Updated Oklahoma State Football Projected Starting Lineup After Week One of Camp
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys are three practices into their fall camp and some great storylines have already emerged.
Things begin to pick up next week as Oklahoma State will have five practices over a six-day period, including its first scrimmage on Saturday at 11 a.m. New head coach Eric Morris said he's being purposeful about practice times and game times as he attempts to get his team used to the multiple television windows they'll experience in the regular season.
At the beginning of camp, Oklahoma State on SI did a piece on a projected starting lineup for Week 1 against Tulsa. With a few practices and a couple of interview sessions with Morris, we can adjust and add additional context.
While the projected starting lineup hasn't changed much, there are plenty of competitions brewing and plenty of opportunity for change after the first scrimmage. Below is our updated projected starting lineup, with links to stories this week and additional context from Morris on what's happening behind the scenes.
Offense
Quarterback: Drew Mestemaker
No change here. Mestemaker has been one of the early stars of camp, which is no surprise. Morris said after the first workout that the competition is really behind Mestemaker. His backup figures to be former Yale and UMass quarterback Grant Jordan. But freshman Broderick Vehrs could make the decision a tough one, per Morris.
Running Back: Caleb Hawkins
Morris has acknowledged that Hawkins will be the team’s workhorse. But he talked about the running back competition after the first workout and there are at least four backs that he sees as having a role this year, including freshman KD Jones. It’s one of the deepest positions on the team.
Wide Receivers: Wyatt Young, Chris Barnes, Justin Bowick
No changes here, either. But Morris said it figures to be a big rotation, which makes sense, given how quickly the offense will play and how many moving parts there could be. Young, Barnes and Bowick will all need a rest.
Three players worth watching. Rodney Harris II, the transfer from Ohio, has caught his eye. Freshman Jabarie Thompson has graduated from the “threes and fours” early in camp, as Morris noted he’s moved up the unofficial depth chart. He’s also impressed by another freshman, Dayvon Standard, who joined OSU this summer and at 6-4 figures to be a potential red zone target.
Tight End: Oscar Hammond
Morris talked about five different tight ends early in camp, but it was more about their skill set and potential roles. It still feels like the starting job will come down to Hammond and Donovan Green. Hammond is more of a pass-catching tight end and Green is more versatile. It will likely come down to the scrimmages, which start on Saturday.
Offensive Line: Ashton Lepo (LT), Jacob Sexton (LG), Jakobe Sanders (C), Johnny Dickson III (RG), Joseph Hanson (RT)
There are going to be a lot of moving parts here. Morris said he would like to have a solid idea of a rotation of eight offensive linemen by after the first scrimmage. That’s a week from this update. Lepo moves into the starting left tackle spot for now because Braydon Nelson’s injury status is unclear. Morris believes he could be ready for the first couple of games of the year but won’t push. It’s also possible Nelson moves to an interior role.
Morris talked about Hanson on Saturday as a lineman that can play multiple positions. Same for Sexton, who has played guard and tackle. Sanders’ best chance at a starting job still feels like center and he’s competing with Tyler Mercer. Don’t be surprised if this alignment shuffles around after the first scrimmage. It’s clear Morris and his offensive line coach, Cody Crill, value versatility and aren’t afraid to use it.
Defense
Defensive End: Jaleel Johnson, James Williams
While Morris has been asked about the defense quite a bit, he hasn’t talked about the edge rushers that much, aside from moving Carl’veon Young from outside linebacker to defensive end to better utilize his athleticism. For that reason, it still feels like Johnson and Williams have the inside tracks.
Defensive Tackle: Saadiq Clements, Jerry Lawson
Morris talked about the five-for-five eligibility rule on Saturday (he likes it) but spoke little about Oates, who is part of an eligibility case in state court. For now, he’s eligible to play and practice and the Cowboys are approaching things that way.
Clements played at North Texas last year and Lawson played for OSU defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity at Abilene Christian. They still feel like the likely starters. Names to watch include Savion Barthelemy, a freshman from New Orleans, and Braylon Rigsby, a Texas Tech transfer. Both are three-technique tackles and could be leverage in a rotation to push an inside pass rush.
Linebacker: Ethan Wesloski, Isaiah Chisom
No change here, though the positions feel less set it stone than before workouts. Morris talked about the competition at the position and included transfers Tate Romney and Dallas Winner-Johnson. There is little doubt the pair will play in a rotation with Wesloski and Chisom but based on production those two feel like the right starters.
Cornerback: LaDanian Fields, Mo Horn
Fields and Horn feel like the pair that will rise to the top. Morris said on Saturday that Fields “has the skill set to be great” but needs to go make more plays. Horn’s experience is likely to win the day here. He’s played power conference football for his entire career and has, at times, played at a high level.
The guys to watch behind them are Kobe Freeman, Kollin Lewis and Trudell Berry.
Safety: Quinton Hammonds, Evan Jackson, Christian Bodnar
Morris went deep into the safety area on Saturday. Hammonds is back from an injury that kept him off the field on the offseason and the Cowboys see him as a better fit at free safety this season. With North Texas last year, he played the nickel. That opens a spot for Bodnar, the Liberty transfer, to compete for the nickel job. Bodnar’s has played corner and safety in college, a good blend of skill for the nickel spot. That leaves Jackson as the strong safety. It’s not a done deal. Morris said that Jackson needs to turn the flashes of talent he’s shown into consistent play.
One player with the potential to steal playing time is Missouri transfer Mose Phillips III. Cameron Epps and freshman Braeden Presley are still options for rotation spots.
Special Teams
Morris made it clear the first day of workouts that Lachie Pozzobon was the starting punter and Sam Keltner was the starting kicker. Nate Ost, who is listed as a punter but has never punted in a college game, is the likely holder for kicks.
Morris said that the final five or six spots on the bus for gameday will be determined, in part, by which backups can play on all four units of special teams.
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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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