Oklahoma State football: Examining move of Joe Bob Clements to linebackers coach
STILLWATER — In one of his first and most important moves as OSU’s defensive coordinator, Derek Mason has shifted Joe Bob Clements to linebackers coach, as first reported by PokesReport.com.
Clements had spent the previous nine seasons at OSU coaching defensive linemen, but with the hiring of Mason, the Cowboys’ defensive staff was left with a hole to fill.
The staff had two defensive line coaches in Clements and Greg Richmond, and two defensive backs coaches in Tim Duffie (cornerbacks) and Dan Hammerschmidt (safeties).
When Mason has coached a position, he has been a defensive backs coach as well.
So the move of Clements to linebackers made for the smoothest transition without further personnel changes, and it affords Mason the ability to oversee the defense without being tied to one specific position group.
During defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ four seasons at Oklahoma State, he oversaw linebacker coaching, but primarily left it in the hands of graduate assistants Shane Eachus and Koy McFarland, neither of whom remains with the program.
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Cowboys offer Vanderbilt defensive lineman
The Oklahoma State football program has yet to bring in any transfers, but the Cowboys have an inside track with someone who recently entered the NCAA transfer portal.
On Thursday morning, Vanderbilt senior defensive tackle Raashaan Wilkins Jr. entered the portal, and before the end of the day, he had an OSU offer.
The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Wilkins will be a super-senior in 2022. He was recruited to Vanderbilt out of junior college by Mason, who was the Commodores’ head coach at the time.
Originally from Chicago, Wilkins played at Monterey Peninsula College in California before transferring to Vanderbilt for the 2020 season.
He started all nine games at Vandy in 2020 — Mason’s last season as head coach — and started 10 of 12 games in 2021. Over the two seasons, he totaled 21 tackles, with two for loss, and a fumble recovery.
Defensive tackle has been a position in need of immediate assistance for OSU with the loss of starter Israel Antwine to the NFL and key backup Jayden Jernigan, who transferred to Missouri.
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Shane Illingworth lands at Nevada
Former Oklahoma State quarterback Shane Illingworth is heading back toward the West Coast.
The Norco, California, native committed to Nevada on Wednesday. He entered the transfer portal on Jan. 24, bringing an end to his two-year stint as a Cowboy.
Once a four-star recruit, Illingworth started three games over two seasons at OSU, playing in eight games overall. He led the Cowboys to wins against Tulsa, West Virginia and Kansas in 2020, then over Missouri State in 2021.
Illingworth will be a redshirt sophomore with four years of eligibility remaining at Nevada. Illingworth is one of five quarterbacks on the Nevada roster, but the team does not have a returning starter after Carson Strong declared for the NFL Draft in December.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSU football: Examining move of Joe Bob Clements to linebackers coach
