As I sit here watching the latest ASEAN Club Championship highlights, I can't help but draw parallels to our own Oklahoma State football program. Kaya FC-Iloilo just suffered their third straight defeat against Cong An Hanoi, who now tops Group B with three consecutive victories. That kind of losing streak—and that kind of dominant winning streak—really makes you think about momentum, doesn't it? It reminds me so much of where our Cowboys stand right now, teetering between past glory and future potential.
Looking at our current roster, I genuinely believe this could be the season where we turn things around. We've got Spencer Sanders returning for his fourth year as starting quarterback, and let me tell you, that experience matters more than people realize. The connection between a veteran quarterback and his receivers is something you can't quantify with stats alone. I've watched every game last season, and the improvement in his decision-making from September to November was remarkable. He finished with 2,839 passing yards and 20 touchdowns—not earth-shattering numbers, but when you consider he was working with a relatively young offensive line, it's actually quite impressive.
Our defense, which ranked 45th nationally last season, returns eight starters. That continuity is huge, especially when you look at how teams like Alabama and Georgia have built their championship runs. Defensive coordinator Derek Mason has been implementing his system for a full year now, and the players have had time to truly absorb his complex schemes. I spoke with several players during spring practices, and the level of comfort they expressed with the playbook was noticeably different from last year. They're playing faster, reacting rather than thinking, and that split-second difference could be what separates a good defense from a great one.
The Big 12 landscape has shifted significantly with Oklahoma and Texas preparing to depart for the SEC. This creates a power vacuum that Oklahoma State is perfectly positioned to fill. Baylor won the conference last year, but they lost several key players to the NFL draft. Texas remains unpredictable as always, and TCU is rebuilding under a new coaching staff. The opportunity is there for the taking, much like how Cong An Hanoi seized control of their group in the ASEAN Championship while other teams struggled to find consistency.
Recruiting has been quietly excellent over the past three years. Mike Gundy and his staff have brought in classes ranked between 25th and 30th nationally—not Alabama-level recruiting, but solid enough to build a competitive roster. What impresses me most is their development program. Players who were three-star recruits are emerging as legitimate NFL prospects. That's coaching, plain and simple. Gundy's ability to develop talent might be his most underrated quality as a head coach.
The schedule sets up favorably too. We host Baylor and Texas at home, where Boone Pickens Stadium provides one of the best home-field advantages in college football. Our toughest road game appears to be at Oklahoma, but honestly, with their program in transition, that game feels more winnable than it has in years. If we can split those key matchups and handle business against the conference's middle tier, we could easily find ourselves in the Big 12 championship game.
I remember watching our 2011 team that came within a controversial call of potentially playing for the national championship. That team had a certain swagger, a belief that they could beat anyone. What I'm seeing from this year's squad during spring practices and fall camp reminds me of that mentality. They're hungry, they're focused, and they carry themselves like they know something nobody else does.
The offensive line concerns me, I won't lie. We lost two starters to graduation and one to transfer, leaving us with some inexperienced players in key positions. But the coaching staff seems confident in the young talent, and sometimes these situations work out better than expected. Remember 2015 when we had to replace three starters? That unit ended up being one of the most productive in recent memory.
Special teams should be a strength, which matters more than casual fans realize. Placekicker Tanner Brown made 18 of 22 field goals last season, including a 48-yard game-winner against Texas. In close games—and there will be close games—having a reliable kicker can be the difference between a championship season and a disappointing one.
The path to reclaiming our championship legacy won't be easy, but it's there. We need some breaks to go our way, need to stay healthy at key positions, and need to win those coin-flip games that could go either way. But watching teams like Cong An Hanoi string together victories in their tournament gives me hope. Winning breeds confidence, and confidence breeds more winning. It's a virtuous cycle that this Oklahoma State team is capable of starting. The pieces are in place, the schedule sets up nicely, and the motivation is certainly there. This could very well be the season we've been waiting for since that magical 2011 campaign. The championship legacy that has felt somewhat distant in recent years might be closer than we think.
People in Motion (PiM) is our employee advocacy and improvement program. These cross-functional groups are comprised of employees, with an executive sponsor, who contribute ideas and drive action towards focused areas of improvement across the employee experience. The groups include: Kyruus Kontext & Business Readiness; Community, Connectivity, & Engagement; System, Tools, & Productivity; IDEA [Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility].
As a remote-first company, we are invested in employees creating a work setup that allows them to do their best work. In addition to a laptop, we also provide you with $750 to get the additional equipment you need and add an ongoing amount of $1,200 to your salary to cover remote work costs.
We value ownership at Kyruus Health, not only in the work you do but in the shared financial success from our growth. Employees will have the opportunity to grow their equity ownership throughout their tenure.
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We offer employees a lifestyle stipend of $2,000 per year to help them be well. This is designed for Kyruus Health to offset the cost for items, experiences, or home expenses that enhance team members’ well-being
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