Deep-rotation nose tackle with walk-on grit and practice-field juice
AJ Ridener is a redshirt sophomore nose tackle for Oklahoma State in the 2026 season, and his value is the kind coaches love: dependable depth, legit size at 6-foot-1 and 320 pounds, and a workmanlike edge that’s earned him multiple practice-player honors. In the 2023 season, he appeared in one game and recorded a solo tackle; in 2024, he did not see in-game action. The bigger story is his developmental arc—former Jenks state champ, district defensive tackle of the year, and a walk-on who has stayed on the roster by outworking people. If you want a blue-collar interior body, he fits the profile.
