Oklahoma State Confidence Meter: How I Feel About Three Positions Groups Against Tulsa

For these three Oklahoma State position groups, the Tulsa games represents the first chance for them to prove to Eric Morris and his staff that they’re ready.

Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris, with Jacob Sexton (79) and Joseph Hanson (79). | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

During fall camp, Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris and his staff worked hard to build a team that could withstand a 12-game season.

Now, he and the staff get to see what they built in action on Saturday against Tulsa, with gametime set for 2:45 p.m.

Most of the position groups on the team have gotten things narrowed down to starters and backups. There are several “OR’s” on the roster, but not all of those “OR’s” are created equal. As I assess three position groups, here’s my level of confidence about where they’re at going into the opener, from most confident to least confident.

Offensive Line

Oklahoma State’s Johnny Dickson III. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

If quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins are going to have big seasons the offensive line is going to have to have a good year. The line is already down one player it was hoping would be ready for the regular season — Braydon Nelson. The left tackle, who started at North Texas last year, is still working back from an injury.

Morris did get his wish — he got his offensive line named by after the first scrimmage. Jacob Sexton will start at left tackle, Johnny Dickson III at left guard, Tyler Mercer at center, Joseph Hanson at right guard and either Ashton Lepo or Shaun Torgeson at right tackle. Morris said he wanted to use seven or eight offensive linemen on Saturday. It will be interesting to see if the remaining players on the two-deep — Ja’Qwon Evans, Desmond Magiya, Louie Canepa and Jakobe Sanders — get a shot at the field.

Of the three position groups here, this is the one I feel the most confident about. The starters all have solid track records in college. Some, like Sexton, have an injury history. But they’re healthy and the group came together as Morris hoped. It should pay off with a relatively clean game against Tulsa.

Cornerback

Oklahoma State's KD Jones is brought down by LaDainian Fields, center, and Kobi Foreman. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Morris talked about the position group on Tuesday. Both cornerback positions have an “OR” next to them on the depth chart and that’s by design. He said five corners earned playing time on Saturday — LaDainian Fields, Kobi Foreman, Trudell Berry, Mo Horn and Kollin Lewis. It’s clear all five are going to play against the Golden Hurricane.

The first reason is the heat. The Cowboys are going to need all five of those players on the edge. The second is that Morris eventually does want to settle on two guys they can count on as starters. To figure that out, he needs to them to play in an uncontrolled environment.

It would have been better had one or both positions not ended up with an “OR” next to it. But if the goal is to narrow it down through competition, then I have confidence that will happen eventually. Just not for a week or two.

Defensive Line

Oklahoma State defensive end Jaleel Johnson. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This was the position group on defense that needed the most amount of work going into the season. It’s also the position group with an “OR” at just about every position. Some of that is by design. Defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity has already said he intends to rotate players liberally, especially in the Tulsa game. The heat necessitates that.

But there’s also track record. None of the players on the front four has one, at least not one significant enough to get excited about the way fans are excited about the offense. The closest when it comes to the pass rush is James Williams, the Florida State transfer who had five sacks at Nebraska in 2024.

This doesn’t mean the front four can’t be good. It just means there is far more unknown here than there is at offensive line and at cornerback. It means Cassity will put a premium on seeing how players work together against Tulsa as he sorts out rotations and there are liable to be some chunk plays allowed against Tulsa. It’s the group I’m least confident about going into Week 1. If one is being optimistic, it also means they have room to grow. And they need to grow fast.