Notebook: Hubbard, Green Collision, Siverand at Practice and Hill Prepped to Graduate

We took another step toward football season Tuesday, as the Cowboys practiced in full pads for the first time this fall.

With Aug. 30 getting ever closer, Oklahoma State held a media availability, and PFB was on site to hear the stories players had with fall camp being in full swing. Let’s dig into the notebook.

Hubbard, Green Provide Spark with Big Collision

Apparently, Chuba Hubbard and Za’Carrius Green met in a hole Tuesday.

Hubbard, a redshirt freshman running back, and Green, a redshirt junior safety, collided on a third-and-1 scenario in the team’s inside run period and the resulting thud sparked the Cowboys’ practice.

“When Chuba and Z had a head-on collision, that was pretty loud and got everybody going,” defensive end Jordan Brailford said. “It got us a little juice early on in the day and helped us get through this practice.”

Defensive end Jarrell Owens said he was on the side catching his breath when the collision happened, but just hearing how loud the pop was lifted his spirits.

Justice Hill and Johnny Wilson, both offensive players, made it known Hubbard got the better of the collision because he got the first down.

“Inside run is a physical period,” Hill said. “Whenever somebody comes up, you just bring what you got, too. You gotta do whatever you can do to win.

“In that situation, third-and-1, in order to win, you gotta go through somebody. You don’t want to have to do that every time. Sometimes you want to make a man miss and keep going, but if it’s third-and-1 or one the 1-yard line, trying to get into the end zone, you gotta do what you gotta do.”

Siverand Participate in First Practice

There was a new face at Tuesday’s practice in Texas A&M graduate transfer Kemah Siverand.

Siverand, a corner who completed 25 credit hours this summer at A&M, was without pads today, as Gundy said it was for him to get him acclimated.

“It’s incredible now what kids can do with online classes and things like that,” Gundy said. “We’re glad to have him. He seems to be very athletic. We’re hoping that he can give us some depth at that corner position. He’s mature. He’s a college graduate, so he kind of gets it from that standpoint.”

Siverand initially joined A&M as a receiver, but switched to corner last season, where he struggled for playing time, playing in four games. Siverand will likely stay behind redshirt sophomore Rodarius Williams and junior A.J. Green on the depth chart, but with Jim Knowles’ 4-2-5 secondary, it opens up possibilities for him coming onto the field in a nickel scenario.

“I got a great feel for him, and he got a great feel for us, too,” Williams said. “He got a lot of mental reps right now. He’s getting the hang of it.

“I’m ready for him to come on up and get this spot or be my back up or play, compete. I just want to compete.”

Hill Set to Graduate Next Spring

At a Cowboy Caravan event Monday night in Catoosa, Gundy brought up a reality not all OSU fans are ready to face – this could be Justice Hill’s last season in orange and black.

Hill, a junior finance major, said this past weekend at OSU’s media day (and again on Tuesday) that he needs only 30 credit hours to graduate, meaning he probably will be able to in the spring. At the conclusion of his junior season, Hill has not only the opportunity to graduate, but he also has the chance to enter the NFL Draft.

“That’s good news and bad news,” Gundy told the roughly 700 OSU alumni and donors in attendance via The Oklahoman. “The bad news is, when he finishes up, he’s probably gonna move on — which is good news.

“He’s gonna be a very high-round pick (in the NFL Draft), and somebody’s gonna get a fantastic player for a long, long time.”

At Tuesday’s practice, Hill kept his cards close to his chest and said he wasn’t focusing on anything past this season, but he did say that he will likely graduate in the spring.

“It’s a big deal because you want to be a student-athlete; you don’t just want to be an athlete,” Hill said. “Football ends at some point in your life, so being able to carry yourself and do things outside of football is important for me.”