Oklahoma State Not a Threat in Punt Return Game … Now What?

Oklahoma State has not returned a punt for a touchdown since Jalen McCleskey did it at Texas Tech in 2015. In that time, OSU has ranked 87th, 22nd and now 114th in yards per punt return. Even worse, it has seen fumbles and bad decisions from its primary punt returner, McCleskey.

The junior receiver has never been an elite punt returner, even by recent Oklahoma State standards. His totals are a modest 33 returns for 5.8 yards per return and one touchdown in three seasons. He only has six games with 10 or more punt return yards and only one with more than 40.

This year, though, the numbers have dropped. He’s averaging a meager 3.2 yards per return and, more alarmingly, not holding on to the ball.

Mike Gundy said this week that it’s not just the fumbles that are cause for concern.

“Prior to this year, (McCleskey has) been somewhat flawless,” said Gundy. “He’s not been good this year. He’s essentially been bad on four of nine occasions.”

So do you just keep rolling him out there, or do you turn to somebody else for the rest of the season? Maybe freshman Tylan Wallace (“a gym rat,” according to Gundy) or maybe the best college football player in a phone booth in the history of the sport, Tyron Johnson.

“We’ve put some thought into that, I don’t have an answer right now,” said Gundy. “We certainly can’t afford to turn the ball over when we get them stopped. We stop them, get a punt, can’t put them back on the field. Becomes a numbers game.”

One thing he’s not going to do is muzzle whoever is back there. You might as well not have anybody back there at all if you’re going to restrain what they can do, Gundy insinuated.

“We’ve got to play,” said Gundy. “You take a guy that’s a 3-point shooter and he’s made 3-pointers and he misses a bunch of them, you can’t tell him to not shoot them … you got to take him out of of the game. That’s where we’re at with McCleskey. He’s got to go play or we just have to take him out of the game. I’ve never been a big fan of trying to put a guy in a role and not letting him play the game.

“We have to make a decision this week. We put McCleskey out there and let him play, or we take him off the field and let somebody else play.”

It’s probably fair to call McCleskey one of the least productive punt returners in the last 10 years in Stillwater. Here’s a look at the players who have gotten significant time back there. McCleskey, Josh Cooper and Charlie Moore are all at the bottom.

“We’ve been fortunate over the years,” said Gundy. “Perrish Cox was a great returner. Gilbert was a great returner. Obviously Tyreek was a great returner. Josh Stewart, we’ve had some guys who could make some plays.”

But that hasn’t mattered that much, until this year. It’s one thing to lose 5-10 yards of field position because you’re just fair catching everything. It’s another to make the wrong decision and get pinned at your own 5-yard-line or muff multiple punts in the first half of the season, like McCleskey has done.

So who knows what’s going to happen next. Gundy seemed conflicted about it on Monday, but I think they’re probably going to roll McCleskey out there one more time on Saturday because he’s built up a little capital over the past three years. He’s certainly spent it all, though. One more strike, and it’s on to the freshman (or the GOAT-IAPB).

“What’s puzzling me is that McCleskey has been good at it for a couple of years,” said Gundy. “That’s what’s throwing me off a little bit.

“It would certainly benefit our team if we could find somebody who could make a play back there because it’s a threat,” said Gundy. “And right now we’re not a threat.”