Spring Football Preview #4: Linebackers

Spring football for Oklahoma State begins on Monday, March 9 and will finish on Saturday, April 18. Prior to the start of the spring, Pokes Report will preview each position group. This preview is linebackers.

STILLWATER -- If Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy comes out sometime during the middle of spring football and declares that the final spring practice won't include a game, but some sort of team scrimmage or modified practice with a team period included, then there is a good chance that the linebacker position is a reason for it. 

Oklahoma State will go into spring football with a total of eight linebackers healthy and practicing. That does include returning starters and the fourth and fifth leading tacklers in the Big 12 from this past season in Malcolm Rodriguez and Amen Ogbongbemiga. Devin Harper is a veteran with starting experience. After those three you are dealing with freshmen Na'Drian Dizadare and Kamryn Farrar, recent promoted walk-on to scholarship linebacker Carson Kropp, and walk-ons Relijah Sherman and Adam Martin. 

The linebacker position is thin and will welcome in newcomers Mason Cobb, Jeff Robinson, and Cole Thompson in the fall. 

An X-factor for the 2020 season is Cowboys linebacker Clavin Bundage, who was on the shelf all of last season dating back to the bowl preparation for the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, which he sat out and did not participate in the bowl game. Bundage recently put out a playing manifesto on Twitter. 

The inference is that Bundage intends to be back and better and more determined than ever. That is good news, as he is very gifted athletically, and could certainly help the defense. 

However, in his best season at Oklahoma State, the 6-1, 220-pound Edmond Santa Fe product had 62 total tackles, eight tackled for loss, and 1.5 sacks. Last season Malcolm Rodriguez had 103 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and an interception pick six to win the Iowa State game. Amen Ogbongbemiga had 100 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, and an interception. Both linebackers had a fumble forced too. 

The 203 tackles combined were the best for an Oklahoma State linebacker duo in over a decade.

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has some ideas on how to blend Bundage's talents into the defense and keep him where he can do the most good and least damage. A concern was his team leading 13 penalties in 2018. Another hitch is that Bundage is not expected to be back on the practice field until the summer workouts and with the coaches in fall camp. I could see him becoming that edge pass rusher specialist.

Rodriguez and Ogbongbemiga speak for themselves. They fit well together with Amen being the inside guy and Rodriguez being a true outside linebacker for this defense, right down to his excellent cover skills having been a former safety and having those quarterback instincts from high school at Wagoner. 

Devin Harper is like having a third starting linebacker as he has started and could play either inside or outside. His numbers and skills are excellent. 

This spring will be huge for Na'Drian Dizadare and for Kamry Farrar. Both have top end speed for linebackers but need lots of reps to improve and get comfortable. I believe that Jim Knowles and Shane Eachus, who works with linebackers will make sure they get it.

From a talent and experience standpoint the position is very strong with the top three. The numbers though take a dip if any of the top three get hurt. That makes the training in the spring so important and the potential return of Bundage important as well. 

The one newcomer in the summer, besides Bundage, who is no newcomer, that I can see playing as a freshman would be Mason Cobb out of Provo, Utah.