Using Oklahoma State’s Depth Chart to Try to Find Out How Many Newcomers Will Play Thursday

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy didn’t mention a single player by name last week when discussing the season opener Thursday against UT Martin, despite fielding questions about almost every position group.

“When I scanned through the roster, my guess is we’ll play 27 guys in the game that have never played for Oklahoma State,” Gundy said.

On Monday, the program released the first depth chart of the season, which could help us identify the 27 guys expected to make their Cowboy debuts. Just a warning, though, these preseason depth charts are often better thought of as educated guesswork than as an ironclad fact.

Six newcomers are listed as clear-cut starters on the depth chart:

No. 70 LT Markell Samuel (App State transfer) 

No. 76 LG Bob Schick (Virginia Tech) 

No. 69 RT Nuku Mafi (redshirt freshman) 

No. 18 WR Sam Jackson (Auburn; former TCU QB)

No. 16 WR Christian Fitzpatrick (Marshall)

No. 87 TE Oscar Hammond (North Texas)

Jackson was the most dynamic player in the spring game, but he still feels like something of a surprise given that he only has two career receptions.

Mafi beat out some guys with a huge edge in experience to prove that his redshirt season paid off.

Newcomer tally: 6

There’s also two other positions still up for grabs, but everyone competing to start is a newcomer.

QB — No. 6 Hauss Hejny (TCU) OR No. 8 Zane Flores (redshirt freshman)

Gundy has indicated he will play both if the job remains up for grabs. Regardless of whether that is still the case, I think both guys see the field Thursday. At worst, one guy should get mop-up duty late in the fourth quarter.

OLB — No. 4 Wendell Gregory (South Carolina) OR No. 0 Malik Charles (West Georgia) OR No. 40 Taje McCoy (Colorado)

Gregory comes highly praised from other Cowboys, Charles has the most experience overall (520 snaps at FCS) and McCoy has the most experience at the FBS level (197 snaps). 

Gundy also said this when asked about the linebackers.

“Obviously on defense, you play a lot more players than you do on offense. … If they’ve rep themselves well enough in practice and put themselves in position to play, then I’ve asked our coaches to play them and find out how they can play on game day,” Gundy said.

At worst, it sounds like at least two of this trio see the field.

Newcomer tally: 10

Gundy’s most specific comments last week concerned the secondary. 

“I would guess we would play at least eight DBs in this game, somewhere in that area,” he said. 

Both starting safeties (Parker Robertson and Dylan Smith “OR” David Kabongo) are returning Cowboys. Whoever emerges at the STAR role between Kenneth Harris and Landyn Cleveland will be another returner.

Cornerbacks No. 2 Jaylin Davies (UCLA) and No. 1 JK Johnson (LSU) are two newcomers listed as co-starters on the initial depth chart alongside returners Cam Smith and Kale Smith, respectively.

If every starter or co-starter played Thursday, that would equal nine defensive backs. Most of the coaches are new, but that kind of rotation fits what the Cowboys did last season with a seemingly more settled secondary, so Davies and Johnson probably get some work in this one.

Newcomer tally: 12

What Gundy said about linebackers probably applies to the rest of the team as well. This staff wants film on as many Cowboys as possible, not just to settle ongoing position battles but also so they can prepare the inevitable depth pieces required once fatigue and injury begin taking a toll.

“The day after the game will be real interesting for all of us because we will be able to evaluate our players. … We get a better feel for them from that situation,” Gundy said. “In any early season matchup for me as a head coach, I want to see us minimize our penalties and turnovers, be sound in special teams.”

So it seems safe to think that every potential starter with an OR next to their name will play on Thursday, especially if it’s a dominant Cowboy victory. 

With that in mind, here’s a look at those guys sorted roughly by likelihood of playing.

The near locks:

No. 2 WR Terrill Davis (Central Oklahoma)

No. 5 LB Bryan McCoy Jr. (Akron)

No. 96 DT De’Marion Thomas (Vanderbilt)

Whichever OLB listed above finishes third

Oklahoma State ran two wide receiver units consistently last season, so Davis will see the field Thursday and might be a lock to play in the first half regardless. 

Defensive line is not a position that often plays the entire game anyway, so Thomas should be in a similar spot.

McCoy Jr. feels like the safest bet to start on the defense, so the “OR” feels a little bit like a distraction here. He doesn’t traditionally dominate as a pass rusher, so Oklahoma State will probably want to cycle through all three outside linebackers.

Newcomer tally: 16

Probably sees the field, but game flow, other factors matter:

No. 1 RB Kalib Hicks (Oklahoma)

No. 25 RB Freddie Brock IV (Georgia State)

No. 6 LB Brandon Rawls (Saginaw Valley State)

No. 30 LB Trip White (Ole Miss)

No. 52 C Kasen Carpenter (Tulsa)

Rawls and White are competing for the same spot at linebacker alongside returning Cowboy and former corner Jacobi Oliphant Jr. Odds are at least one of those new guys sees the field. 

Brock or Hicks could be in line to start for Oklahoma State, but with three returning Cowboy backs also listed as co-starters, it’s hard to know for sure how this backfield rotation will shake out.

Carpeneter probably has the hardest time securing playing time if he doesn’t start, given the offensive line is the one position you might be inclined to play longer in a blowout, so those guys can work on chemistry both amongst themselves and with the quarterbacks.

Overall, it feels like at least three of those guys will play on Thursday. It’s just a matter of who and if all five get out there.

Newcomer tally: 19-21

Other newcomers pushing for time:

No. 11 WR Royal Capell (freshman; co-second-stringer)

No. 14 WR Cam Abshire (Emory and Henry transfer, co-second-stringer)

No. 81 DT Michael Diatta (Virginia; second-stringer)

No. 39 K Gabe Panikowski (Idaho State; second-stringer)

No. 86 TE Will Monney (Utah State; second-stringer)

There’s a few other guys on the depth chart who could be poised to see the field with second or third-team units on Thursday, and none of this also accounts for guys who could see the field purely in a special teams role other than Panikowski, who is on the preseason watchlist for best kicker in the nation.

Final newcomer tally: 24-26