Mike Gundy had the greatest incentive to rip the new rule and the side effect that has emerged the past few weeks. The Oklahoma State coach had just lost a significant contributor in receiver Jalen McCleskey to the new redshirt rule, which allows players to redshirt as long as they’ve played four or fewer games. McCleskey, a senior, played in the Cowboys’ first four games and then—after catching 15 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns—decided to leave the team so he can redshirt this season and play somewhere else next season as a graduate transfer.
Yet Gundy didn’t blast the player, and he offered only constructive criticism of the rule.