Three-Man Weave: Ranking OSU’s Top Playmakers and Plotting Unconventional Backfield Formations

In previewing his 2018 squad, Mike Gundy recently talked about the task of identifying those playmakers that need to touch the ball. He and his coaching staff take time to rank these guys 1 through whatever.

Since there’s little chance they will be divulging said list to all of us, the Kyles decided to come up with our own and lists and rap about the order.

Kyle Porter: Mike Gundy talked at Stillwater Media Days about his need for eight guys to find touches this year. Who are your eight and how would you rank them?

Kyle Cox

1. Justice
2. Tyron
3. Chuba
4. Stoner
5. J.D.
6. McCleskey
7. Spencer Sanders
8. LD Brown

KP: Spencer!

KC: He might be higher if I thought he was gonna play much early.

Kyle Boone

1. Justice
2. Tyron
3. JD King
4. Dillon Stoner
5. Tylan Wallace
6. CHUBAAAAAA
7. McCleskey
8. Cornelius

KP: Do we think they’re going to do anything with him this year if he doesn’t play QB? They’re not, right?

KC: He’ll get some burn as a short-yardage guy, a la J.W.

KB: No way. QB or redshirt. But he could QB four games. Gundy ain’t getting cute and throwing in his blue chip QB to play, like, slot receiver as a decoy.

KC: If you’re asking if I think they line him up in the slot, then no way.

KP: I feel like the two things I keep hearing about him are 1. (From media people): He’s the future, but he’s not going to get the job as a freshman because the learning curve is too steep and 2.) (From Gundy): I cannot believe how quickly he’s picking everything up. Don’t know how to reconcile!

KC: That’s the point. Gundy likes treat QB info as if it were Cold War-era secrets, doling out misinformation to keep people guessing. Not to be cute, but to hedge his bets.

KB: Agreed. Gundy doesn’t want a QB controversy (and I don’t think there is one), but I can’t help but instantly wilt onto my floor every time he hypes up Spencer in any way, shape or form.

KP: Haha me too.

KC: I cool on Spencer from time to time then I watch that highlight reel… and then I watch it again and again and again.

KB: I think part of it could be Gundy trying to manage egos — like what if Spencer is clearly the best guy, but he’s got a long ways to go to learning the offense and also needs to put on 20 pounds? It’s possible in that scenario that SS would be upset — maybe Gundy’s just trying to make sure his star QB doesn’t bolt for, say, Tuscaloosa. 100 percent hypothetical, of course, but egos behind the scenes can play into all this more than we probably give thought to.

KP: Are we underrating Jalen? He would be a No. 2 guy on a lot of teams, and he’s going to be OSU’s No. 4. Or maybe we’re just underrating how good OSU’s offense is going to be this year.

KC: Probably. He’s been as dependable as any receiver OSU has had over the last three years. I think his inability to be so on special teams has soured many on him.

KB: I think we’re appropriately rating Jalen. Great receiver, elite speed, solid but not elite hands. This is officially his year to break out, though. He’s going to have a ton of opportunities.

KP: My top eight looks like this, by the way.

1. Justice
2. Tyron
3. Stoner
4. Tylan
5. JD
6. Jalen
7. Chuba

And I reserve the 8th spot for either LD or LC Greenwood. Or maybe even Jake Ross or somebody like that.

KP: Chuba worries me. Like, Mike Yurcich and Co. couldn’t figure out what to do with Tyreek Hill. Are we sure they’re going to be able to figure out Chuba?

KB: Chuba is a better pure football player, and much better suited to play running back. Tyreek was a track athlete who was super raw and thrust into playing RB when he should’ve been playing WR. It’s like asking Gundy to sell used cars for a living.

KC: Completely different situation though for me. Hill was the only guy that could move the ball behind that inept OL and they didn’t have any true playmakers in the backfield. This team is completely different in the RB room and in the trenches.

KP: Used cars, used vacuums. Same deal. And that’s a good point, Cox.

KC: By the way, I’m here for Justice in the slot and JD and Chuba in the backfield together.

KP: Lawdy.

KP: Cox, I just realized you didn’t have Tylan in your top eight. Has Boone already cut your account off from Slack or have you talked him out of it?

KC: Oh my.

KC: Fixed.

1. Justice
2. Tyron
3. Chuba
4. Stoner
T-5. J.D./Tylan
6. McCleskey
7. Spencer Sanders
8. LD Brown

KB: I proposed the box and one (Justice, Chuba, JD, Spencer and LD in the backfield) in an article this week, and a reader astutely pointed out that would be an illegal formation. These are the problems Gundy is facing this year!

KC: We can’t be bothered with astutely-pointed out facts.

KB: Right! Box and one needs to happen, penalty flags be damned.

KP: I wish Cox could have seen Wozniak’s face when we said “people on the internet” are talking about a box and one.

KB: And then my face when he called them crazy when I realized he was calling me crazy.

KC: Me too. Actually, I think I saw it whilst transcribing him. Was it something like this?

KB: That is it.