Former Starter Departs Oklahoma State for Transfer Portal

Mike Gundy and the Oklahoma State Cowboys have an interesting situation on their hands with multiple players fighting for the starting spot under center in Stillwater.

One name, expected to be in the mix, entered the transfer portal on Monday, ending freshman signal-caller Maealiuaki Smith’s time with the program.

“Oklahoma State redshirt freshman quarterback Maealiuaki Smith is entering the NCAA transfer portal,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel said. “Smith started two games for Oklahoma State last year, played in four games and will have four seasons of eligibility at his next stop.”

In 2025, Smith saw action in four games and was able to preserve a redshirt. He posted 44 completions for 489 yards and a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 2-4. He finished with a quarterback rating of just 58.2 in his freshman season.

Coming out of Junipero Serra in the Class of 2024, Smith was listed as a three-star prospect by the 247Sports index and the nation’s 547th-ranked player. He also checked in as the 32nd-ranked player at his position and the 40th-ranked player in the state of California.

With a somewhat crowded quarterback room paired with the emergence of incoming quarterback Hauss Hejny, Smith elected to depart the program and search for a new home in the transfer portal.