Meet the Newbie: Jarrick Bernard’s Place in a Revamped OSU Secondary

As we trudge through the summer months, let’s continue our look at some of the newest additions to Oklahoma State’s roster. We’ve already met early enrollees Hunter Anthony and Sean Michael Flanagan, now let’s meet the Flanagan’s fellow safety, Jarrick Bernard.

His Road to Stillwater

Bernard is another in a line of Louisana recruits to make their way to Stillwater. Hailing from Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport, he picked the Pokes over offers from the like of Arkansas, Arkansas State, Kansas State, Memphis and Texas Tech.  247Sports ranked Bernard as the No. 89 safety and the 47th overall prospect out of Lousiana.

According to Bernard, his fit with the coaching staff made all of the difference. He committed last summer after an unofficial visitor to OSU.

“I just liked how the coaches connected with me and how they emphasized the importance of family, because that’s what my high school coach stresses a lot,” Bernard told PFB. “So they really connected with what I’m used to and made it a comfortable experience for me.”

What he Brings

The first thing that jumps out about Bernard is his size. At 6 foot 2, he has the rangy frame that coaches like and at 195 pounds he can already compete at the college level. Tre Flowers came in at 6-3 and 180 and worked his way up to 200. Bernard will have a chance to build up his frame over the never couple of years and could be a hammer in the back field.

From an on-field standpoint, his tape below reveals a DB with a nose for the football, good closing speed and a mean streak.

His Role In 2018

The Cowboys are in the midst of both a revamp and a rebuild in their secondary with new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles installing his own 4-2-5 scheme. Gone are mainstays Tre Flowers and corner-turned-safety Ramon Richards as well as other depth pieces in the back end of the defense.

That being said, Bernard’s ability to crack the rotation will have a lot do with how quickly he continues to pick up the new defense, as well as adjust to the D-I level. As an early enrollee, the reps he enjoyed this spring should help him.

The new NCAA rule change that allows players to participate in up to four games and retain their redshirt, really benefits someone like Bernard. The coaching staff can either let him see early action and assess his maturation or hold onto him in case of later-season injuries. Either way, we should see Bernard on the field this season.