Why This Oklahoma State Football Offensive Line Battle Isn't as Close as it Looks

The Oklahoma State Cowboys may have already penciled in a starter at this key position on the offensive line.

Oklahoma State offensive line coach Cody Crill. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In his first remarks to media on the first day of fall camp, Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris made it clear he had a deadline in mind to determine the pecking order for his offensive line.

Morris wants to know who his top eight linemen were by the time the Cowboys were done with their scrimmage on Saturday. Starting roles could be TBA, but he wants to have a firm grasp of who his best linemen are so they can begin working together to build the chemistry needed to effectively run in Air Raid offense.

In his two interviews with media Morris has been clear that there is plenty of competition across the offensive line. Even the lineman that have transferred in from his old job at North Texas, including left tackle Brayden Nelson, are not guaranteed jobs.

But there is one position that he may be poised to chisel in stone soon. There's a good reason why.

The Offensive Line Position Close to Being Sewn Up

Oklahoma State's Tyler Mercer. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Center is usually the most important job on the offensive line because they must communicate changes to their teammates at the line of scrimmage quickly and effectively. They also must hold their own with a 300-pound nose tackle right after snapping the football.

It's a unique skill set and not every player possesses what's needed to be successful. From most of camp the competition has been between Tyler Mercer and Jakobe Sanders. Both have worked plenty at the position. But when Morris was asked about Mercer, he showed a clear lean toward the former Kansas lineman, who also played for him at North Texas.

“We do so much misdirection and ball handling in our offense, so it’s super important to be consistent with the snapping, and then they make all of our calls,” Morris said.

Mercer was at Kansas last season, but he only played in three games before he took his redshirt. He never quite got the traction that he did in 2024 as a true freshman under Morris at North Texas.

There Mercer played in eight games and started in six and was selected to ESPN freshman all-America team. He was also named the American Conference impact freshman of the year by College Football Network.

There’s a connection there, and it’s just about being at the same school at the same time.

“They’ve [the center] got to be a high-level thinker, and so that's what Mercer was so good at early,” Morris said. “I think at North Texas he had the ability to process information fast and get us set up, lined up and everybody on the same page.”

That's a summary of the job description, along with the blocking. While Mercer and Sanders have been switching off reps and Sanders has been getting his fair share of competition, it's clear that of the five offensive line jobs this one seems to be the furthest along.

Mercer's not a lead-pipe lock to start against Tulsa, but assuming he has a great scrimmage on Saturday, it would probably take an injury to the third-year collegiate to move Sanders into the starting lineup.

So while there's competition in theory, in practice it looks like Mercer’s job to lose.