Eric Morris Identifies Three Ongoing Position Battles After First Pratice of Fall Camp

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State opened fall camp on Wednesday, and though a good chunk of the starters feel set at this point, Eric Morris identified a few openings still up for grabs, including some that must be settled ASAP if the Cowboys are going to be ready for the season.

“We feel good about seven, eight offensive linemen right now, and we need to have continuity,” Morris said. “So after scrimmage one, hopefully we have the O-line set in stone so they can get some continuity.”

Morris had the same deadline in mind following his spring scrimmage so it certainly sounds like Oklahoma State can’t afford to leave this group in flux for too much longer.

The calendar shared with the media includes only interview availability and is not a complete practice schedule. However, most programs scrimmage on Saturdays and get in at least two before the season. Considering Morris has roughly 3.5 weeks until the first week of the season begins, it sounds like the offensive linemen might have two weeks or less to prove they have what it takes.

Here’s a breakdown of where that group sits and the other position groups Morris singled out following Wednesday’s practice.

Offensive line

Morris made a point to mention injured linemen Braydon Nelson and Ashton Lepo as two impactful pieces following the spring game despite their status at the time.

“So those are guys that we think will probably be starting rotation,” Morris said then.

The starting group that day looked like this:

LT — Desmond Magiya (North Texas transfer)
LG — Johnny Dickson III (North Texas)
C — Tyler Mercer (Kansas)
RG — Joseph Hanson (Coastal Carolina)
RT — Jacob Sexton (Oklahoma)

During Wednesday’s practice, the following bunch lined up together during drills:

LT — Ashton Lepo (Michigan State)
LG — Johnny Dickson III
C — Tyler Mercer
RG — Joseph Hanson
RT — Jacob Sexton

It would be surprising to see anyone other than Mercer at center, but the rest of the group still feels a little up in the air. If there are truly six guys competing for the remaining four spots, then that list likely includes the other four starters from the spring scrimmage plus Nelson and Lepo.

It’s worth noting that Nelson was seen working as the starting right tackle early in the spring before he got banged up. At the time, Sexton worked at left tackle.

Those two snapshots suggest a lot of consistency inside, but don’t be surprised if the shuffle continues over the next week or so as Morris works to find the perfect mix.

When asked about guys returning from injury this fall, Morris again highlighted Lepo, though not without some criticism as he gets back up to speed.

“Ashton Lepo is a guy that (is) super athletic,” Morris said. “We got to see a little bit more of his skill set. We just didn’t let him do teams. So I saw him in all indy (individual drills) and what he was able to provide. I mean, you knew the skillset was there. He’s a little out of shape today. … We got to get him in playing shape.”

Lepo started two games last season and 12 in 2024, all at right tackle.

Linebackers

This was the first ongoing position battle Morris mentioned on Wednesday.

“I think linebacker and just the way that we roll those guys in there,” Morris said. “I mean, we got to feel really good about four guys playing right now.”

North Texas transfer Ethan Wesloski remains the safest bet to lead the group in snaps this fall.

“Obviously, we got Wesloski that’s played a ton of football,” Morris said. “He knows this scheme. Feel really confident in him.”

After him, Morris listed, in order, UCLA transfer Isaiah Chisom, Arizona State transfer Tate Romney and Tulane transfer Dallas Winner-Johnson.

Morris singled out both Wesloski and Romney at Big 12 Media Days during his time on the main stage last month. Winner-Johnson is easily the surprise of the group as returning Cowboy Trip White was seen working with both the first and second-string units in the spring. Perhaps White is still in the mix as Morris was speaking top of mind following a rather hot practice to say the least.

Winner-Johnson recorded five total tackles last season while playing in a reserve role for Tulane, but it sounds like he’s made an impression since arriving in Stillwater.

Cornerbacks

Morris spent the least time on Wednesday discussing cornerbacks, but the head coach said that is a spot where guys are still battling.

LaDainian Fields and Texas Tech transfer Mo Horn were often seen in the starting role during spring practices. Marshall made the case for both guys earlier this week.

UNT transfer Kollin Lewis appeared to be in the mix behind them during the spring, so he would appear to be the guy with the best chance at unseating them. It’s difficult to say if another corner has firmly established himself inside the top four at this point.

Slot corner can be a bit of a weird corner-safety hybrid in some systems. It’s unclear if Morris was thinking of his fifth defensive back when he mentioned corners, but it would be somewhat surprising to see anyone besides Christian Bodnar at that spot given his experience in the role at Liberty.

Both Bodnar and Fields also received praise from Morris during Big 12 Media Days seemingly supporting the idea those two have the inside track to a starting gig this fall.