Well, that didn’t take long. After a short-lived stint as a Kansas commit, three-star running back Kaydin Jones is flipping back to Oklahoma State. The Tulsa native originally committed to the Cowboys over the summer, but when Mike Gundy was fired, things got sideways quickly. Jones backed off his pledge and joined the Jayhawks’ class instead. Now, with Eric Morris in charge in Stillwater, he’s right back where he started.
This flip isn’t a shock to anybody who’s been following it closely. Jones never really closed the door on Oklahoma State. Once Morris and his new staff got in front of him, it didn’t take much convincing. They got him back on campus, laid out what the new-look offense will look like, and showed him where he fits into it. That was enough.
Jones is exactly the kind of back you win with in the Big 12. He’s 5-foot-11, around 190 pounds, with quick feet and a second gear that shows up on tape. He’s not a top-end burner, but he’s shifty, tough to bring down in space, and has soft hands as a receiver. The way Morris wants to spread the field and move the ball around? Jones fits right in.
For Oklahoma State, this one means a little more than just a quality back. It’s an in-state kid with legit offers who got poached during a staff transition, and they got him back. That doesn’t always happen. Getting Jones back on board is a win for optics, momentum, and message. Morris and his staff are showing they’re not here to watch the cupboard get emptied. They’re keeping talent home.
And yeah, for Kansas, this one stings a bit. They took advantage of the Gundy fallout and thought they had something locked down. But as soon as the new staff in Stillwater found their footing, Jones’ phone was ringing again. Credit to the Cowboys for not just backing off and letting it slide.
It’s hard to know how much of an immediate impact Jones will have, but that’s not the point right now. The point is that Oklahoma State, even in transition, is still winning important recruiting battles. And in this era of portal chaos and coaching turnover, that’s not nothing.
