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Defensive Tackle, Cowboy Back Highlight Biggest Needs of the 2018 Recruiting Class

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Thanks to two commitments last week, Oklahoma State now has only has a maximum of seven available scholarships remaining for its 2018 recruiting class. While it’s possible they could use them all, I expect them to focus on filling only four to five of them before National Signing Day.

With those scholarships, there are some specific positions Oklahoma State is going to be targeting, based on what they already have in the 2018 class and the number of upperclassmen (juniors and seniors) currently on the roster.

First, let’s take a look at OSU’s 2018 class so far.

Name Position Home Town Rating (247)
Sanders, Spencer Quarterback Denton, TX 4 stars
C.J. Moore Wide Receiver Tulsa, OK 4 stars
Jonathan Sheperd Wide Receiver Kilgore, TX 3 stars
Jahmyl Jeter Running Back San Antonio, TX 3 stars
Bryce Bray Offensive Guard Bixby, OK 3 stars
Tyrese Williams Offensive Center Houston, TX 3 stars
Hunter Anthony Offensive Tackle Tuttle, OK 3 stars
Hunter Woodard Offensive Tackle Tuscola, IL 3 stars
Jacob Farrell Offensive Tackle Sulphur, OK 3 stars
Jayveon Cardwell Cornerback Cibolo, TX 3 stars
Jaelyn Nolan Cornerback Brownfield, TX 3 stars
Gabe Lemons Cornerback Coppell, TX 2 stars
Jarrick Bernard Safety Shreveport, LA 3 stars
Kanion Williams Safety Dallas, TX 3 stars
Jason Taylor Safety Oklahoma City, OK 3 stars
Blake Barron Linebacker Rockwall, TX 3 stars
Kolby Peel Linebacker College Station, TX 3 stars
Tyler Lacy Defensive End Sachse, TX 3 stars

The coaching staff has done a good job of filling up the crop of defensive backs. There are now six players in the class expected to play either safety or corner. With six senior defensive backs (four safeties, two cornerbacks) on the roster currently, getting talented youth into the program now is vital to the position’s stability.

After not bringing in a single high school offensive lineman in last year’s class, new offensive coordinator Josh Henson did some real work, getting verbal commitments from five recruits. This was big, especially considering the Cowboys have five senior linemen on the roster right now and five juniors. That’s half of the linemen on campus.

Barring a decommitment, OSU is likely done with quarterback and running back with Spencer Sanders and Jahmyl Jeter in the mix. The roster is loaded with youth at both positions with four freshman/sophomore quarterbacks and five freshman/sophomore running backs.

The staff could look to add another wide receiver, but I don’t think it’s a top priority. They have 15 on campus this season. Yes, four are seniors, but with the depth of talent they can sustain only bringing on two this year and focusing on the position more in the 2019 class. It’s not that adding a third receiver to this class would be a bad thing, there are just other areas with more demanding needs.

That brings us to which positions OSU will likely focus their efforts with the remaining seven scholarships. I believe there are four positions the Cowboys will be looking to bring in a player.

Defensive End

The Cowboys currently have nine defensive ends on the roster. Two of those are seniors and five are juniors. With only one current DE commit in the 2018 class in Tyler Lacy, I expect OSU to push hard to land at least one more.

Cowboy Back/Tight End

There are nine cowboy back/tight ends on the roster right now. While OSU will only graduate one at the end of the season, five on the roster are juniors this year. I expect they would like to add at least one player to the class who can fit the OSU version of the tight end, especially with the decommitment of Nic McTear.

Defensive Tackle

OSU has seven on the roster, but two are seniors and one is a junior. OSU is going to need to add at least one player in this class. If they can’t nab a high school player they like, look for coaches to target a junior college player or a graduate transfer who can immediately come in and contribute.

Linebacker

The Cowboys have 12 on campus, but three are seniors and three more are juniors. As of now, OSU has two linebacker commits in Blake Barron and Kolby Peel. I expect they will want to land another player for this position.

There’s no reason to believe OSU won’t try to use all seven remaining scholarships, especially if they get commitments from some quality recruits. However, with OSU’s history of bringing in a graduate transfer or two each year, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the coach staff hang on to a couple of scholarships just in case.

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