When Oklahoma State came into San Antonio for the Valero Alamo Bowl, several of their players experienced a homecoming back in the Alamo City, and they not only set aside tickets for friends and family, but they had an impact on the 38-8 victory for the Cowboys over the Colorado Buffaloes. Austin Hays, the senior wide receiver out of Reagan High School, caught three passes, of which a couple were key third down catches to keep drives going. Jordan Sterns, the safety from Steele High School, had five total tackles in the game. Ramon Richards, the charismatic corner back from Brackenridge who stole the show at the pep rally, brought his energy to the field with four total tackles and several disrupted passes. Vincent Taylor, the big defensive tackle from Madison High School, dominated Colorado’s offensive line and won the Defensive Player of the Game before declaring for the NFL Draft the next day.
Even head coach Mike Gundy was surprised at how many local players were on his team. In 2013, Oklahoma State played the UTSA Roadrunners, becoming one of UTSA’s first big time opponents. UTSA returned the favor and went to Stillwater in back-to-back years. I believe those games against UTSA, specifically in San Antonio, had an impact on recruiting local players. If you’re a high school player deciding on where to go, and a big school that’s recruiting you plays in your backyard and impresses you, that might sway your decision towards them. That game in 2013 at the Alamodome, important in so many ways for UTSA, could have been equally as important for Oklahoma State. It lead to having so many players from the San Antonio area on the team, and they’ve played extremely well for the Cowboys, especially at the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.