as they head into the offseason.
Where will DJ McKinney land?
There is no immediate clear candidate to land DJ McKinney. Out of high school, McKinney was recruited by Arkansas, Missouri, Arizona, Baylor and others. With proven cornerbacks being a high priority for many teams, McKinney will unlikely have any problem finding another team.
The transfer portal closes today at 11:59 PM. Coaches and fans may be celebrating New Years tonight as rosters will finally be starting to settle down for next season, or at least until the next transfer window opens in April.
