Oklahoma State football from A to Z: Everything you need to know about 2023 OSU Cowboys

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy says he’ll play multiple players at virtually every position, including quarterback, when his team opens the season at 6 p.m. Saturday against Central Arkansas at Boone Pickens Stadium, broadcast by ESPN+.

That means there’s a lot to learn about this edition of the Cowboy football squad. Here’s an A-to-Z guide to preview the year:

A is for Alan Bowman

The former Michigan and Texas Tech quarterback has battled with redshirt freshman Garret Rangel as the prime contenders in the battle for the starting job. Outsiders kept waiting for Bowman to be named the starter, but it hasn’t happened yet. Still, his veteran experience as a super-senior could give him the edge as the competition moves forward into actual games.

More: How will Bryan Nardo handle first Oklahoma State football game day? Mike Gundy has an idea

B is for Bryan Nardo

Plucked from the Division II level, where he has been a defensive coordinator at Emporia State and Gannon University, Nardo had the expertise Gundy was looking for in his next defensive leader. Nardo began running the 3-3-5 while at Emporia and has added his own wrinkles to it since then. Now, he gets his first shot running it at the Division I level.

C is for Chemistry

Including walk-ons, the Cowboy roster has 45 players who were not with the team last December. Many of them will be starting or playing prominent rotational roles, so blending the new faces with the returning players will be one of the most important developments of the season.

More: Inside Oklahoma State football's bonding trip to San Diego for Alan Bowman, receivers

D is for Dunn

Rumors were rampant last December that Gundy was looking to make a change with his offensive coordinator but nothing came of it. So Kasey Dunn enters his fourth year in the role, having made notable changes to the offense, particularly in the run game, to get it back to a level the Cowboys have come to expect. It remains a crucial year for the long-time OSU assistant.

E is for Eighteen

OSU is chasing its 18th straight bowl appearance. The current mark of 17 straight is the sixth-longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

F is for Fumbles

Though the Cowboy defense piled up takeaways via interception last season, it only had six fumble recoveries, less than one every two games. Most defenses will luck into that many, so the Pokes need to poke a few more fumbles out of the arms of opponents this season.

G is for Green

Last year, Bryson Green emerged as a valuable receiver for the Cowboys, but he departed for Wisconsin. To replace him, the Cowboys turned to an identical version of him — his twin, Blaine Green. Blaine was injured last season but is back to health and adds versatility with his ability to play outside or inside as a big slot receiver at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds.

More: Who are Oklahoma State football's 10 most important players this season?

H is for Handoffs

The zone-read handoff that has been a staple of the offense the last several years isn’t totally going away. But with the quarterbacks moving under center more frequently, look for more traditional handoffs — and some fakes on play-action passes — in this year’s version of the Cowboy offense.

I is for Injuries

Sometimes forgotten amid last season’s late collapse, the Cowboys were hit hard by injuries at a variety of positions. Quarterback, offensive line, receiver, secondary and defensive line among the most prominent. It’s not something the team has a lot of control over, but guarding against injuries will be important — and just as much, holding up when injuries occur using the strong depth Gundy keeps talking about.

J is for Jadens

Trying to choose an emerging playmaker in the Cowboy offense? Double your odds by betting on Jaden — either Nixon, the running back, or Bray, the receiver. Both have made moves forward in preseason camp and have unique skills to set them apart from their teammates at their respective positions.

K is for Kirkland

Among the new additions to the roster this year, it’s hard to find one more intriguing than Justin Kirkland, the 6-foot-4, 346-pound nose tackle who transferred from Utah Tech. He has wowed teammates with his overpowering style at the line of scrimmage, his crazy ability in the weight room and even his golfing ability — “he can hit a golf ball 500 yards,” one teammate said. Kirkland could turn out to be the most important defensive addition to the team this year.

More: What are Oklahoma State football's best- and worst-case scenarios for every game in 2023?

L is for Linebackers

There are three of them now, as opposed to the two-linebacker scheme the Pokes have been running the last several years. Xavier Benson returns from last year, Justin Wright transferred in, and Collin Oliver moved from defensive end, a change that could spark a huge uptick in his NFL potential. And don’t sleep on Nick Martin, the redshirt sophomore who is fighting for playing time with Wright in the middle.

M is for McEndoo

Jason McEndoo, the Cowboys’ tight ends coach, has a little bit different role this year, because his players have a different role. Previously known as “Cowboy backs,” the group has been split into tight ends and fullbacks. The motivation is to better impact the run blocking schemes, so the group will look a bit different in how it is used.

N is for New uniforms

New uniforms with a touch of old. The Cowboys’ new threads blend the color schemes they’ve become popular for with an old-school look from the 1980s era jerseys with block lettering and sleeve stripes. In recent years, the Pokes have worn a similar style in throwback uniforms to celebrate legends Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas, and those unis were wildly popular with fans. The same seems to be true of the new look.

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O is for Ollie

Ollie Gordon flashed his potential the last time OSU played in Boone Pickens Stadium, rushing for 136 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to West Virginia last November. Will he be the featured back out of the talented trio of himself, Nixon and Michigan State transfer Elijah Collins? That is yet to be seen, but he has the look of a blossoming star.

P is for Portal

For OSU fans who didn’t like how December and January felt, with more than a dozen players departing via the transfer portal and 13 coming in the same way, here’s a word of advice: get used to it. The portal will only continue to be a significant piece of the offseason across college football. Based on how frightening the first round of departures felt for OSU, Gundy and Co. reloaded rather well with the guys they brought in. But now it’s time to find out just how good that portal haul really was.

Q is for Queso

Jason Brooks Jr., also known as Queso, emerged as the team’s best run blocker last year. Now slated as the starting left guard, Brooks’ physical play should once again aid the Cowboys’ determination to run the ball. It’ll take more than one guy, but Brooks is a valuable piece of the puzzle.

More: Which new faces will fill special teams roles for Oklahoma State football in 2023?

R is for Rover

Rover is the name given to the middle safety in Nardo’s 3-3-5 defensive scheme. It’s arguably the most important position in the defense. And if you’re trying to identify which one he is on the field, look for No. 5. That’s Kendal Daniels, the redshirt sophomore safety who was the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year last season. Even bigger things appear in store for Daniels with the switch to this defense, in which he’ll be put in situations to make plays all over the field.

S is for Sold out

Based on available records, 2023 marks the first-ever preseason sellout of season tickets for Cowboy football. The 2013 team also sold out all of its season tickets, but the last ones weren’t purchased until after some games had already been played. With the improvements made to the seating areas in the center of the north bleachers, the capacity of Boone Pickens Stadium will be 53,855 this season, and the Pokes will appreciate having each seat filled this season.

T is for Turnovers

Last year, the Cowboys gave the ball away too much. They finished minus-four in turnover margin, ranking 95th nationally. At the very least, that number needs to be on the positive side this season.

U is for Underdogs

Though OSU received one first-place vote in the Big 12 preseason media poll, it landed in seventh place in the 14-team league. Several gambling sites project the Cowboys at 6.5 victories this season. That means the Pokes could find themselves in a rare spot as underdog more than a couple times this season.

More: 'Thrown in the fire' by Oklahoma State football, Cam Smith set for bigger role in 2023

V is for Versatility

One of the things that excites Gundy about his new defense is the ability to be based out of a three-man front. But with Oliver’s familiarity as a defensive end, the Cowboys will often slide him from linebacker up to the line of scrimmage as a fourth lineman with a serious pass rush threat. That’s the versatility Gundy wants to see from his defense to give it a chance for success in any scenario.

W is for Wes Pahl

While Australian Hudson Kaak came in as a scholarship addition to the punting team, it was Western Kentucky transfer walk-on Wes Pahl who was listed atop the depth chart released last week. Pahl is a lanky 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, and though he’s a fourth-year player, he has never punted in a college game. In three years at Western Kentucky, he only saw action as a holder for field goals and extra points, a role he will also fill this season.

X is for Xaviers

Xavier Benson (whose name is pronounced with the “X” sound) and Xavier Ross (whose name is pronounced with the “Z” sound) have both been pointed to as players making major improvements since the end of last season. Gundy says Benson, a linebacker, is the most improved player since January and Ross has blossomed in the move from defensive tackle to end.

Y is for the “Y” receiver

Labeled as the “Y” position, it represents the primary slot receiver — a.k.a. Brennan Presley. The senior was the Cowboys’ top receiver in both yardage and receptions last season, and he should be just as impactful, if not more so, this season.

Z is for Zeke Zaragoza

Having spent three seasons in Stillwater backing up Matt Hembrough, Zaragoza finally gets his shot at longsnapper. He’s likely to share duties with true freshman Shea Freibaum, but Zaragoza, who overcame a rare medical condition at a young age, remains a valuable part of the program.

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football: 2023 OSU Cowboys season preview A-to-Z guide