Football in Full Swing, Gundy Speaking to OFBCA, and Junior Days
STILLWATER -- In the first few minutes in the locker room in NRG Stadium after the Cowboys had lost to Texas A&M 24-21 in the Academy Sports and Outdoors Texas Bowl, head coach Mike Gundy told his team that he would be back in the office working on Sunday, taking just Saturday off before getting back to work on what he preached could be a special season that he was already very excited about in 2020.
It would appear that Gundy was true to his word as things started happening the next week including two promising pick ups off the NCAA transfer portal.
The head coach challenged his players to get back from their break on Jan. 13 and get to work quickly and "run Rob Glass and his staff right out of the weight room with how hard they worked." I'm pretty sure it is impossible to run Glass, Gary Calcagno, Joel Tudman, Mark Smith, and company out of the weight room, but the players are back at it pretty quick as we observe what is going on with Oklahoma State football.
Off-season Conditioning Gets a Head Start
I ran into defensive end Brock Martin on Thursday afternoon and asked him how he was doing?
"Sore," was his one-word answer. I said I hoped he got over it.
"Not for awhile," he replied.
I thought to myself that it was too early for off-season conditioning to be underway, but then I peeked in the door of the strength and conditioning area and weight room in the basemen of the West End Zone and there was a full lift session going on.
Gary Calcagno, the senior assistant for athletic performance, was monitoring the wide receivers doing the overhead press. Dillon Stoner, Landon Wolf, and Langston Anderson were all around that station. I also saw quarterback Spencer Sanders down the row lifting. By themselves were a couple of players working on bench press and that included Kolby Harvell-Peel, who is back working while also rehabbing his knee.
I figured it out now, Martin was in an earlier lift group. This is impressive as it is usually a week of classes before the off-season winter program gets underway. Gundy appeared to follow through on his promise and the strength staff and players have jumped in on their commitment.
Gundy Taking His Cause to the Coaches
On Monday night during the CFP National Championship Game, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy was as visible as any coach could be outside of LSU and National Championship winning head coach Ed Orgeron or losing head coach Dabo Swinney of Clemson. Gundy was on for an hour on ESPN2 with Todd Lugenbill and Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley previewing the game. Then during the game, Gundy, who was obviously in charge, and Hafley were joined by TCU head coach Gary Patterson and Vandy head man Derek Mason for the ESPNU Coaches Film Room.
Gundy with (from left) Jeff Hafley, Derek Mason, and Gary Patterson on Coaches Film Room on ESPNU.
Robert Allen/ESPN
No telling how many recruits, parents, and/or high school coaches caught some of Gundy on that show and he drew strong positive reviews in the media for his performance.
Now, Thursday night in Oklahoma, Gundy will be on stage in front of the Oklahoma Football Coaches Association at their annual Winter Clinic in Shawnee at the Grand Casino. Gundy will speak for 50 minutes to the coaches and then join them for dinner.
It is a good move for recruiting. Oklahoma State signed five players from Oklahoma in the 2018 recruiting class, three players in the 2019 recruiting class, and up this season so far in the 2020 class with six in-state signees.
Rattay Reports to Stillwater
New quarterbacks coach Tim Rattay was in the football offices on Thursday after arriving on Wednesday afternoon. The office door was open and the moving in process had visibly started, but there was no actual sighting. The former NFL quarterback with San Francisco, Tampa Bay and Arizona that last season coached quarterbacks at the Washington Redskins, surely had some paper work to complete. He will likely be on the road recruiting with the rest of the staff next week. The month of January allows for finishing out the 2020 class, but as important getting a head start on the classes foe 2021 and 2022 which Oklahoma State seems to have done a good job of so far. The Cowboys already have two pledges for the 2022 class, but are still looking for the first in the 2021 class.
Junior Days Start on Saturday
Speaking of that 2021 class and the next several as well, Oklahoma State's recruiting and coaching staff will host the first of back-to-back Saturday Junior Days this Saturday. The unofficial visitors will get in before 11 a.m. and will attend the Cowboys game in Gallagher-Iba Arena with #2-ranked Baylor. Afterwards, the prospects and their guests will eat a lunch (they have to pay for) and then will tour facilities, meet with coaches, take pictures in uniforms, which has become one of the most popular recruiting activities on campuses these days.
Cam'Ron Valdez is a top running back prospect from Rockdale, Texas
It is still early, but with the game, the attendance should be pretty strong. A few we know about already are Texas four-star prospect Cam'Ron Valdez, a running back out of Rockdale, Texas. From Oklahoma we believe 2021 speedster athlete Bryce Stephens is heading to Stillwater and 2022 All-State wide receiver from Edmond Santa Fe Talyn Shettron. One of the two 2022 commitments is offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. out of Summer Creek High School in Texas.
