Oklahoma State Football Recruiting: Grading Every Commitment

National signing day is over, and recruiting classes all over the country have finally taken what will probably be their final shape. The Oklahoma State Cowboys had yet another underrated class, headlined by guys like wide receiver C.J. Curry and quarterback Wes Lunt.

The Cowboys' 2012 class wasn't highly ranked by any of the big recruiting websites, but they haven't had any highly ranked ones in the last five years. The fact that they were a top 10 team this season should tell you how much stock you should put into those websites and their rankings.

Here are grades for each Cowboys commitment.

Austin Hays

Austin Hays is a 6'3" wide receiver out of Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio. He's not a widely-heralded player, which is what makes him perfect for Oklahoma State.

Hays was recruited by Cowboy offensive coordinator Todd Monken and provides even more depth to an already deep pool of receivers. No idea yet what kind of impact he'll make on the field.

Grade: C

Jesse Vester

Jesse Vester is a hometown guy who decided to stick around and play for the Cowboys. The Stillwater native is a 5'10" wide receiver who is also a solid return man. Vester will most likely have an impact in special teams.

This commitment is more important than outsiders will realize. It is important to recruit at home as well as abroad. Vester gives the Cowboys that hometown name.

Grade: C+

Caleb Muncrief

At 5'8" tall and weighing just 188 pounds, this Madill, OK native is one of the smallest recruits in this class. Muncrief makes up for that with his versatility.

He's listed as an athlete on most websites, and that's exactly what he is. He runs the ball, catches the ball and plays defense. He could do any of those things for the Cowboys, only time will tell. That versatility and his being a native Oklahoman make him special.

Grade: C+

Jhajuan Seales

This 6'1" wide receiver out of Port Arthur, Texas was literally stolen from the University of Houston. Jhajuan Seales caught 54 passes for over 1,200 yards and 13 touchdowns during his senior season at Port Arthur.

Seales provides depth at wide receiver and will compete for playing time eventually, but probably not for a couple of years.

Grade: B-

Paul Lewis

The signing of Paul Lewis to a letter of intent probably came as good news to the Cowboys coaching staff. The 6'3" offensive lineman was partially recruited by Joe Deforest, who left to be the defensive coordinator at West Virginia.

Lewis has the potential to be a great lineman for the Cowboys. He's big enough and is fairly fast for his size. At the least, he adds depth to the O-line.

Grade: B

Blake Webb

Blake Webb is a Josh Cooper-type of receiver—a shorter slot guy with good hands.

Webb accumulated over 1,800 receiving yards in his junior and senior years of high school and averaged 12 yards per rush during his senior season.

Webb will probably sit for awhile, but he'll make an impact in the years to come.

Grade: B

Greg Brantley

Does this picture look a bit scary to you? It should.

Greg Brantley is a 6'7", 305-pound lineman out of Carthage, TX. With his size, Brantley looks poised for success, not just at the Division I college level, but also on Sundays.

Keep an eye on this guy. He could be a sleeper for some serious playing time, even in his true freshman year.

Grade: A

Chris Grisbhy

Chris Grisbhy is the only junior college signee that isn't already on campus for the Cowboys.

Hailing from Blinn Community College in Texas, Grisbhy is 6'5" and weighs 315 pounds. He'll immediately add useable depth to the Cowboys' O-line for this season.

Grade: B+

Victor Irokansi

Victor Irokansi may have a hard name to pronounce, but he's a big-time player. At 6'4", Irokansi gives the Cowboys the height they were looking for on the defensive line.

The Pflugerville, Texas defensive end has a good head on his shoulders (3.34 GPA) and will probably add about 30 pounds of muscle to his already 230-pound body. He may have a shot to play sooner rather than later.

Grade: A

Emmanuel Ogbah

Emmanuel Ogbah is a player extremely similar to Victor Irokansi. He's the same height (6'4"), around the same weight (235 pounds) and plays the same position as a defensive end. There's no way that's a coincidence.

Like Irokansi, Ogbah is taller, which is good for a Cowboy defense that like to intercept and bat down passes. He, like Irokansi, has a chance to play quickly.

Grade: A

Kevin Peterson

Kevin Peterson is special for a lot of reasons. One of them is that the Cowboys were able to win him away from their rivals, the Oklahoma Sooners. Peterson is one of the best in the state of Oklahoma.

The Wagoner, OK native is a 5'11" cornerback who also played on the offensive side of the ball. Peterson is one of the best defensive guys in this Cowboys class.

Grade: A

Brandon Sheperd

Brandon Sheperd is one of the best wide receiver prospects coming out of the state of Missouri. He's got size at 6'3" and speed running a 4.4 40-yard dash.

He picked the Cowboys over his hometown Missouri Tigers, which looks like a great choice now that Missouri signed Dorial Green-Beckham. Sheperd will be a playmaker in a few years for the Cowboys.

Grade: B+

Zac Veatch

Zac Veatch is a tight end out of Broken Arrow, OK. He also played defensive end in high school and is a versatile player.

The Broken Arrow program is one of the best in Oklahoma, and one would think that was a big reason for the Cowboys' interest in Veatch.

Grade: B

Calvin Barnett

Calvin Barnett is a 6'3", 283-pound defensive tackle out of Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, TX. Recruited by Cowboys defensive coordinator Bill Young, Barnett is already on campus and is a pretty good bet to crack the defensive line rotation next season.

Grade: B+

Trace Clark

Trace Clark is a 6'5" defensive end that Cowboys fans should be salivating over. He's big and athletic and will help bolster the Cowboys at defensive end.

He also is extremely bright, scoring a 29 on his ACT. He's fast as well, running a 4.5 40-yard dash.

Grade: A

Eric Davis

Just in case you didn't notice, the Cowboys are really trying to solidify themselves at the defensive end position. Eric Davis is the fourth DE on the list.

He continues the trend of tall, athletic ends for this defense at 6'3" tall. He may not play as quickly as the others, but he adds solid depth to the position.

Grade: C+

Blake Jackson

Another recruiting win against the rival Sooners, Blake Jackson committed to Oklahoma State after the Cowboys trounced their in-state rival 44-10 on December 3.

Jackson is not your average tight end. He's big at 6'4" and 235 pounds, but he's also very fast (4.5 in the 40). He's on campus now, so expect him to make an impact soon. He'll probably be a Tracy Moore-like guy in the Cowboy offense.

Grade: B+

Ashton Lampkin

Ashton Lampkin is another big Texas recruit for the Cowboys. The 5'11" cornerback out of Ft. Worth was recruited by the Cowboys inside receivers coach Doug Meacham. That little tidbit leads me to suspect that Lampkin may play on offense, despite being recruited as a defensive guy.

Either way, Lampkin can play and picked the Cowboys over Texas A&M and Texas Tech.

Grade: C+

Dominic Ramacher

Coming out of Denton Guyer High School, Dominic Ramacher is a former teammate of current Cowboys Josh Stewart and J.W. Walsh. He's a 6'3", 230-pound athlete who can play on both sides of the ball.

Ramacher will probably play offense as an inside receiver type. He's extremely athletic and is one of the most highly anticipated recruits in this Cowboy class.

Grade: A

Jeremiah Tshimanga

The Cowboys appear to be recruiting for defense in this class, and Jeremiah Tshimanga is a big part of that.

The 6'3" inside linebacker is already on campus after graduating early in December. His ability appears to be high, he has a chance to be one of the best defensive playmakers for the Cowboys in the years to come.

Grade: A

Michael Wilson

Michael Wilson is a 6'6" offensive lineman out of Aledo, TX. At 265 pounds, Wilson is a bit light coming out of school, but that's nothing that Cowboys strength and conditioning coach Rob Glass can't take care of.

Wilson is part of what appears to be a continued effort to build depth on the offensive line with this class. He's the fourth-highest rated Cowboy recruit according to Rivals, but remember that that means nothing.

Grade: B+

C.J. Curry

C.J. Curry is the only receiver in this class that has a shot at cracking the playing rotation. At 6'2" and 210 pounds, the Flowery Branch, GA native appears to be ready now to play at the Division I level.

According to Rivals, Curry had scholarship offers from Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee and Stanford. The fact that he chose the Cowboys is a clear indicator of how the Pokes' on-the-field success is helping them in recruiting.

Grade: A+

Seth Jacobs

It was a pleasant surprise when, on national signing day, outside linebacker Seth Jacobs signed with the Cowboys. Jacobs had been up in the air to that point, and the Cowboys beat out nearly the entire Pac-12 and a few other programs in signing him.

Jacobs is from Arroyo Grande, CA and is 6'2" and 215 pounds. He appears to fit the Cowboys' mold of a lighter, more nimble linebacker who can keep up with the passing attacks in the Big 12.

Grade: A

Wes Lunt

Quarterback is generally considered to be the most important position on the field. That importance is increased exponentially when you run the type of up-tempo, high volume passing offense that the Cowboys run.

That's why Wes Lunt is the best recruit the Cowboys signed this recruiting season.

Lunt is a 6'5", 210-pound signal-caller out of Rochester, IL. Recruited by Cowboy offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Lunt led his high school team to back-to-back state championships running an offensive system very similar to the one Oklahoma State runs.

Plus, he graduated early in December and is on campus now, allowing him to compete for the starting job for next season.

Grade: A+