What We Learned About Oklahoma State During Fall Camp

Game week is here, and the pandering and pontificating is nearly over. But first! We did learn a few things about OSU during fall camp. Our staff writers look back at a couple of those as we look ahead to the season. Giddyup.

Kyle B.

1. Going into fall training camp, I couldn’t have even told you that Obi Obialo was planning to walk-on to the football team. Now he’s on the two-deep and in line to make an impact as a freshman behind Chris Lacy. His size at 6-foot-3 should make him an interesting target in the red zone with Marcell Ateman out for the first part of the schedule getting back from injury.

2. With the entirety of the starting offensive line from a year ago, I thought that junior college all-american Larry Williams would be able to take over the starting job at one of the guard spots. However due to the emergence of Marcus Keyes at left guard and Jesse Robinson keeping things steady on the right side, Williams will be a rotation player headed into the season. To me that’s a pleasant surprise, and says the returning bunch has improved from last year. Having a junior college all-american providing depth in the rotation can’t hurt.

Kyle P.

1. Mason Rudolph is ready to be elite. He was a wunderkind in his first season (largely in Norman), and he was really good (if not underrated last year), but the way folks are talking in Stillwater, it’s clear he’s prepped to vie for the best QB in the Big 12 title.

“When you watch Mason this year, Mason looks like to me that he finally understands,” Mike Gundy told the Tulsa World. “This is the first time, in watching him, I feel like he finally understands and is comfortable and is not guessing at quarterback. And he’s going into year two-and-a-half and 15 games.”

2. Our returners are going to be thrilling. Here are all the players listed on the two-deep to return kicks and punts: Jalen McCleskey, Barry J. Sanders and Justice Hill. That’s it. That’s all of them. I would pay money to watch any of those three guys in practice much less in wide open spaces during games. Bring me all the return yards!

Sam Aldrich

1. That Justice Hill has a legit shot to start at some point this year. With Barry J., Rennie Childs, Chris Carson, and Jeff Carr coming back, I didn’t think Hill had a shot at many carries. But he has blown away the coaches with his work ethic and looks like he may just get the nod for the starting spot if not week 1, at some point in 2016. I’m stunned.

2. Mike Gundy is in full on savage mode. He became the first head coach to release his own mobile app, his mullet is growing by the day, and he’s loving the maturity and depth he’s got to work with this year. We’ll all be on mullet watch with baited breath, but Gundy is as confident as ever in this team and the expectation is clearly there to compete for the Big 12 title and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Thomas Fleming

1. The guard positions should be better. Marcus Keyes and Larry Williams were two names I thought of all the way back in the spring. Robert Allen mentioned them both in his post game spring report as two up-and-comers, and when they both played on the same side, the Cowboys ran really well to that side. Hopefully they’ll be able to learn on the fly and probe as an upgrade from last year.

2. Backup corners are a huge question mark. I thought that a solid third and forth option would emerge in fall camp, but apparently I was too optimistic. There’s talent there, yes, but behind Lampkin and Richards, there’s little experience. Pipkins is a vetted corner, yes, but he hasn’t played with the Cowboys yet. Behind him, players like Harper and Balous will have an opportunity to step up, but they haven’t yet.