Spring Football: OSU’s Offensive Line Is Back, and Could Be Even Better

The Cowboys boasted one of the more effective offensive line units in the Big 12 last season, and there’s reason to think it could be better in 2024. Let’s continue our look at Oklahoma State’s position groups with the big boys up front.

Make sure to catch up on our other previews: QB | RB | WR | TE

They’re All Back

Oklahoma State returns seven offensive linemen that started multiple games last season and didn’t lose a single letterman up front. Sounds like one heck of a sales pitch for a returning Ollie Gordon. And his return, along with the rest of OSU’s skill players that are back, made the choice a little easier for the Pokes’ linemen to run it back.

Here they are with their starts just last year:

Joe Michalski (14)
Dalton Cooper (13)
Preston Wilson (12)
Jake Springfield (11)
Cole Birmingham (10)
Jason Brooks (7)
Taylor Miterko (3)

Having all those starts back is also a boon for returning QB Alan Bowman, whose jersey stayed mostly clean last year. OSU ranked second in the Big 12 in sacks allowed and tied for eighth nationally allowing only 13 sacks (only seven of those were of Bowman who took over at the start of Big 12 play). The Cowboys’ 0.93 allowed sacks per game tied for seventh with Georgia.

Also back are the following linemen with playing experience who will get a chance for even more this fall: Noah McKinney, Austin Kawecki, Jack Endean, Davis Dotson and Jakobe Sanders.

Who’s New

On top of all that returning talent, experience and cohesion, the Cowboys added a Power Five tackle with years of starting experience. Arizona State transfer Isaia Glass is on campus this spring and vying for a role in that deep and talented OL pool.

Glass is no stranger to OSU. With the Sun Devils, he would have traveled to Stillwater for 2022’s meeting. Last year, he started against the Cowboys. Glass started three games for ASU last season after starting all 12 games in 2022. He saw the field as a freshman in six games in 2021 in a reserve role.

“He’s got a lot of starts,” Gundy said of Glass earlier this week. “He’s got a lot of experience. He’s mature. He’s got good physical capability. He’s strong, and he moves well on his feet. We were able to watch him on video in his conference, which gives us an idea of what we think we’re gonna see. And we competed against him, so we have a pretty good feel for what he’ll bring to the table. …

“Hopefully we’ll have seven guys that could play in the first game that we wouldn’t blink at — maybe eight, not sure. We’ll see. Then as you know, those guys start falling like flies, and by the end of the year, we’re down to five. Hopefully it won’t be that way, but that’s been history.”

Number That Matters: 23.56

OSU’s spring media guide lists the Cowboys’ offensive line as “likely” the most experienced in all of college football. It’s hard to predict such things this early. You know, the portal and all. But the Cowboys are very experienced. That group of returning starters, which does not include Glass, has a combined 284 career games and 200 career starts between xix super seniors and one redshirt senior. Their average age will be 23.56 when the Cowboys open their season against South Dakota State on Aug. 31.

OL Outlook

The Cowboys’ offense was humming, especially toward the end of the year last season. With all of its big men returning to facilitate all the playmaking of Gordon, Bowman and the receivers, the Pokes should be able to hit the ground running come fall. As Gundy alluded to, health is always a concern, but the Cowboys are in as good a position up front, both experience and depth-wise up, as they’ve been in a long time.

Spring OL Depth Chart Prediction

The rotations through this group could change, and coaches will try to utilize the benefit of their depth with fresh blockers being cycled throughout, but this is a semi-educated guess on what the depth chart could look like Week 1.

(First team)

LT — Cooper
LG — Brooks
C — Michalski
RG — Wilson
RT — Springfield

(Second team)

LT — Harvey
LG — Birmingham
C — Kaweci
RG — Miterko
RT — Glass