The Oklahoma State Football All-Next Steps Candidates for the 2019 Season

We know Chuba Hubbard is going to put up 1,000 yards rushing. We know Kolby Peel and Jarrick Bernard are going to rack up more than 100 tackles. We know the offensive line has depth and should be improved in Year One under coach Charlie Dickey.

What we don’t know is which off-the-radar or undervalued players will emerge as a dude. Someone who is on the periphery but primed to jump into a leading role.

Last year, it was Tylan Wallace. He went from a projected No. 2 or 3 receiver to a Biletnikoff contender. In year’s past, Justin Blackmon has made the leap. Jordan Sterns once made a leap. Josh Stewart and James Washington, too.

This year, it’s anyone’s guess. And by anyone, I mean me. So behold, the All-Next Steps candidates on offense entering the 2019 season. Stay tuned tomorrow for a look at candidates on defense.

OFFENSE

1. Bryce Bray, Right guard

The Bixby, Okla. native was said to be in a battle for the left tackle spot with Dylan Galloway throughout camp. When the depth chart was released last week, he was the starter — but at right guard. It’s an example of Charlie Dickey’s strategy as the OL coach, which is simple, obvious and effective: get your best linemen on the field.

Bray played in only one game last season and preserved his redshirt, but he’s one of the most vital pieces of OSU’s rebuilt offensive line going into the season. His nasty streak is the stuff of legends, and I expect he’ll be plowing open holes — big ones — all season.

2. Jelani Woods, Cowboy back

If Tylan Wallace converted touchdowns last season at the same rate Jelani Woods did last season, he’d have finished with double the amount of touchdowns. Double! Now part of that is how Woods was used, which for a 6-foot-7 pass-catcher was appropriate: as a redzone target. Nonetheless, his scoring rate of 28.57 percent is elite. I suspect his seven receptions last season should pretty easily be doubled this year given the buzz coming out of camp for him, and I’m optimistic new OC Sean Gleeson will find a way to use him in this new system.

3. LD Brown, Running back

LD Brown had fewer carries than Justice Hill, Chuba Hubbard, Taylor Cornelius and J.D. King last season. This season, he should be in the top 3, behind Chuba Hubbard and, potentially, behind whoever earns QB1. He toted the rock just 27 times last season for 163 yards rushing, but as the No. 2 behind Hubbard he should be in for doubling or even tripling that usage.

4. C.J. Moore, Wide receiver

He’s listed with ors on the depth chart at his respective receiver spot among Jordan McCray and Patrick McKaufman, but Moore has the a chance to pop. He shined in the spring game, had a strong summer and fall, and has the talent of a future WR1. It helps that he’s 6-foot-5 with great body control and speed.

“He’s a 4.4 guy already, and then he can jump on top of that and control his body,” his cousin Tracy Moore, a former OSU receiver himself, told me last year. “I tell people all the time — and I don’t say this very lightly — he’s probably the most college-ready receiver I’ve seen coming out of high school. And he’s coachable, too. If you tell him to do something, he’ll do it exactly as you say or ask how to do it.”

5. Whoever plays QB

This is the most obvious inclusion, but whoever plays quarterback — be it Spencer Sanders or Dru Brown — are set to make leaps. In fact, both should be considered candidates because both, at least to start the season, are going to see the field. That’s an increased workload from last season when the two combined to take one snap all season.