STILLWATER — Oklahoma State enters the football preseason with very few open starting spots, and not many more vacancies on the second string.
So the potential for true freshmen to break through into the playing rotation is slim.
Yet August remains important for the development of those newcomers, and a few of them could find their way into backup roles or special teams action.
Here’s a look at five freshmen to watch during preseason camp who could fight their way toward playing time:
More: How did Oklahoma State football look in first fall practice? Four observations of Cowboys
Safety Landyn Cleveland
Over the last few years, safeties and linebackers have proven to have the best chance of contributing on special teams as true freshmen. So there are a few guys who could go in this spot, like safeties Willie Nelson and David Kabongo or linebacker Temerrick Johnson. Those three, plus Cleveland, arrived in January and got a headstart on adapting to the physicality that will be required to step in and contribute. Cleveland was the highest rated recruit of the group, but that doesn’t guarantee anything. The safety and linebacker groups have good depth, so breaking into the two-deep will be difficult, but special teams is a valuable option.
More: What are Oklahoma State football’s pressing questions as Cowboys open 2024 preseason camp?
Del City’s Rodney Fields is pictured in Oklahoma City, as part of the Oklahoman’s Super 30 high school football players on Thursday, June 29, 2023.
Whether it’s Fields or fellow freshman Jaden Allen-Hendrix, the Cowboys are likely to need one of their true freshmen running backs to provide some type of contribution. With the injury status of transfer A.J. Green still murky, the Cowboys likely will enter the season with just two experienced backups for star running back Ollie Gordon II…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/oklahoma-state-football-freshmen-watch-215222793.html
Author : The Oklahoman
Publish date : 2024-08-01 21:52:22
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