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Mike Gundy Wants Hockey-Like OL Changes In 2017

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Mike Gundy has always been a big believer in depth. Any good college football coach should be. The sport is too violent and too many players get hurt to not hedge your bets when it comes to skill-position players. Never has that philosophy been more evident than on the 2016 defensive line for Oklahoma State.

They rolled in a seemingly endless supply of tackles and ends to try and help build back up a defense that was beleaguered over the past two seasons. Now Gundy wants the same thing on offense. Oklahoma State’s improvement in the run game pass both the eye and statistical test. Here is a look at yards per carry over the last three years.

  • 2014: 3.51
  • 2015: 3.58
  • 2016: 4.52

It should be even better in 2017 with star sophomore Justice Hill ready to run behind what should be an even deeper offensive line. Or that’s the theory anyway.

“We should be more consistent in how we block,” said Gundy after the Alamo Bowl. “We have good backs. Obviously 27 is coming back. We’ve got young guys redshirting in our program that we like.

“I think we can have up to eight linemen next year that can play. I would love to play a first group, then after the fourth series put another group in and play. We may be able to do that. We’ll see.”

Hockey style! Just like the defensive line.

“We’re excited about them,” added Gundy. “But they certainly are going to have to get some quality reps. We need to stay consistent with what we’re doing so we get quality reps and we don’t waste our time.”

Indeed. And don’t waste what could be an all-time career from Hill.

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