Biggest Decision Facing Oklahoma State Coach Eric Morris Before Camp Begins

The quality of the hire of Eric Morris as head coach at Oklahoma State isn’t in question. But things are about to start getting real.

Morris enters his first fall workout at the helm of the Cowboys with a roster that looks like an episode of extreme home makeover. Aside from the transfers that followed him from North Texas — close to 20 players — he’s spent most of the spring and summer getting know nearly 100 new players. They, in turn, have had to get to know him.

He has his own self-imposed expectations. The fan base — which has suffered through a 4-20 record over the last two seasons — has more modest expectations.

As he enters fall workouts, here is the biggest question that Morris must answer before fall camp begins.

What is Eric Morris’ Biggest Decision Before Camp?

I think his biggest decision is how to divide reps across the first couple weeks of camp. He's an unusual situation, and one he really hasn't been in since he went to Incarnate Word several years ago and took over a program that was still being built.

Morris is overseeing what in the NFL would be seen as an expansion franchise. He has nearly 90 new transfers and close to 20 freshmen joining the program. Only 11 players chose to stay. And while there are certainly some players that have a leg up in getting a starting job over others, most of the starting lineup and the two-deep roster is wide open.

Morris has a few things he must balance. For instance, at quarterback, no one is questioning that Drew Mestemaker is going to be the starter. But how many reps does he need per day in an offense he played in last year? He needs enough to gain chemistry with the wide receivers that are new but not so many that he takes away reps from an important competition behind him, which is who will back him up. The same could be said about Caleb Hawkins at running back.

But at other positions how he allocates reps and rotations in conjunction with his assistant coaches is going to be vital. Consider the competition on the offensive and defensive lines.

There isn't a returning starter on either unit. The closest thing either unit has to significant experience is Jakobe Sanders on the offensive line and Iman Oates on the defensive line, the latter of whom can practice but not play yet.

In the early days of camp, it's easy to balance reps. But at what point do he and his assistant coaches begin allocating reps based on merit to ramp up for the season? One week in? Two weeks in? Morris must balance that without deterring the development of his young players because the freshman can play this year too, as the redshirt rules no longer apply. It creates more competition, but also more congestion.

Morris must find a balance between giving everyone an opportunity to shine and prove their ability to play and knowing when to ramp up the players that can truly help him in 2026. It sounds easy. Most of it will be based on merit. But in practice, doing so with a roster that is practically brand new will be one of the biggest challenges of his first season as head coach at Oklahoma State.

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