Opposing Teams Aren’t Going after Oklahoma State’s Corners Much This Season

STILLWATER — Opposing teams aren’t looking Korie Black’s way much this season — nor any of Oklahoma State’s three primary corners, for that matter.

The trio of Black, Cam Smith and D.J. McKinney have allowed just 24 receptions for 328 yards and two touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF isn’t the be-all, end-all. It’s impossible for graders to know exactly what every player is supposed to do on every play. But here is a look at how OSU’s corner trio is doing broadly, per the website:

Black, a 6-foot, 185-pound senior from Waco, was thrown at only twice during OSU’s two losses, and neither pass was completed. On the year, he has allowed a catch percentage of 43%, according to PFF, with opponents catching just nine of the 21 passes thrown in Black’s direction.

The nine receptions Black has allowed ranks fourth nationally among corners who have played at least 190 coverage snaps, according to PFF. He is allowing just 4.8 yards per target thus far this season; he allowed 9.4 yards per target last year.

OSU coach Mike Gundy said Monday that some of why teams aren’t attacking his corners has to do with OSU’s newly implemented 3-3-5 scheme, but he also added teams probably don’t want to give Black too many chances at a play.

“A lot of times in an odd front, when you’re a majority odd-front team, you don’t attack much on the perimeter,” Gundy said. “They attack more in the middle of the field on safeties. So, you’re seeing more of that than maybe what would be the corner.

“There’s probably a chance they don’t want to go after Korie much. They got him out here twice, Kansas did, this last game, but in most cases, he’s pretty reliable. So they’ll try to stay on the inside guys a little bit more.”

McKinney, a 6-foot, 174-pound redshirt freshman from Colleyville, isn’t far off Black’s pace when it comes to this stuff. He has been targeted 18 times this season, per PFF, where he has allowed just eight catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

The eight receptions McKinney has allowed is tied for eighth nationally among corners who have played at least 150 coverage snaps. McKinney was the No. 778 player in the 2022 recruiting class. He chose OSU over offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Missouri, Kansas State and others.

Smith, a 6-2 redshirt sophomore from Little Elm, Texas, has started every game this season opposite Black, but McKinney has played more snaps than Smith, according to PFF. Smith has been thrown at 10 times, where he has allowed seven catches for 101 yards.

Among corners with at least 80 snaps in coverage, the 10 times Smith has been targeted is tied for 18th nationally, per PFF.

“Even though they’re not really throwing the ball at us as much, we still just kinda try to stay focused on they could throw it this way,” Smith said. “Or if they’re not throwing it, get off the block and go make a tackle. That’s what we try to focus on. Stay locked into that.

“We kinda get a little bit like, ‘Dang, why are they not throwing it at us?’ We want the ball thrown at us so we can show everybody that we can make plays, too.”