Two Oklahoma State recruits LSU should poach after Mike Gundy firing

The second longest tenured head coach in college football is now out of a job. Oklahoma State made the decision to fire Mike Gundy on Wednesday after 21 seasons at the helm in Stillwater. Gundy's Cowboys lost in embarrassing fashion to smaller in-state rival Tulsa last Friday. That loss came two weeks after Oklahoma State was rocked 69-3 by Oregon in the most lopsided loss of Gundy's tenure at Oklahoma State. Gundy now joins UCLA's DeShaun Foster and Virginia Tech's Brent Pry as coaches to be shown the door before Week 5 of the 2025 season.

Per NCAA rules, after Gundy's firing on Wednesday, the transfer portal is now open for 30 days for Oklahoma State players and recruits. As Brian Kelly and his staff continue to fill out their 2026 recruiting class, there are a couple Oklahoma State commits that are worth exploring.

Two Oklahoma State recruits LSU should target

LSU currently has the 11th-ranked recruiting class for 2026 according to 247Sports. Oklahoma State's 2026 class sits at No. 57 in the rankings. Now that the portal is open for Cowboy recruits, here are two names Brian Kelly should look into:

Danny Beale, DL

Defensive lineman Danny Beale is the highest-rated recruit in Oklahoma State's 2026 class. The four-star prospect is rated by 247Sports as the No. 1 player in Arkansas and the No. 18 defensive lineman in the country. Beale owns a big 6-foot-3.5, 315-pound frame and committed to Gundy and the Cowboys over other offers from Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Georgia, Florida, and Auburn, as well as LSU.

The Tigers have several big name defensive linemen in their 2026 class, including No. 1 overall prospect Lamar Brown and five-star EDGE Trenton Henderson. But adding Beale to the mix would make for an even more dangerous incoming class of defensive linemen. 247Sport Scouting Analyst Gabe Brooks describes Beale as displaying "impressive functional athleticism that shows in movement ability and pursuit range on defense, as well as flashes of offensive playmaking." Brooks says that Beale could play on either side of the ball, but that he projects to the interior defensive line.

KD Jones, RB

Kaydin "KD" Jones is rated as the No. 5 overall player in Oklahoma and the No. 30 running back in the country. Brooks describes Jones as a "capable runner in a variety of situations, with impressive initial accelerating juice. He runs hard, plays pad level-aware, and displays encouraging contact balance that allows him to finish above his size. He excels as a cut-and-go runner with vision and ability to get skinny in the hole."

It didn't take long for Jones to look elsewhere after Gundy's firing, as the 6-foot-0, 185-pound running back has already opened his recruitment back up after decommitting from Oklahoma State on Wednesday. He did not receive an offer from LSU, but received offers from other SEC schools including Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas A&M. LSU's 2026 class does not currently feature any running backs, and with the Tiger RB room already a bit thin this season, stacking up on talented playmakers in the backfield may not be a bad idea for Kelly and his staff.