Which Oklahoma State football preseason position battle is most pressing?

STILLWATER — Trying to dodge the summer heat, the Oklahoma State football team will open preseason camp not long after the sun rises on Wednesday morning.

A month away from the Sept. 2 season opener against Central Arkansas in Boone Pickens Stadium, the Cowboys have plenty of work to be done in August.

Learning a new defense, adapting to redeveloped schemes in the offensive run game, building chemistry in a locker room with somewhere around 40 new faces.

And on top of all that, there are position battles to sort out, starting with perhaps the most important one on the field.

Here’s a look at four key position competitions to watch during the Cowboys’ preseason camp:

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Quarterback: Will Alan Bowman run away with job?

How much of a true competition is this? Hard to say. But head coach Mike Gundy says he’ll give his guys — primarily, super-senior Alan Bowman, redshirt freshman Garret Rangel and redshirt sophomore Gunnar Gundy — a couple weeks to work it out.

In the big picture, Bowman is the guy OSU needs to win the job. He has the most experience, having played in 24 college games, most of them as a starter, throwing for over 5,300 yards and 34 touchdowns with just 18 interceptions and a completion percentage over 67.

If Bowman can take the job and run with it, that gives Rangel, Gundy and true freshman Zane Flores an extra year of growth watching a veteran lead the offense and sets the stage for a massive quarterback competition in 2024.

If Bowman isn’t the guy, the Cowboys will be forced to lean on one of the less-experienced youngsters to guide the offense, which could lead to a few more bumps in the road as that player grows up.

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Left tackle: Who replaces Caleb Etienne?

Caleb Etienne was on the field for more snaps than any OSU offensive player last season (1,002) but the 6-foot-7, 325-pounder vacated his starting left tackle gig to enter the transfer portal, landing at BYU.

OSU scored a veteran left tackle, Dalton Cooper, in the transfer portal from Texas State, and another familiar face, Cole Birmingham, will get a strong look at that spot in camp as well.

Birmingham was blossoming into a solid blocker in 2021, but tore his ACL late in spring of 2022 and missed all of last season. Listed at 6-foot-5, 325 pounds, Birmingham knows the offense and has been on the field in multiple positions.

Cooper missed some time with an injury last spring, so he’ll have some work to do over the next couple of weeks, but regardless, the Cowboys feel good about the left tackle situation entering the preseason.

Outside linebacker: Who fits in the Bryan Nardo's 3-3-5 scheme?

The linebacker position group already looks vastly different than it did a year ago, with Mason Cobb departing for USC and new coordinator Bryan Nardo bringing in a system that uses three linebackers instead of two.

Justin Wright arrived from Tulsa via the transfer portal and looks the part of a middle linebacker. And Collin Oliver — just two years removed from earning freshman All-America status at defensive end — slides to an outside linebacker spot, which seems to mesh well with his talent.

That leaves one vacant spot, and the natural reaction is to point to returning starter Xavier Benson, who appeared in every game last season after arriving from the junior-college level.

But Benson was honest in spring that he struggled adapting to Big 12 football last year, so he’ll have to show improvement in the new defensive scheme. If not, a group of young guys are ready to compete for snaps.

Nick Martin and Donovan Stephens have seen the field on special teams, and Jeff Roberson was showing promise before suffering a season-ending injury last preseason.

More: How OSU players view Bryan Nardo, new uniforms, media day experience

Cornerback: Who starts alongside Korie Black?

Another vacancy created by the transfer portal, OSU must find a starting cornerback opposite veteran Korie Black. Now a senior, Black has established himself as a prominent playmaker at the position, but last year, Jabbar Muhammad was holding his own on the other side of the field.

Now with Muhammad at Washington, the Pokes have a hole to fill, and options with which to fill it.

Cam Smith was a third-teamer in early October, but ended up playing a major role over the second half of the season because of injuries. He took advantage of the opportunities and showed significant development as a redshirt freshman.

The Cowboys brought in a veteran from the portal as well, landing Kenneth Harris from Arkansas State, who will find himself in the mix thanks to his knack for the ball, his experience and his leadership.

And if any of them falter, youngsters are waiting to pounce. The Cowboys are excited about the promise of guys like Cameron Epps, D.J. McKinney, Kale Smith and De’kelvion Beamon.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football faces several pressing position battles