Oklahoma State has added another potential impact player along the defensive front.
On Sunday, OSU added UCLA defensive lineman Sitiveni Havili-Kaufusi out of the transfer portal, according to a report from Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Havili-Kaufusi spent his past three seasons of college football with the Bruins but is looking for a change as he enters 2025.
Havili-Kaufusi had his most productive year last season, making 10 total tackles, including a tackle for loss. He finished his UCLA career with 22 tackles across 33 games, as he played in almost every contest for the Bruins in his time there.
While his production doesn’t necessarily jump off the page, adding a defensive lineman who OSU can rely on to stay on the field throughout the season would be a huge advantage. Although injuries can happen to anyone at any time, as OSU learned with Collin Oliver and Nick Martin last season, being a durable player entering a new situation is typically a key for quick success.
After going 3-9 and boasting one of the worst defenses in college football in virtually every area in 2024, the Cowboys are looking to shake things up over the offseason. The first big change was with the staff, firing two-year defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo and bringing in veteran Todd Grantham to lead that unit. That change led to a number of other staff changes, including Grantham adding some of his former assistants to the OSU staff.
Havili-Kaufusi is just the latest addition to Grantham’s unit through the transfer portal. After adding him, other linemen and some highly touted players in the secondary, OSU could be set for a resurgent year defensively.
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