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The Most Dynamic Players at Oklahoma State in 2017, Ranked

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Each year Mike Gundy and his staff bring in heavily evaluated (but not always highly-rated) prospects who overachieve on the gridiron. Players like James Washington, Jalen McCleskey and Brad Lundblade all come to mind when I think of players who have outperformed their projections and proven to be dynamic players in Stillwater.

With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the most dynamic players at OSU entering the 2017 season, ranked. Similar to Bruce Feldman’s annual college football freak list, these are the do-it-all athletes OSU can’t do without.

10. Zach Sinor: Name another player in the country who can pin punts inside the 10, launch his own Heisman website, and campaign at a national event like Big 12 media days. I’ll wait …….. OK, no one, right? That, my friends, is dynamic! Yes, I’ll admit I’m pandering to the #SinorForHeisman crowd, but I’m of the belief that he’s going to be one of the most crucial players in OSU’s push to win the Big 12 in 2017.

9. Ramon Richards: We’ve come a long ways from Richards’ freshman campaign that was biting on the pump fake after biting on the pump fake. Now, in 2017, he’s moved over to play safety — which could be huge for the senior in a 3-3-5 scheme, as Thomas Fleming analyzed. Regardless of what you think about his footwork or fundamentals, he always seems to be in the right place at the right time. His feel for the game — and now his ability to play multiple positions — makes him one of OSU’s most dynamic athletes. (Not bad for a high school quarterback turned defensive back!)

8. Chuba Hubbard: For your troubles, I’ve listed out all the OSU athletes since 2010 who have run faster than Chuba in the 100-meter sprint:

  • Tyreek Hill, 10.19

That’s it. Hubbard’s 10.55 100-meter dash earned him fourth overall in 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia in 2015. He can catch passes out of the backfield, he can get up the field through the heart of the defense, and he’s really, really, fast.

7. Calvin Bundage: Bundage, a second-year player from Edmond Santa Fe, has all the physical tools to potentially take over as the No. 1 option at star linebacker. He’s a physical freak who has coverage skills like a safety, rushing skills like a defensive end, and punishing power across the middle like an inside linebacker.

6. Dillon Stoner: Ask anyone in the Jenks area who the best athlete to come through the area over the last few years is, and 80% will tell you Dillon Stoner. For Jenks, he was a punter, safety, receiver, wildcat quarterback, and kick-holder for extra points. The man does it all — he even took a snap out of the wildcat last season with the game on the line.

5. Mason Rudolph: I wouldn’t consider Mason Rudolph to be an athletic freak, but I also would not say that to his face. At 6-foot-5, he towers over defenses and has every throw in the arsenal ready to unload at a moments notice. If he can perfect his short game (which looks worse than mine at times), he’ll grow into a bonafide first-rounder without question.

4. J.D. King: Do not sleep on Georgia running backs. Period. J.D. King is a freak show who can lift heavier weight than the entire PFB team combined, and I can guarantee you he doesn’t skip leg day. He’s a fast runner through the gap, and while he isn’t the make-you-miss athlete that Chuba Hubbard is, he can hold his own by taking blows up the middle and pass-blocking like a pro.

3. Tyron Johnson: It’s entirely possible we’ve overblown the Tyron Johnson hype, but it’s also entirely possible that everyone — including myself — absolutely can’t wait to see him take the field. The former five-star recruit is bound to breakout in 2017. It’s “bag year” as he calls it.

2. James Washington: Washington returns as the NCAA leader in receiving yards and yards per catch, and with games like this against Pitt in 2016, I’d be stunned if he isn’t the odds-on favorite to win the Biletnikoff in 2017.

I think everyone feels happy he chose football over tennis.

1. Justice Hill: Mr. All-American himself earns the top spot as the most dynamic player for OSU in 2017. The expectation for Hill last season was to fill a role behind Chris Carson, but he supplanted the veteran early in the season, rushed for 1,000-plus yards, and launched himself into our list at No. 1 among OSU’s most dynamic players. When you can squat 565-pounds, I think that’s an automatic qualifier.

 

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