100 Days of Summer: Get to Know No. 3 Marcell Ateman

In Part 2 of today’s 100 Days of Summer, let’s look at a big-time play maker who’s just ready to get back on the field.

How he got to OSU

The four-star receiver from Wylie East High School (Wylie, Texas) picked Oklahoma State over offers from Michigan, Baylor, Tennessee and several others. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for Wylie East including a 1,584 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior which earned him 13-4A all-district honors.

What he’s done in Stillwater

Ateman played in every game as a true freshman in 2013 and finished with 22 receptions including a 51-yard bomb in Oklahoma State’s win over No. 3 Baylor.

As a junior in 2015, he was behind only David Glidden and James Washington in receptions (45) and racked up 766 yards and five scores. He boasted a 64.3-percent catch rate and led all OSU receivers averaging 10.9 yards per target according to Football Study Hall.

Role in 2017

After missing all of 2016 with a lower leg injury, Ateman was granted a medical hardship waiver and is ready to play out his final year in orange. His position coach Kasey Dunn talked about the year he expected for Ateman in 2016.

“The kid busted his ass, and he was ready for 2016,” Dunn said. “For him, it was just a devastating blow, and for us, too, because I told several people I thought he might have the biggest year in our receiving corps. James is a talented guy, but Marcell was killing it.”

At 6-4, he’s one of Mason Rudolph’s most gifted and versatile weapons on the outside. He’s also got the speed to take the top off of a defense. With his tools and the ridiculous depth and talent at wideout, Ateman’s production should be limited only by his opportunity.

“You ask our DBs and they’ll tell you that he’s probably the quickest and hardest off the line vs. press coverage,” Dunn said. “You very rarely see him get jammed, so then you couple that with being 6-4, 6-5, 225 pounds and strong as hell, and it’s hard to cover him.”

Noteworthy stats and highlights

Ateman had a career-high eight catches for a career-high 132 yards and a score against Iowa State in 2015, his third triple-digit receiving effort. I expect that it won’t be his last.

Here’s a look at that career game.