Three Big Things: OSU's offense will return to elite form and more predictions for 2024

Apr. 25—This week marks the conclusion of Oklahoma State football's spring practices. Fans don't have a chance to watch the Cowboys this spring with the elimination of the spring game, so I wanted to go over a few things I noticed throughout the five-week media sessions and brief glimpses of practice.

Let's dig in.

Year two with Brian Nardo will be a successSeveral spring storylines have indicated that some big changes are in order for the Oklahoma State defense in 2024.

The biggest adjustment will start up front, with Defensive Coordinator Brian Nardo testing out various packages that stray away from his 3-3-5 look in his first year in Stillwater. OSU ran mostly 4-3 under former DC Glenn Spencer before switching to a 4-2-5 with Jim Knowles. As of this spring, Nardo has been implementing four-man front packages to help create more pressure on the quarterback.

A four-down set would allow for Collin Oliver to resume his edge-rushing role that prompted his rise to stardom. It would, in theory, also alleviate the big-play struggles on the back end from a year ago by speeding things up for opposing passers and creating less down field shots.

"Defensively, we've done a good job with different fronts," OSU head coach Mike Gundy said. "Obviously, we play a three-down but it's not any secret that we're playing some four-down with it. It's been a learning process. Even though we've played a lot of four-down in the past, doesn't mean you can just walk right into it. So, we've made some pretty good strides in that area."

I also expect to see Kendal Daniels utilized in unique ways this season. Daniels tacked on some size, which means he could move closer to the line of scrimmage.

"Kendal went from 204 to almost 240 now," Gundy said. "That's why we're doing some things with him. We can bring him down and invert him now, play him in a standup position closer to the ball."

Daniels can deliver some punishment over the middle but is still athletic enough to drop back in coverage or roam the field. I'd like to see a role for Daniels similar to that of former OSU linebacker/rover Jordan Burton in 2015. Burton was a safety in junior college that was converted to backer at Oklahoma State, but he moved all over the field. Some may remember his interception of Trevone Boykin in OSU's 49-29 win over TCU in 2015. Now, Daniels is larger than Burton and has more coverage capability, but it's a role that I think can be compared.

In 2023, OSU ranked last in the Big 12 in total defense, allowing 441.8 yards per game. That number has to decrease, and with some of the changes implemented this offseason, they will.

Oklahoma State returns eight of its 11 starters from last year's Big 12 runner-up squad and, with several tweaks, some massive strides can be made.

The offense will be the best one since 2018It's no secret that OSU's offensive production hasn't been the same since the Rudolph-Washington era, plus the Taylor Cornelius year in 2018.

From 2015-18, Oklahoma State's offense ranked in the top 15 nationally for four consecutive years. Since then, the Cowboys have been in the Top 30 just twice and have ranked as low as 59. If that's going to change, 2024 is the year.

The return of the entire offensive line certainly paves the way for that, and the Doak Walker award winner in the back field further pushes the argument. Tack on three established receivers and a seventh-year quarterback and you've got some serious momentum.

I would argue that the offense's biggest strength next year will be with a counter-attack mentality. Opposing defenses have to gameplan for Ollie Gordon, which can include stacked boxes and extra aggression toward playing the run. When that happens, the outside becomes extremely vulnerable, especially with receivers like Rashod Owens and D'Zhaun Stribling on the outside and Brennan Presley in the slot. All three of those guys have the ability to win one-on-one coverage, and keep your eye out for redshirt sophomore Talyn Shettron.

Quarterback Alan Bowman passed for 3,460 yards last season, despite being in a three-man rotation for four games and having just one offseason to learn an entire offense. This time around, he is the solidified starter from day one and he has an entire offseason to dive further into the schematics and build deeper chemistry with his receiving corps. If he can cut down on his interception numbers, OSU should once again possess a lethal passing attack to balance out a dominant running game from a season ago.

It's difficult to expect the Cowboys to put up 6,500 yards of offense like they did during the 2015-18 era, but it's much more possible than it might seem. The talent is there, and so is the balance.

Josh Ford will contribute in year oneOf all incoming freshmen, Gundy has spoken the highest of Stillwater High's own Josh Ford.

From a physical standpoint, Ford is the most qualified of any tight end on the Cowboy roster. He is listed at 6-6, 250 pounds and knows how to use every bit of his big frame.

Gundy sang praise for the freshmen tight end from the start of spring practices.

"He came in in really good physical condition, and he's got good size, good presence," Gundy said. "The offseason didn't seem to scare him."

Ford crushed his offseason workout program, and he has passed the physicality test with flying colors. Gundy, among others, have taken notice of Ford's willingness to initiate contact this spring.

Defensive Lineman Collin Clay said last week that he "wasn't surprised" by Ford's early emergence. Equally unsurprised is Ford's former coach, Stillwater's Chad Cawood.

"I will be surprised if Josh doesn't find his way on the field next year," Cawood said in an interview with the News Press' Marcus Trevino. "I'm not saying an everyday starter, I'm saying in some packages and things like that just because of how hard I know he's going to work."

I tend to agree with Cawood. With OSU's addition of Ohio University transfer tight end Tyler Foster, Ford might not see a large role in the passing game. I think he will absolutely make his presence felt in certain run-heavy packages.

Not many players find the field in year one with Oklahoma State, and even fewer garner as much praise before stepping onto the field. Ford has turned heads and received that praise. Now, the next step is bringing his impact to a game, which I believe he will do in 2024.

Ryan Breeden is a sports reporter for The Stillwater News Press. He can be contacted at rbreeden@stwnewspress.com.