Notebook: Quarterback Update, Fastest Poke and Dezmon Jackson

STILLWATER — The Cowboys have knocked eight of their spring practices down as the April 20 spring game gets ever closer.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy and select players met with the media after Wednesday’s practice to talk about where the team was at in Week 3. You can watch those interviews in full here, but here are some of the highlights.

Quarterback Update

Spencer Sanders and Dru Brown are three practices better than what they were last week.

From the outside, there isn’t much to base off who leads in the battle to become QB1 in the fall. Only those inside the walls of the Sherman E. Smith Training Center know the ins and outs of the competition, but from what those inside OSU’s practices are saying, it seems like a tight race thus far.

“It’s interesting as I watch it from upstairs, it’s the first time in four years we’ve had a young quarterback,” Gundy said. “Taylor was new last year, but he had five years of service, so he was kinda able to jump in. Those guys are progressing. They’re competing. They’re doing good. They’re sharing reps.”

When quarterbacks are brought up, Brown and Sanders are often talked about together. Sanders and Brown are at different points in their collegiate careers. Sanders is entering his redshirt freshman season with four years to look forward to. Brown is a redshirt senior entering what will be his final season of college football.

With how different the two might seem, they are apparently quite similar.

“Both of them have been throwing it well,” wide receiver Dillon Stoner said. “Both of them know the offense well. Another great competition I’ll be very interested to see who comes out on top. Both very similar style quarterbacks. Both can run it very well, scramble around and extend plays. Both great arm strengths. They’re very similar quarterbacks.

“It’s tough to say; they’re both extremely similar. I think that experience does pay into Dru’s favor a little bit more, but Spencer’s a great athlete, great competitor. Can’t speak more highly for both of them.”

As mentioned above, the quarterbacks are often spoken about together, but Gundy did mention a them apart for a few sentences Wednesday.

“(Sanders has) got a fantastic arm and has ability to makes plays on the run,” Gundy said. “All of the things that allowed him to win a lot of games in high school. He’s better now than he was last Wednesday. He’ll still do some things. He’ll make a mistake, and he knows it right after he does it.

“Dru doesn’t have as much of that because he has more experience. You’re seeing him make more decisions, mentally at this time that what Spencer does, but both of them are splitting reps and doing well.”

Chuba vs. Braydon Debate Continues

Last season, Dillon Stoner made a bold proclamation: That Braydon Johnson is faster than Chuba Hubbard.

The debate got brought up again today when Gundy got asked who the fastest players were on the team.

“Braydon Johnson’s probably the fastest guy,” Gundy said. “Let me think. I’m sure I’ll miss somebody. Somebody will be on me tomorrow because they say they’re faster than somebody. Oh, Chuba. Chuba’s really fast.

“In the 40, I’m just guessing, would be Braydon. If they went go to 100, probably Chuba.”

It’s a debate that might never get an answer. Hubbard is a three-time Canadian national champion for his age group in the 100 meters. He placed fourth at the 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships in the event, traveling to Colombia to do so.

Johnson competed on a Texas state champion track and field team at Bowie High School in Arlington.

Wednesday, Stoner stuck with his initial pick of Johnson being faster. Johnson, a wide receiver, will have an increased role on this season’s squad after having only two catches as a redshirt freshman in 2018. There is an opening on the outside that Tyron Johnson left vacant. Braydon Johnson said he has been working out in the slot more this spring with a few reps coming outside.

He wasn’t ready to make a definitive declaration on who is faster between himself and Hubbard.

“I’m not gonna speak on that,” Johnson said chuckling. “I feel like me and Chuba are probably the same speed. That’s what I’ll say.”

Physicality Not A Problem for Dezmon Jackson

There’s usually a question mark surrounding how quickly a particular junior college transfer will adapt to the Division I game.

It sounds like running back Dezmon Jackson was coming along nicely, before hitting a bit of a speed bump with a hamstring tweak this week. He sat out of practice Wednesday, but Gundy said he expects Jackson to be back Friday.

“I don’t think the physicality part for him will be an issue at all,” Gundy said. “… I think physically he’ll be fine. I’m fairly certain as he trains with Coach (Rob) Glass over the next three months, he’ll really be in decent physical condition. He’s 210 pounds. He’s pretty thick as he is.”

Jackson ran for 1,216 yards and 13 touchdowns last season at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. He averaged a ridiculous 7.5 yards per carry while at junior college.

This spring, Jackson is competing for touches as OSU’s backup, behind Chuba Hubbard, with LD Brown and Jahmyl Jeter.

“I hated that he tweaked his hamstring because he was really coming on and doing pretty well,” Gundy said. “Those are guys that need reps so we can see them and put them in the heat of the moment and see how they handle the pressure.”