Cowboys Get Back on the Practice Field, Gundy Hits In-State Recruiting

Oklahoma State football was back on the practice field and Mike Gundy visited three in-state commitments.

STILLWATER – In a little bit of a surprise, the traffic on Hall of Fame Avenue between Boone Pickens Stadium and the Sherman Smith Training Center had to stop in the early afternoon as the Oklahoma State Cowboys football squad made their way across the street for their first practice of the bowl season.

No, the Cowboys don’t know for sure where they are going just yet, but the word from the coaching staff was that since most of the staff was back in town following four straight days of recruiting. The last coach to come in from the road was the head coach as he made three more visits on Thursday.

Mike Gundy went south driving early in the morning and hit Choctaw High School to visit linebacker commitment Jeff Roberson. He then went down to Norman to visit another linebacker in Cole Thompson. He finished up in Ardmore with the longest committed player in the 2020 class in Plainview offensive lineman Eli Russ.

Russ committed to the Cowboys at the 2018 spring game, two days before DeSoto, Texas cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, a cousin of current Cowboys corner A.J. Green, made his pledge. Russ is preparing for the Class 3A State Championship Game at 11 a.m. on Saturday at UCO's Wantland Stadium in Edmond.

Gundy made good time driving as he made it back a couple of hours earlier than expected and was there to attend part of the practice the Cowboys held. Oklahoma State will practice again on Friday afternoon and then again on Saturday morning.

In between, the coaches will get out and checkout players in the Oklahoma State Championship Games. There is one Cowboy commitment that is still alive in the Texas High School playoffs.

Denton Guyer defensive tackle Grant Mahon and his teammates playing for Guyer head coach John Walsh will play in The Star in Frisco on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. The Wildcats are favored over Amarillo Tascosa in that Regional Final.

Oklahoma State’s practice was only about an hour long and really focused on drills and fundamentals. The coaching staff wants to get the players going some again before they break again for finals. It doesn’t matter that they don’t know their bowl or bowl opponent yet, this is more about keeping players engaged and getting extra work in with the young players.

It was good to see wide receiver Tylan Wallace riding the stationary bike after his knee surgery. Running back Chuba Hubbard was working on the side and quarterback Spencer Sanders was back out and doing some aerobic work with the quarterbacks.

Oklahoma State quarterbacks throwing in the Sherman Smith Indoor Training Center.

Robert Allen - Oklahoma State Maven

This weekend in the Oklahoma State Championship Games at Wantland Stadium in Edmond there will be a number of committed players and prospects playing in games.

Friday, Dec. 6, 2019

11 a.m. Class 4A State Championship – Poteau at Weatherford

Poteau defensive tackle Vaka Tuifua is a transfer from Alaska that came in this summer and took Poteau opponents by storm averaging 6.2 tackles a game and really proving to be one of the best defensive linemen in Oklahoma. He is 6-3, 300 pounds and athletic.

7 p.m. Class 6A-II State Championship – Stillwater vs. Bixby

A rematch of last season’s championship game won by Bixby. The Cowboys have commitments from the ultra athletic two-way players in Brennan Presley and Jordan Reagan. Presley is a 5-9, 165 pound explosive receiver prospect and Reagan is a 6-1, 177 pound cornerback. Of course, there are younger Presley’s including the sophomore running back Braylin Presley.

Stillwater has the best quarterback in the state in Gunnar Gundy, the son of Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy. Gunnar has thrown for over 3,200-yards completing 75 percent of his passes with 44 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Fullback and defensive end Luke McEndoo is the son of cowboy backs coach Jason McEndoo and the younger McEndoo is a definite prospect as a junior at 6-2, 235 pounds. Stillwater also has running back Qwontrel Walker and Tevin Williams III, both juniors. Senior Anthony Bland is a receiver committed to Princeton.

Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019

11 a.m. Class 3A State Championship – Plainview vs. Lincoln Christian

This is where Eli Russ goes for his state championship. Russ is every bit of 6-5, 295 pounds as a tackle for the Indians.

3:30 p.m. Class 5A State Championship – Midwest City Carl Albert vs. Oklahoma City Bishop McGuinness

There are a number of prospects here, but the two seniors at McGuinness are committed in running back Dominic Richardson to TCU and the injured defensive end Brynden Walker to Oklahoma. For Carl Albert linebacker Reise Collier is an uncommitted prospect and cornerback Rico Windam is pledged to Tulsa. Carl Albert running back Javion Hunt is one of the top prospects in Oklahoma for the class of 2021.

8 p.m. Class 6A-I State Championship – Owasso Rams vs. Jenks Trojans

Oklahoma State is very interested in Rams running back Isaiah Jacobs as are a bunch of other schools. He is the top prospect in this game. Owasso cornerback Duece Mayberry is committed to Kansas.