Biggest Winners and Losers from Oklahoma State Football Fall Camp Week 3

The Oklahoma State Cowboys football team is less than a week away from releasing its first depth chart of the season.

That depth chart will end some speculation about who will start and who will back up as the Cowboys prepare for their opener against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane with head coach Eric Morris at the controls for the first time since being hired. But after another scrimmage and more practices, there are some players that got a boost and others that didn’t.

Winners

Shaun Torgeson

It appears the Portland State transfer is in line to be the Week 1 starter at right tackle against Tulsa. He and Ashton Lepo have been in competition for the job the past couple of weeks and when Morris spoke to reporters on Tuesday, he indicated if the season started that day Torgeson would be the starter.

Morris has been impressed with how Torgeson and has picked up the offense. He was one of Oklahoma State’s last transfer portal pickups and this is proof that Morris is more interested in how they’re playing than where they came from. While Torgeson played for an FCS school last year, Lepo wrapped up his fourth year at Michigan State.

Enai White

The former Texas A&M defensive end has put on weight and impressed Morris with his ability to make an impact on the interior of the offensive line. His name came up for the second time in as many weeks with Morris, who admits the defensive line will have a large rotation as the season begins.

That would be impressive given that he's played four years of college football and barely been able to make an impression at either Texas A&M or Penn State, where he began his career. But Morris is looking at talent and impact and not track record. That works in White's favor as he vies for playing time going into the opener.

Evan Jackson

The former North Texas safety has essentially been guaranteed a job for a couple of weeks. Morris noted after the first scrimmage that he had basically settled on his safeties and nickel back staters, which included Jackson.

But Jackson is the player he believes can have the biggest impact at the position. He wants Jackson to even out his play from week to week, saying that the safety's highs are very high and his lows are very low. The good news? Morris said he's seen balance in his play in fall camp and believes Jackson could be on the verge of the kind of breakthrough that would make him an impact safety in the Big 12.

Losers

Jakobe Sanders

It's easy to understand why Sanders decided to stay at Oklahoma State after head coach Mike Gundy was let go last year. He spent three years at the school and more importantly he's a Stillwater native. Playing for the school he grew up rooting for is a dream come true.

But Morris has settled on his starting offensive line and Sanders, who started six games last year, isn't among the starting five. He was competing most at center and is likely to be behind Tyler Mercer on the Week 1 depth chart. It doesn't mean he won't have a role. It just means that to start the campaign Sanders will be watching more than playing.

Dayvon Standard

Early in camp, Morris talked about how impressed he was with Standard, who was a late enrollee this summer but made an immediate impression with his 6-4 frame.

But the reality is starting to set in. Other freshmen are more polished and can make an impact quickly, including Jabarie Thornton, who was a 1,000-yard receiver twice at La Vega High School in Waco, Texas. Standard missing the spring means he’s still behind a bit and will likely be a third-string receiver and special teamer. That may not sound disappointing for a true freshman. But given the buzz early, it’s a bit of a letdown.

Indoor Facility Lovers

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are practicing outside more often as they get ramped up for the season opener at Tulsa which will start at 2:30 p.m. next Saturday. Morris said that means less work in the indoor practice facility and more practice outside in the sun, where the temperatures have been in triple digits for the past couple of weeks.

For those players that would rather be inside, it's a big deal. But Morris needs his players acclimated to the heat before the opener. It’s a fact of life. Stay hydrated, guys.

Add us as a preferred source on Google