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STILLWATER — When Parker Robertson saw some of the changes coming to college football as part of the pending NCAA antitrust settlement, he felt sad.
Not for himself, but for players like him. The ones who are on the same track, but a few years behind.
Robertson came to Oklahoma State as a walk-on in 2021, and if the NCAA settlement is finalized this summer, as is expected, Division I programs will be forced to eliminate their walk-on programs.
“It’s kind of scary, because that takes away an opportunity that a lot of people look forward to,” Robertson said. “There’s a lot of great players who started their careers as walk-ons and earned a scholarship and made their way to the NFL.”
If and when the NCAA settlement is finalized — some legal hurdles still remain — programs will raise their scholarship limit from 85 to 105, but walk-on spots will be eliminated.
With all 105 players on scholarship, teams like Oklahoma State won’t have the flexibility to take a risk on an unrecruited player for whom the team’s only hope would be to fill a spot on the scout team. Instead, every roster spot will be dedicated to someone who is expected to compete for playing time.
For most walk-ons, that’s not a reality. But without the walk-on program, stories of walk-ons rising to prominent roles will disappear.
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy has expertly navigated the use of walk-ons to improve his team and foster the program’s culture.
Robertson, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound safety from Rockwall, Texas, is the latest success story on a list that includes names like Brandon Weeden, Taylor Cornelius, Blake Jarwin and many more.
Robertson was a lightly recruited high school prospect at Dallas Christian and had decided he would…
Source link : https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/cowboys/2025/03/13/oklahoma-state-football-parker-robertson-walk-ons-elimination-osu-cowboys-mike-gundy/82311716007/
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Publish date : 2025-03-13 10:46:00
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