Tulsa football adds graduate transfers

TULSA –– University of Tulsa football coach Kevin Wilson announced the signing of three graduate transfers to financial aid agreements.

Oklahoma State defensive end Ben Kopenski, Florida International offensive lineman Rey Burnett and Nevada-Reno long snapper Austin Ortega will continue their collegiate careers with the Golden Hurricane.

In addition, Demarco Jones, who signed with Tulsa in December, has completed his undergraduate degree requirements at OSU.

Kopenski and Ortega will be in their final years of eligibility, while Burnett and Jones have two years remaining to play.

A former walk-on, the 6-1 Kopenski (Prosper, Texas/McKinney High School) became a key contributor during his last two seasons at OSU, recording 17 total tackles, six tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He played in all 13 games in 2022 and was credited with 14 stops, including four TFL, 3.5 sacks for minus-19 yards and eight quarterback hurries.

Burnett, a 6-5, 290-pound lineman from Edmond Santa Fe High School, spent the past two years at FIU. Previously, Burnett played nine games in 2019 at Houston Baptist before redshirting a year later.

Burnett appeared in six games and made a pair of starts on the offensive line at FIU in 2021.

From San Antonio (Texas) Regan High School, the 5-8 Ortega comes to Tulsa from Nevada-Reno, where he earned four letters as the school’s long snapper. He handled the long-snapping duties for the Wolfpack the past three years, appearing in all 25 games over the last two seasons.