Recruiting Continues with Three Official Visitors and Looking for Top Walk-ons
STILLWATER -- The Oklahoma State coaching and recruiting staffs have been hard at it with what head coach Mike Gundy called the best Junior Day the program has had in his time as head coach on Jan. 18 and now this weekend the Cowboys are entertaining three official visitors, one that is already signed with the program. Saturday is also a day where they are bringing in close to 20 young men that are considering adding to one of the strongest walk-on programs in college football.
In his time as head coach, Mike Gundy, has constantly spoke of the value of walk-ons and how he feels about those players.
"Walk-ons are very important to me and this program," Gundy has said. "These are guys that want to play and they do it without a scholarship. I'm just glad the NCAA now allows us to feed them and do a better job of taking care of them. We reward walk-ons here that play and put them on scholarship. We've had walk-ons that have helped us at virtually every position and special teams.
Among the walk-on candidates expected in Stillwater this weekend are Norman North wide receiver Cale Cabbiness from Norman North. The cousin of Cabe Cabbiness, who plays outfield for Oklahoma State baseball, and the grandson of former OU basketball head coach Billy Tubbs; Cabbiness had 22 receptions last season for 400-yards and six touchdowns. He is 6-2, 185 pounds.
Another candidate expected is Minco offensive lineman Rody Schneider, the younger brother of current Cowboy starting offensive lineman that began as a walk-on in Ry Schneider. Rody is 6-3 1/2 and 285-pounds. He has already declared that he is attending Oklahoma State.
Now as for the official visitors this weekend and already on campus there is graduate transfer candidate Damon Hazelton Jr. out of Virginia Tech by way of Ball State and Franklin High School in Baltimore, Md. Also on campus are Iowa Central Community College linebacker Lamont Bishop and late offer and early signee in December in San Antonio Roosevelt High School receiver Rashod Owens.
Owens recently caught a long touchdown pass in the San Antonio-area All-Star Game in the Alamo Dome. A track standout that has a personal best in the triple jump of 49-feet-10.75-inches and a 23-feet-7.25-inches long jump. The 6-2, 185-pound athlete played running back and wide receiver and as a senior led Roosevelt into the playoffs as he rushed for 1,454-yards and 23 touchdowns with 16 receptions for 210-yards and a touchdown.
Damon Hazelton Jr. makes a difficult catch this season against North Carolina.
Virginia Tech University Athletics
Hazelton Jr. was one of the best receivers that Virginia Tech had. Last season he caught 31 passes for 527-yards and eight touchdowns, including seven catches for 118-yards against rival and ACC runner-up Virginia. As a red-shirt sophomore in the 2018 season he caught 51 passes for 802-yards and eight touchdowns. His season included a 12 reception for 131-yards and a touchdown against Notre Dame.
He sat out the 2017 season after transferring from Ball State, where he played in 11 games and started seven as a true freshman. He caught 51 passes for the Redbirds for 505-yards and four touchdowns. The 6-2, 215-pound Hazelton Jr. was 2nd-team All-State his senior season in high school. He will have one season to play.
Lamont Bishop playing for the Tritons of Iowa Central Community College.
Twitter/Iowa Central Community College
Lamont Bishop is a 6-3, 236-pound inside linebacker that is originally from Hillcrest High School in the Chicago-area. He started both seasons at Iowa Central with 41 and 39 tackles respectively. He totaled 11.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four fumbles caused, one fumble recovered, and three interceptions. He has a nose for the football and will have three years to play two seasons at his four-year school destination.
The Cowboys football staff will be on the road recruiting next week and then back home on Saturday for another Cowboy Day/Junior Day.