As Oklahoma State football opens spring practice, how can Ollie Gordon get even better?
STILLWATER — March felt more like November, and it wasn’t just the chilly breeze blowing through the open doors of the Sherman Smith Training Center on Tuesday afternoon.
The typical uncertainty of a new football season is so limited at Oklahoma State, the cast of Cowboys taking part in the first practice of spring was nearly identical to the roster from last fall.
Alan Bowman was still handing the ball to Ollie Gordon II. Korie Black was still hawking passes along the sidelines. And Kendal Daniels was still running around with a menacing frame that looks even bigger than his listed 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds.
The Cowboys added five transfers at the break, and eight high school signees reported early, but otherwise, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy has few names to learn.
“For the most part, you’re rebuilding a team every year, and then sometimes, maybe even every semester,” Gundy said. “We were fortunate. Guys wanted to come back. I felt like we would have quite a few of them, but… they have to make that decision on their own.”
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In fact, perhaps the most notable change was one initiated by Gundy himself, with his decision to replace defensive line coach Greg Richmond with veteran Paul Randolph.
“I’m really excited about Coach Randolph and what he’s bringing to the table,” Gundy said. “When I went out searching and listening and having conversations with coaches across the country, his name would come up in most of those conversations.
“We just needed a change there. Greg Richmond is a good football coach and he’s a great human being. We needed a change for a couple reasons. We needed a change of pace and some new blood at that position.”
The only thing more noticeable than Randolph’s brand-new hat in America’s brightest orange was his gravelly voice as he ordered his new players through drills.
Randolph finds himself working with one of the most uncertain positions on the roster at defensive end.
Anthony Goodlow and Nathan Latu were the two highest-graded defensive ends last season, according to Pro Football Focus analytics, but they both graduated from a position that was consistent, but not overly effective.
OSU added transfer Obi Ezeigbo from Division II Gannon University, but otherwise will roll with what’s on the roster. DeSean Brown and Jaleel Johnson were the two primary young players who saw regular usage last year and will join with Ezeigbo and veterans Kody Walterschied and Xavier Ross on the edges.
“Those guys will get a lot of work,” Gundy said. “The veterans will get quality work, but really, the young guys in the program, we just wanna throw them in the fire and let them get a lot of work in the spring.”
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What’s next for Ollie Gordon?
After his Doak Walker Award-winning season in which he scored 21 total touchdowns and led the nation with 1,732 rushing yards, Gordon is a made man.
Yet his challenge throughout the offseason, and now in spring, has been to act like he’s not.
“He needs to practice harder than he did last year,” Gundy said. "He practiced good last year, but he needs to practice better. He’s not a secret anymore. He needs to stay humble and work hard. He’s been very good at that to this point.
“We’re in a challenging time now. You take Ollie, who is 20 years old, and guys that make a lot of money, and you tell them to stay level-headed. Not the easiest thing to do with a 20-year-old. He has to understand that the teams we play this year don’t care what he accomplished last year, so he has to continue to raise the bar.”
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OSU's young receivers to get their chance in spring
For the most part, Gundy knows what he has atop the depth chart at receiver.
Brennan Presley is back in the slot for his super-senior year, and Rashod Owens is ready to build on last year's breakout performance at outside receiver. De’Zhaun Stribling only appeared in four games, but has been around long enough to be a known commodity on the outside.
So spring is the time to figure out the rest of the depth chart.
Aside from redshirt senior walk-on Cale Cabbiness, the backups are sophomores or younger.
Once a four-star recruit, Talyn Shettron is back to being healthy and will have an opportunity to find his way back into the rotation — something he has achieved twice in his career, only to have injuries disrupt his progress. Another third-year player, Mason Gilkey, provides a long body at 6-foot-3.
Last year’s rookie class, Tykie Andrews, Jalen Pope and Camron Heard — all of whom appeared in games but still maintained redshirt status — will be in the mix for bigger roles. And the newcomer of the group, true freshman Tré Griffiths, is on campus and getting work.
“All the young guys, Tykie and Heard, all those guys,” Gundy said, “they’re gonna get all the work this spring.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State Cowboys, Mike Gundy open 2024 spring football practice
