Payton Caudle Gives Oklahoma State Cowgirls Four-Star Commitment for 2028

The Oklahoma State Cowgirls have been the program of the summer in women’s college basketball. That’s carried over into the fall.

On Sunday, On3’s Talia Goodman (subscription required) reported that guard Payton Caudle committed to the Cowgirls. The guard from Fayetteville, Ark., was ranked as a Top 25 player in the Class of 2028 by On3/Rivals. Caudle also announced it on social media.

The commitment is non-binding. The earliest she can sign with the program is next month when the early signing period begins.

Where Payton Caudle Fits for OSU

Caudle was being recruited by Tulsa, Oklahoma, Missouri and BYU, among other schools. Beating out their in-state rivals is a coup for the Cowgirls and head coach Jacie Hoyt.

The Cowgirls do have to look ahead carefully to 2028 in part because of the new age-based eligibility rules. Incoming freshmen get five years of eligibility now. Current players received more eligibility based on where they are in their collegiate careers, depending on what benefits them more.

That may create a roster crunch that Hoyt will need to be aware of as she continues to build her 2028 class. Only one year is a fifth-year player — Callin Hake, who was added to the roster last month when she received a temporary restraining order and signed with the program. The other 11 players on the electronic roster will have at least one year of eligibility past this coming season.

All the work that Hoyt and her staff put in this summer, building the No. 1 transfer class in the country, is now paying off on the recruiting trail. The Cowgirls lured the No. 1 and No. 2 transfers in center Audi Crooks and guard Liv McGill. Crooks — formerly of Iowa State — was named the Big 12 preseason player of the year and McGill was named the Big 12 newcomer of the year.

In addition, the Cowgirls were named the Big 12 preseason favorite for the first time in program history. The Cowgirls also had 10 of their 18 league games selected for national broadcasts and will face one of the top teams in the country, South Carolina, in December in a game that will be broadcast on ABC.

Hoyt, along with Crooks, McGill and guard Stailee Heard — the only holdover from last year’s NCAA Tournament team — will be in Kansas City on Wednesday to talk to the media for Big 12 media days.