The Four Freshman Mike Gundy Says Will Probably Play in 2016

Mike Gundy noted earlier this week that he would likely narrow down the list of true freshmen who would play this upcoming season. And he stuck to his word and met the deadline, telling reporters who he expects to see time in 2016. Those four freshmen, according to the Tulsa World, are as follows:

Dillon Stoner – Wide Receiver

Stoner is the Jenks standout who came in ready for fall camp, and appears to be the most impressive freshmen in camp. Which seems to be paying off, as it sounds like he will play a prominent role in the offense this season.

Justice Hill – Running Back

According to the Tulsa World report, Hill’s playing as a freshman is “not for sure”. If the running back situation is where it was last year, Hill would almost certainly play a large role. But with the numbers being where they are with Barry J., Rennie Childs, Chris Carson, and Jeff Carr, it may make sense for him to redshirt. The difficult part, I’m sure, is that Hill is a pretty big talent who could almost certainly make an impact. The Booker T. Washington product came in prepared for fall camp, just like Stoner. Physically, he could be ready to contribute right away. It’ll be up to the coaches to decide if they want to burn a redshirt.

Calvin Bundage – Linebacker

Bundage is another with an asterisk next to his name, as Mike Gundy said Sunday that he’ll play “if he continues on.” He’s had a good fall camp, so if he keeps it up, he’ll play. Which says a lot about his level of talent, especially given the depth at linebacker this season. The former Edmond Santa Fe product was a physical freak in high school, and he has the versatility to play a feature in the defense as the hybrid STAR linebacker.

Obi Obialo – Wide Receiver

This is the guy I certainly didn’t have on my radar headed into camp. The walk-on from Coppell, Texas, brings an added intrigue to the receiving corps: He’s a legit 6-3, 200 lbs. on the okstate.com online roster. And with Marcell Ateman out for the first portion of the season, Obialo’s emergence couldn’t be more timely. He could be the big target Rudolph can go to during Ateman’s absence. It’s hard to expect much from a true freshman, but Obialo seems to be primed to take on a role and with his size it makes sense that he could be a logical target in the red zone for No. 2.

Of course Mike Gundy noted that “We’re not for sure,” regarding if these guys will play or not. But given the fact that these guys have been talked about for most of camp, it’d surprise me if they don’t  see the field. I’d take the footnote from Gundy as a coachy way to try and temper expectations for the true frosh group who will see the field. It’s not realistic to expect Stoner or Obialo to compete for a Biletnikoff so it’s Gundy’s way of probably limiting that chatter, but all signs point to these four seeing the field come Sep. 3.