Kilgore’s Jonathan Shepherd Commits To Oklahoma State
Jonathon Shepherd's fast-paced recruiting process appears to be over.
The senior Kilgore receiver verbally committed Thursday to Oklahoma State. He had no offers before April 27 and chose the Cowboys program in favor of 14 other NCAA Division I FBS programs.
The commitment was first reported by Justin Wells of InsideTexas.com on Twitter.
Shepherd (6-3, 196) caught 17 passes for 260 yards and three touchdowns in Kilgore's run-heavy offense. Kilgore shared the District 9-4A Division I title, advanced to the area round of the playoffs and finished the year with a 7-5 record.
Oklahoma State is coming off a season in which it contested for the Big 12 Conference championship through the final week of its regular season. It could have shared the title with a win on the road at chief rival Oklahoma, but a loss gave the Sooners an outright crown.
The Cowboys' 10-2 regular season record was good enough for an Alamo Bowl berth and a decisive win against Colorado. Oklahoma State jumped from 13th in the second-to-last Associated Press poll to 11th with the postseason victory.
Shepherd is slated to join a program with five 10-win seasons under head coach Mike Gundy. Oklahoma State has not endured a season with less than 10 wins since 2014.
Legendary running back Barry Sanders gave Oklahoma State its sole claim to a Heisman Trophy in 1988. Gundy was the quarterback Sanders' Heisman year.
East Texas legend Dez Bryant, a receiver like Shepherd, played his college ball with the Cowboys.
Shepherd, like all college football prospects entering their senior year of high school, will first become eligible to sign with Oklahoma State or any other Division school that offers him in December.
2018 East Texas Football Players With Division I FBS Offers
- Tre Allison, John Tyler, OLB, 6-2, 211 — committed to SMU; additional offers from Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, Texas State, Tulane, ULL (7)
- Chance Amie, Tyler Lee, QB, 6-3, 190 — offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Central Florida, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, Georgia State, Houston, Iowa State, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Texas, Rutgers, Southern Miss, Syracuse, Tulane, ULL, Virginia (18)
- Xavier Benson, Pleasant Grove, LB, 6-0, 200 — offers from Arkansas State, Army, Memphis, North Texas, Rice, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State, Texas Tech, Tulane, ULL, ULM, Wyoming (13)
- Drake Centers, Tatum, OL, 6-3, 296 — offers from SMU, Southern Miss, Texas State (3)
- Kylar Cooks, Liberty-Eylau, OL, 6-5, 252 — offers from Arkansas State, North Texas, Texas State, ULL (4)
- Jeremiah Davis, Lufkin, CB, 5-10, 194 — committed to ULL (1)
- Kris Dike, Van, OL, 6-6, 283 — offers from Colorado, Houston, Memphis, North Texas, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU, Tulane (8)
- Dekalen Goodson, John Tyler, DE/OLB, 6-2, 209 — committed to Houston; additional offers from Mississippi State, SMU, Texas State, Tulane, ULL (6)
- Trae Hall, Henderson, QB/ATH, 6-3, 185 — offers from Florida Atlantic, New Mexico State, Tulane, ULL, ULM (5)
- Conner Henson, Harmony, OL, 6-3, 243 — offers from ULL, ULM (2)
- Chasen Hines, Marshall, OL, 6-3, 353 — committed to LSU; additional offers from Arizona, Baylor, Louisiana Tech, Minnesota, North Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Rice, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech (16)
- Tevailance Hunt, Texas High, WR, 6-2, 180 — committed to Kansas; additional offers from Arkansas State, Bowling Green, Florida Atlantic, Houston, Iowa State, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Memphis, Nevada, North Texas, Oklahoma State, Southern Miss, Tulsa (14)
- Dewaylon Ingram, Carthage, WR, 6-0, 160 — offer from Arkansas State (1)
- Keaontay Ingram, Carthage, RB, 6-0, 198 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Florida State, Houston, Iowa State, Kansas, LSU, Memphis, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, TCU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCLA, USC, UTSA (27)
- Malik Jackson, Lufkin, WR, 5-8, 163 — offers from Arkansas State, Houston, Texas State (3)
- Kameron King, Marshall, OL, 6-2, 275 — offers from Memphis, North Texas, Tulane, ULM, Southern Miss (5)
- Trevor Lawrence, Whitehouse, DE, 6-4, 245 — offer from ULM (1)
- DeMarvion Overshown, Arp, S, 6-4, 196 — committed to Texas; additional offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Colorado, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, SMU, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Stanford, TCU, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, UTSA (30)
- Leonard Parks, Texas High, DE, 6-5, 230 — offer from ULM (1)
- Jonathan Shepherd, Kilgore, WR, 6-3, 196 — committed to Oklahoma State; additional offers from Colorado State, Florida Atlantic, Houston, Kansas State, ULM, Missouri, New Mexico, Memphis, North Texas, Oregon State, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas State, Texas Tech (15)
- DaRyan Williams, Nacogdoches, 5-10,199 — offer from Texas State (1)
- Tyree Wilson, West Rusk, LB, 6-5, 225 — offers from Houston, Kansas, Memphis, Mississippi State, New Mexico, Oklahoma State, SMU, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas State, Tulane, ULL, ULM, Washington State, Wyoming (15)