Why Eric Morris is Paying Attention to This New Oklahoma State Wide Receiver

The Oklahoma State Cowboys have plenty of new blood at wide receiver, but this late arrival has new head coach Eric Morris’ attention.

Desert Edge's Dayvon Standard. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are going to throw the football a lot this season in their Air Raid offense behind their talented redshirt sophomore quarterback Drew Mestemaker. That means he'll need plenty of targets.

Fortunately, he has them. There are 14 wide receivers on the roster. Some played with Mestemaker last year at North Texas, including Wyatt Young, Miles Coleman and Terrence Lewis. Others have power conference experience like Chris Barnes from Wake Forest and Justin Bowick from Illinois.

Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris has plenty of options. But he also invested in the future, recruiting three freshmen. With two redshirt seniors on the roster, he knows he’ll need to develop talent.

Of those three freshmen, one has really caught his eye even as he’s played catch-up this summer.

Eric Morris is Watching This Wide Receiver

Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cowboys don’t have many tall receivers. Bowick is 6-5 and is the tallest receiver on the roster. Five other receivers are six feet or taller, but four of them are at least three inches shorter than Bowick — except for Dayvon Standard.

The 6-4 recruit played his prep ball at Desert Edge in Goodyear, Ariz. He didn’t join the Cowboys for spring football because he didn’t enroll early. He’s only been with the Cowboys since summer going through his paces in strength and conditioning and other organized team activities.

As Morris was ticking off the wide receivers he could use this season, Standard made the list.

“I tell you the one guy that surprised me the most of our freshman class that came late is Dayvon [Standard], who came in from Arizona,” Morris said. “A six-four wide receiver. It wouldn't surprise me if he pushed himself into the rotation.”

Bowick has 4.3-4.4 speed but he’s also a prime red zone target, given his length. Standard is the only receiver who comes close to Bowick in the latter department. When Morris talks about the freshman carving out a role, it could be a secondary red zone role to start, making him a candidate to catch 50-50 balls in the end zone or along the sideline, given how he’ll tower over most cornerbacks.

He also has the leaping ability. He played basketball and ran track. He set his school’s record in the triple jump at 47-11 and had a career-best 23-8.5 long jump.

Standard only had 23 receptions last year but 10 of those were for touchdowns. With so many opportunities for catches in the Air Riad, there’s a good reason why Morris will have his eye on him during fall workouts.