Position Preview: OSU’s Safeties a Year Wiser Entering 2019 Season

What a difference a year makes.

Oklahoma State’s safeties were unknown and untested last fall, but entering this season, the group is expected to be one of the Cowboys’ major strengths on the defensive side of the ball. We’ll look at safeties next in our Position Preview series.

QB Preview | RB Preview | WR Preview | CW Preview | OL Preview | DL Preview | LB Preview

The Safety Room

When I wrote the linebacker preview last week, it wasn’t known that Malcolm Rodriguez moved to the position, so for the time being, I’m going to list him along with these guys that way he is included somewhere in our position previews. This group went through some growing pains in 2018, but it comes into this season with a ton of promise.

Tanner McCalister (So.): One of three freshmen safeties who didn’t redshirt in 2018, Tanner McCalister enters this season with 12 games of experience. He finished the year with 11 tackles, four of which came in the Liberty Bowl. He also broke up a pass in the Bedlam game.

Tre Sterling (R-So.): Tre Sterling’s role is expected to increase substantially in 2019. Sterling was listed as a starter on the depth chart OSU released Friday, filling in the spot Malcolm Rodriguez left open in his move to linebacker. To this point, Sterling has two career tackles, both coming on kickoffs in the Liberty Bowl.

Kanion Williams (R-Fr.): Mike Gundy mentioned Kanion Williams as a player who benefited from the four-game redshirt rule. Williams played in four games last season, picking up special teams tackles in the Texas and Oklahoma games.

Sean Michael Flanagan (R-Fr.): Sean Michael Flanagan (my pick for the best name on the team) also took advantage of the new redshirt rule, playing in the season opener in 2018. He has yet to record any collegiate statistics, but he still has plenty of time to do that.

David Thibodeaux-Benoit (R-Fr.): A walk-on out of Chickasha, David Thibodeaux-Benoit is listed at 5-foot-9, 188 pounds.

Malcolm Rodriguez (Jr.): Malcolm Rodriguez was listed as a starting linebacker in the first depth chart of the season. The move was made to cover some depth issues the Cowboys have at the position. He started 10 games as a safety last season and was the team’s second-leading tackler with 83 takedowns.

Jarrick Bernard (So.): Another safety who didn’t redshirt last season, Jarrick Bernard started OSU’s final nine games in 2018. He finished his freshman season with 59 tackles, two sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a blocked punt. That’s quite the way to start a collegiate career.

Jason Taylor II (R-Fr.): Jason Taylor retained his redshirt after playing in the Cowboys’ final three games of 2018. Out of Carl Albert, Taylor didn’t record any stats in his first season in Stillwater, but that’s sure to change in 2019.

Kolby Harvell-Peel (So.): The final safety who enters 2019 as a true sophomore, Kolby Harvell-Peel had 52 total tackles as a freshman. He had 5.5 tackles for loss, including one sack. He also had four pass breakups, the most of any safety on OSU last season. Harvell-Peel played in all 13 games last season and started against Kansas, Iowa State, Kansas State and Baylor.

Kris McCune (R-So.): Kris McCune saw action against Missouri State last season, but he hasn’t recorded any stats to this point. A former three-star recruit out of Dallas Christian, McCune picked the Pokes over Texas Tech and Kansas.

2019 Expectations

With each passing game in 2018, the growth of Kolby Harvell-Peel and Jarrick Bernard was clearly visible.

The group was probably the OSU defense’s biggest weakness that season, but this season, the Cowboys’ safeties are expected to be a rock for the unit while the front half figures some things out.

Harvell-Peel, Bernard and Tre Sterling are expected to start Friday against Oregon State, but guys such as Tanner McCalister, Jason Taylor and Kanion Williams will likely also get some run.

“(The safeties) took a huge step, in my mind, from Game 1 to the last game of the year,” OSU defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “If you watch the film, it’s not even the same guys. There were a lot of true freshmen out there, young guys. I think they’re very good players … We’re going to have a lot of depth there. They’re a year older, played as true freshmen, took some lumps, but I’m expecting a great year out of those guys.”

Position Strengths

Bernard and Harvell-Peel are legit dudes.

The two combined for 111 tackles, three sacks, an interception and five pass breakups in their freshman seasons. Those two are the group’s strengths and could continue to be for the next three seasons.

Position Weaknesses

As good as the group got toward the end of last season, the group still doesn’t have a ton of experience.

Tre Sterling enters Friday as a redshirt freshman without a career start to this point, and Harvell-Peel and Bernard are still only sophomores. This group will be better than they were in 2018, but the best for the group is still yet to come.