Oklahoma State Cowboys Football Biggest Questions Entering Week Three
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Oklahoma State Cowboys fans now have less than two weeks to wait before new head coach Eric Morris and his team debut for the 2026 season.
With both scrimmages wrapped up and the Cowboys entering their second week of classes, the hum of the weekly schedule is moving closer to what players will experience during the regular season.
Morris and his staff have more than two weeks of data and competition to work with. Some starting jobs and roles are clearly defined. Others are not. That’s what this last week of non-game prep is for — figuring those things out, or so Morris hopes.
Below are the five biggest questions the Cowboys face this week.
The Backup Quarterback
Grant Jordan and Broderick Vehrs probably received the lion’s share of the reps during Saturday’s scrimmage. With Drew Mestemaker locked in as the starter and in his third year in Morris’ offense, he could take a step back and watch the competition to back him up.
Jordan has valuable experience at both Yale and UMass. Vehrs has drawn praise from Morris during camp due to the speed with which he’s picked up the offense. But he’s putting as much emphasis on how the backup can process the offense and make decisions as he is on the arm.
Ideally, Morris could just clone Mestemaker. That’s not happening. While Morris would probably like to name a steady backup, it’s just as possible he could use both based on what’s happening in the game. But if he wants a decision, he needs to make it this week.
The Right Tackle Job
Last week Morris revealed that he had essentially locked down his offensive line rotation, but one position was still up for grabs in terms of a starting job — right tackle. Ashton Lepo, the Michigan State transfer, is a mountain of an offensive lineman. But Morris has been pleasantly surprised by Shaun Toregson, a Portland State transfer, who has been pushing for time at the spot.
The scrimmage on Saturday may have settled that competition. If so, Morris may be willing to reveal who won when he talks with reporters this week. If it didn’t, he and offensive line coach Cody Crill have another week to watch the pair and figure out who’s the best fit going into the Tulsa game.
The Defensive Line Rotation
This is the position group where the most questions remain. It’s not just about who will start in the four-man front against Tulsa — it’s about who will rotate in and out? Malik Charles, based on Morris’ comments last week, is starting to make a late push for steady playing time. The Cowboys are waiting for finalization of Iman Oates’ court case for his eligibility before committing to how much to play him. The transition of Texas A&M transfer Enai White from end to tackle has been one of the more intriguing transitions in fall camp.
The Cowboys were one of the worst run-stopping and pass rushing units in college football last season. That push starts up front with this group and finding the right combination of players for the Tulsa opener is defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity’s biggest concern this week.
The Special Teams Roster Spots
Morris has said from the start of fall camp that the last five or six spots on his roster — both home and road — will be taken by those players that can prove they can be “four-unit special teamers.” We’re talking kickoff returns and coverage and punt returners and coverage. Who are those players? Morris and special teams coordinator Drew Svoboda probably spent plenty of time during the scrimmage on figuring that out.
But that work probably isn’t done yet because position competitions can be tied to that as well. These five or six players must also prove they can capably back up a traditional offensive or defensive position to be in the running. If they can’t, they’ll slide off the list. Morris and Svoboda will probably take this question into next week, but some answers will be evident by the weekend.
Balancing Competition and Preparation
This is the final week where Morris and his staff can “play,” so to speak. Want to see how the second-string offensive line handles a full-on blitz from the scout team? Go for it. Want to check how that emergency kickoff returner can handle punt returns? This is the time. Need to flip a backup safety to cornerback to see if they handle one-on-one coverage? Let’s do it.
Morris said last week that he already integrated some game prep into workouts and he’s likely to do more of that this week. But with several jobs still up for grabs — especially on the defensive side — he and his staff need to set aside enough time to settle those competitions and still get ready for the opener.
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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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