'Unblockable' Justin Kirkland brings personality, power to Oklahoma State defensive line

STILLWATER — Justin Kirkland sauntered around inside the Sherman Smith Training Center while Oklahoma State football players went through their Pro Day workouts for NFL scouts last March.

He wore a white tank top, pink shorts and paper-thin flip flops that provided little support for the 6-foot-4, 346-pound mammoth of a man on top of them.

The temperature was in the 50s that day, but Kirkland was dressed like it was mid-summer. For a kid who grew up in Roy, Utah — which had more than a foot of snow that particular March morning — it might as well have been.

“Flip flops and a button-up Hawaiian shirt — he rolls into a meeting sometimes with that on, and you just smile and say, ‘You do you, big man,’” OSU defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo said.

Nardo might be Kirkland’s biggest fan when it comes to the football side of things. The Cowboys lured Kirkland out of the transfer portal before Nardo was hired as defensive coordinator, but Kirkland is an ideal fit for the nose tackle spot in Nardo’s 3-3-5 defense.

Kirkland was dominant at Utah Tech as a true freshman last season, and his size and strength suggest he’s physically built for the transition to Big 12 football.

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

As the Cowboys prepare to open the season at 6 p.m. Saturday against Central Arkansas at Boone Pickens Stadium, Kirkland is perhaps one of the most intriguing new OSU faces. He has the gifts to be one of the most impactful players in orange and black — or, dare it be said, all of the Big 12.

Though he has yet to be allowed to speak to the media because of coach Mike Gundy’s rules limiting interviews with first-year players, Kirkland’s personality has still been a common topic of conversation between reporters and players.

Same with his physical freakishness. A little over a year ago, he posted a video on social media showing him bench pressing 225 pounds 40 times.

“He can mash a golf ball,” defensive end Kody Walterscheid said. “He can hit it about 500 yards. It’s awesome. He’s a cool dude.”

Asked about Kirkland’s ability to make the transition to the Big 12, Gundy said simply, “strength won’t be a problem.”

Early in August, OSU redshirt sophomore Kendal Daniels was asked about the new nose tackle and immediately began describing a play from that day’s practice in which Kirkland broke through the line and blew up a handoff before it happened, causing a fumble that the defense recovered.

“He’s a big guy, he runs to the football,” Daniels said. “Having him being able to move guys and get back in the backfield — when he makes plays like that, I’m just like, thank the Lord he’s on my football team.

“Him doing that opens up gaps for the linebackers, which opens up gaps for me, so it really changes everything to have that dominant nose guard that can just play football.”

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

Because Oklahoma State has strong depth at nose tackle, Kirkland will be kept fresh with help from guys like Collin Clay, Iman Oates and others.

Having recruited Kirkland when Derek Mason was still the team’s defensive coordinator and the scheme was still based in a four-man front, the Cowboys couldn’t have asked for a better fit with the move to Nardo’s three-man front.

But the new coordinator says the defensive scheme matters little for a player like Kirkland.

“Justin Kirkland is a perfect fit in any defense,” Nardo said with an excited smile. “He is a great leader, a great person, he’s a monster, he’s unblockable. He would be very successful in anything. He’d be perfect if I ran a 5-2 Monster. He’s a great fit and we’re very lucky to have him.

“And he’s coachable. Sometimes when you get guys that big, they’re not much into technique, because they’ve been so much bigger than everybody. But he’s very coachable, uses his technique well. Does everything you ask him.”

Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.

OSU vs. Central Arkansas

KICKOFF: 6 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater (ESPN+)

More: How 'psycho' Justin Wright is set for impactful role in Oklahoma State football defense

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football: Justin Kirkland brings power to OSU Cowboys