Jalen McCleskey Stands Out Among Deep Receiving Corps in Season-Opener

In a game where the Cowboys seemed to distribute the ball evenly, Jalen McCleskey was everywhere.

In Oklahoma State’s 58-17 beat down of Missouri State on Thursday night in Boone Pickens Stadium, McCleskey had seven receptions on a team-high 10 targets and scored three touchdowns.

McCleskey scored from the air and the ground, and if there would’ve been water on the field, there would’ve been an intriguing betting line to see if he could score by sea.

McCleskey, a senior from Covington, Louisiana, got his night started with a six-yard completion in the Cowboys’ second drive. Although the play itself might seem minute, it marked McCleskey’s 38th game with at least one reception out of the 40 games he has played in.

On a third-and-goal in OSU’s third possession, quarterback Taylor Cornelius faked a give to Justice Hill before flipping the ball to McCleskey in the opposite direction. McCleskey seemed to be stopped about the 2 before he was able to contort around defenders and stretch the ball across the goal line. The score was McCleskey first rushing touchdown as a Cowboy.

STREEETTCHHHHH and SCOREEEE. pic.twitter.com/nfEoa3RS8y

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) August 31, 2018

McCleskey’s first receiving touchdown of the season came in the third quarter. McCleskey found some space in the middle of the Missouri State defense before Cornelius threw a low ball. McCleskey was able to dive scrape his hands across the turf to bring it in, putting the Cowboys up 38-10.

At the start of the fourth quarter, McCleskey scored his easiest touchdown of the night. Cornelius was flushed to his left before he stopped, planted and arched the ball to a wide open McCleskey in the end zone from 29 yards out.

That catch was McCleskey’s final of the night. He finished with six catches for 66 yards, game highs in receptions and receiving yards.

Without James Washington or Marcell Ateman, the big talk around the OSU receivers this offseason was who would be the No. 1 option? Well, Thursday night McCleskey started his case.