Updated Oklahoma State Football Projected Starting Lineup After Week Two of Camp
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys have now scrimmaged for the first time this fall. The scrimmage was the first of two the Cowboys will hold before their Sept. 5 opener against Tulsa.
Saturday's first scrimmage at Boone Pickens Stadium was closed to the media and Morris was not made available afterward. There's less intel than hoped. But based on what Morris was hoping for going into the scrimmage and the six workouts that preceded it, here's our third take on what the starting lineup could look like against Tulsa on Sept. 5.
At certain positions we've been grouping players together, such as offensive line and defensive line. This time around, we have an updated to suggest who would start at particular positions. So here we go.
Offense
Quarterback: Drew Mestemaker
Earlier this week The Athletic (subscription required) had a mock Heisman Trophy draft and Mestemaker was selected in the second round by writer Bruce Feldman. He wrote that Mestemaker could become a “first-round pick” by the end of the season. There's a lot of hype surrounding him and for good reason. He has the potential to be one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football.
Running Back: Caleb Hawkins
It will be interesting to see how Morris distributes workload early. He made the point last week that he felt he overused Hawkins as a true freshman at North Texas. Hawkins will start and get the majority of the carries. But Morris wants to find ways to keep Hawkins fresh late in the season. To do that he has to distribute the workload among three or four other backs.
Wide Receivers: Wyatt Young, Chris Barnes, Justin Bowick
There's a lot of competition behind these three. But when the season starts, if OSU is in a three wide receiver set, these will be the three players on the field.
Young has built up chemistry with Mestemaker from UNT last year. Many see Barnes as a special teams ace but he led Wake Forest in receiving last year. And Bowick is a tall, fast red-zone target who does things that can’t be coached. The rest of fall camp is figuring out the rest of the rotation.
Tight End: Oscar Hammond
This is one of the hardest positions to read. As we noted in position previews, there are two experienced players at this position but neither has been highly productive in college. That said, the door doesn't appear open for one of the younger tight ends to steal a lot of playing time.
It's going to come down to Hammond or Donovan Green. For now, the lean remains to Hammond, but the competition is by no means done.
Offensive Line: Ashton Lepo (LT), Jacob Sexton (LG), Tyler Mercer (C), Johnny Dickson III (RG), Joseph Hanson (RT)
These five linemen should be among the rotation Morris settles on after the first scrimmage. He sees Mercer as the starting center over holdover interior lineman Jakobe Sanders. They'll continue to battle but Mercer has a definite edge based on his experience with the offense in North Texas, even though he transferred to Kansas in 2025.
The left side of the offensive line is in a holding pattern until there is clarity about whether Braydon Nelson can play in the opener. If he can play, he’s the likely left tackle with Sexton at left guard. If not, Lepo is probably the tackle, and Sexton stays inside because he can play both positions. I don’t think flipping Lepo and Hanson for Tulsa could be ruled out if Nelson can’t go.
That's how important Nelson could be to this offensive line. Morris knows that his knowledge of the offense is a huge benefit and he wants to give Nelson every opportunity to be ready. He’s made the point that Nelson has all the mental reps he needs.
Defense
Defensive End: Jaleel Johnson, James Williams
There is no change here and it's hard to tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing. There isn't much high-level experience on the edge. This could be a four-player rotation on both sides of the ball come Tulsa, but this is about who will take that first starting rep. Right now, Johnson and Williams are the two guys that will be on the field for the first play of the game.
Defensive Tackle: Saadiq Clements, Jerry Lawson
No change here. I still believe Iman Oates could be a starter assuming all of the litigation around his eligibility goes in his favor. He and the rest of the players involved in that litigation should get a lot more clarity this coming week as many of those cases are coming to a head in court. For now, until his eligibility is 100% certain, Oklahoma State is likely to lean toward Clements and Lawson as their starters.
Linebacker: Ethan Wesloski, Isaiah Chisom
Morris has talked a lot about the competition at this position with Dallas Winner-Johnson and Tate Romney both coming up. Both are talented players and will play a role. But this is one of the few positions where the Cowboys have the right players with the right track record and right production poised to be starters. It would take an injury for either one of these two guys to not be on the field against Tulsa.
Cornerback: LaDanian Fields, Mo Horn
Morris wants playmakers here. He wants guys who can go get the football. Right now, Fields and Horn have the most experience doing that. Fields had two interceptions last year for Oklahoma State. Warren was a full-time starter for Texas Tech in 2024.
The Cowboys want to create more turnovers, and they must have the right two cornerbacks to make that happen. Nothing so far has led me to believe that the other players at corner can challenge these two. But there are still more workouts ahead than behind.
But do keep an eye on latecomers Jeremiah Piper and Markeith Williams, both transfers that have caught Morris’ eye early in camp. They may not start but they should land rotational roles.
Safety: Quinton Hammonds, Evan Jackson, Christian Bodnar
Morris has already said that Bodnar will be the nickel back, while Jackson will be the strong safety and Hammonds will be the free safety. To be clear they're not the starters yet. But the fact that Morris has slotted them in certain places tells me that he's comfortable with those players at those positions.
There are two remaining questions to answer. Is there anybody behind them that can truly challenge them for a starting job? Do any of these three players take a step back during fall camp? Something tells me these will be the three guys on the field for Oklahoma State’s first defensive possession against Tulsa.
Special Teams
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.
The kickoff and punt returners are in flux, but Barnes will be a part of that conversation as will wide receiver Miles Coleman. Both did returns at Wake Forest and North Texas last season, respectively.
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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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