Biggest Questions Oklahoma State Football Still Face Before Week 1
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys are wrapping up their final week of non-game prep during fall football camp. Starting Monday, everything is about preparing for Tulsa.
It's been a remarkably smooth camp considering the Cowboys have a new head coach in Eric Morris and nearly 90 new players that came in via the transfer portal.
But there are still some important questions that must be worked out between now and the Tulsa game on Sept. 5. Here are three of the biggest questions Morris and his staff will likely grapple with until kickoff.
The Edge Rush Rotation
Morris believes he has the raw materials to improve Oklahoma State’s pass rush from a year ago. There's no star on the defensive line like Drew Mestemaker quarterback, but he believes he has considerable depth and talent that will allow him to go three deep on each side. Defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity has said this is the deepest group he's worked with as a coordinator.
But how the Cowboys put this group together will be critical to their success early in the season. Jaleel Jackson and James Williams seem poised to be the starters, but Cassity says they’re going to rotate plenty of rushers. That could include Malik Charles, Billy Walton III, Keviyan Huddleston, Carl’veon Young and DeSean Brown.
But it’s also about how the players rotate in and out and which situations work best for each player. There may not be a three-down edge rusher on this team — at least right now. Substitution patterns must be worked out. Morris, Cassity and the staff have a week left to figure out a game plan for the Tulsa contest. They also need contingency plans in place for in-game adjustments.
What of Braydon Nelson?
Morris brought several offensive linemen with him from North Texas, but none was more important to what the Mean Green did a year ago than Nelson. He was the left tackle for the No. 1 offense in the country, one that racked up more than 500 yards per game.
But he's been dealing with an injury since he arrived at Oklahoma State. He's ramping up, but it's clear that he won't be ready for the opener. Morris has all but named former Oklahoma tackle Jacob Sexton as the starter going into the Tulsa game.
So there are several questions. When will Nelson be ready to play? When he's ready where will he play? Morris said earlier this camp that Nelson can play both tackle and guard. For the moment, the Cowboys look covered at both positions. But Morris respects that Nelson has all the mental reps he needs to take over at either position.
When Nelson is ready will Morris insert him in the starting lineup over one of the presumed starters or will Nelson wait his turn? It's perhaps the biggest question hanging over the offense overall.
Who Are the Four-Teamers?
Based on three weeks of camp and Morris’ interaction with the media, it's not difficult to put together a projected starting lineup or a two-deep for the Cowboys as they prepare for the Tulsa game. What is more difficult to figure out is which players will be the guys he calls the “four-teamers?”
These are the players that will play on all four units of special teams — kickoff coverage, kickoff return, punt coverage and punt return. Morris sees those positions as vital for a couple of reasons. First, he needs a set of players that can play all four coverage units to maximize his gameday roster. Second, many of those players will be third stringers at positions of need and must be available on game day for depth.
It may sound like a small thing, but the discussions about those last five or six spots on gameday roster are critical to Morris and a big question he and his staff must answer.
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Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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