Oklahoma State Wide Receivers: The Good, The Great, The Unknown Entering Fall Camp
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys run the Air Raid offense and have a talented transfer quarterback. They’re going to need wide receivers.
Fortunately, new head coach Eric Morris and his staff put in the time to get that job done. There are 14 wide receivers on the roster. Eight have collegiate experience. Three played with starting quarterback Drew Mestemaker last season at North Texas. For this offense to reach the heights it did last season at North Texas, Mestemaker needs experienced receivers around him.
Oklahoma State on SI continues its fall camp position previews with a look at the wide receiver position.
The Good
As noted, there is experience and depth. There are no returning letterwinners at the position, so Morris and his staff put a premium on that in the transfer portal. Of the eight players with college experience, two played at power conference programs — Justin Bowick of Illinois and Chris Barnes at Wake Forest. Bowick, at 6-5, is an enviable red zone target. Barnes is a speedster that can do multiple things, including return kicks.
There’s also a healthy mix of frames at the position. Along with Barnes, who is 5-7, North Texas transfer Miles Coleman is 5-6, giving the Cowboys a redundancy — meaning depth — in the small receiver department. Six of the receivers are six foot or taller, including the receiver who figures to be Mestemaker’s favorite target, North Texas transfer Wyatt Young, who is six feet tall.
The group also includes two true freshmen and two redshirt freshmen, the latter of which were at OSU last year but didn’t letter. That gives them enough room to complete for playing time due to the new age-based eligibility rule.
The Great
Three North Texas transfers made the trip from Denton, Texas, to Stillwater, after playing last season at North Texas with Mestemaker and under Morris. All three were high producers there.
Young led the Mean Green with 70 catches for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns as he led the team in every receiving category. Miles Coleman figures to be a slot receiver at 5-6 but he caught 47 passes for 550 yards and three touchdowns. He can also compete with Barnes and punt returner. Terrence Lewis got into 12 games last year and had 11 catches for 184 yards and three scores. He was efficient, averaging 16.7 yards per catch.
There is only one football to go around, of course. Barnes and Bowick will need touches, too. But the Cowboys have a core of players that know the offense, know the coaching staff’s expectations and, most importantly, they know the quarterback. Chemistry should not be an issue.
The Unknown
How are they going to spread the ball around? Look at last year’s North Texas numbers and you’ll see that 10 different wide receivers caught at least one pass. That doesn’t include tight ends or running backs. Mestemaker was willing to spread the football around, but six of those wide receivers had 10 receptions or more. So, it stands to reason that the players that make the two deep for the opener should be the highest producers, barring injury.
Four of those spots look solid. Young, Barnes, Bowick and Coleman should make it based on production and need. Bowick being OSU’s tallest wide receiver helps his case. So there are two spots to fill. Lewis will get his shot. So will Akron transfer Israel Polk, Ohio transfer Rodney Harris II and true freshman Jabarie Thornton. Yes, Thornton has a chance here as a high producer at La Vega High School in Waco, Texas. This is one of the prime competitions at fall camp — and it’s wide open.
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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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