The Seven Most Productive True Freshmen of the Mike Gundy Era

With the Spencer Sanders era just a few months away — and the true freshman from Denton almost guaranteed to not be a redshirt this year — I thought it would be a good time to look back on other true freshmen who have shined under Mike Gundy.

There haven’t been a ton. Gundy is usually pretty hesitant to trust 18-year-olds, and hasn’t always, uh, recruited the type of 18-year-old who is ready to play right away at the college level.

But there have also been home runs (one of them is still on OSU’s roster). Let’s take a look at those as we dive in to the seven most-productive true freshmen of the Gundy era (excluding kickers).

1. Justice Hill (2016) — 206 att. | 1,142 yards | 6 TD

Of the eight most productive rushing seasons under Mike Gundy in terms of total yards, Hill has two of them and is likely en route to three of the top nine. To put that freshman year in perspective, Hill had more yards than any of Desmond Roland’s seasons, any of Zac Robinson’s seasons, any of Mike Hamilton’s seasons, all but one of Keith Toston’s seasons, and he doubled Kendall Hunter’s total yardage output from his freshman year. All of that on a 10-win team, no less!

2. Dez Bryant (2007) — 43 rec. | 622 yards | 6 TD

I remember that Georgia game in Athens like it was yesterday. Seeing No. 1 and thinking what is that? Dez’s 500+ yard season in 2007 is a rarity in the Gundy era. In fact, it’s the only season of 500+ yards for a true freshman receiver since Gundy took over. The only other player who came close was James Washington in 2014 when he notched 456 yards and 6 TDs (more on him shortly).

3. Kendall Hunter (2007) — 107 att. | 696 yards | 4 TD

One of only two other freshman RB seasons that even come close to Hill’s. I’ll listen to the argument that Hunter actually averaged more yards per carry in 2007 than Hill did in 2016, but again we’re talking about production, not necessarily how impressive a player was. Also, how wild is it that two future pros both got time as true freshmen on that 2007 team? Who says Gundy can’t croot?!

4. Keith Toston (2006) — 106 att. | 631 yards | 6 TD

Toston was good and underrated. He had a 109-yard game at Kansas State and a 92-yard game at home against Baylor. Also scored two rushing TD against Alabama which — yep, just looked this up — has happened 10 times in the last 12 years.

Also, we need to stop for a moment and talk some more about how that 2007 team featured Dantrell Savage, Kendall Hunter, Keith Toston and Zac Robinson in the backfield? I’m honestly stunned Gundy threw the ball at all. Oh maybe he did so because he had Brandon Pettigrew, Adarius Bowman and Dez Bryant out wide. Was that offense, uh, secretly (or not so secretly?) Gundy’s best?

5. James Washington (2014) — 28 rec. | 456 yards | 6 TD

James James gets a bit of a discount here because he played most of the season with Daxx Garman and J.W. Walsh throwing him passes. In his last three games with future Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Mason Rudolph at the reins (crazy to think about their first game together in that light!) Washington posted 172 yards on eight catches and had 2 TDs.

6. Mason Rudolph (2014) — 86 att. | 853 yards | 6 TD

Technically Wes Lunt was more productive with 1,108 yards, but he also threw seven picks and played in twice as many games. Rudolph had the higher QB rating (by a lot), and I feel pretty good about the evidence behind his three-game freshman season given the fact that he, you know, went to Norman and took down OU.

7. Perrish Cox (2006) — 24 tackles | 2 INT | 903 ret. yards | 1 TD

Another professional. It’s always tough to parse through defensive stats, but Cox was so productive on special teams that it almost doesn’t matter. He didn’t have as many kick return yards or TDs as Justin Gilbert did in his freshman year, but he did have one thrilling TD and two more picks than Gilbert. More Perrish Coxes in Stillwater, please.

My takeaway from this exercise: Not many true freshmen have played under Mike Gundy, and even fewer have been consistently high contributors. There’s a good chance that you actually remembered all of them — the ones on this list plus Justin Gilbert, Wes Lunt and a handful of others. Hopefully we remember Sanders (and maybe a few others from the current class) more in the Justice Hill and James Washington mold than the way most freshmen have gone in the Gundy era.