A new defensive coordinator, Kasey Dunn's evolution and the 22 things for OSU to look forward to in 2022
Scott Wright
Oklahoman
STILLWATER — With the
spectacular year that was 2021 for Oklahoma State football, the new year brings even more hope, but also several questions.
Here’s a look at 22 things to look forward to in 2022 for the OSU football program:
1. New defensive coordinator
OSU coach Mike Gundy likely won’t wait much longer in determining who will run his defense in 2022, because he’ll want that person — whether it’s an internal promotion or an outside hire — to have time to get settled into the role before spring ball starts in March. But this is an incredibly important hire as the Cowboys try to maintain their defensive identity after a year in which they were one of the best defenses in the country.
2. Defensive dip?
More important than who is running the defense is whether the defense can sustain its high level of play from this past season. Matching what the Cowboys of 2021 accomplished defensively will be a high bar to reach, considering the losses of graduating players and those headed to the NFL Draft. But the Cowboys have the pieces returning to maintain a high level of play on the defensive side of the ball, even if they’re not as good as this past season.
3. Kasey Dunn, Year 3
Each of Kasey Dunn’s first two years as offensive coordinator have been a mix of bright spots, injuries and inconsistency. In 2021, the offense averaged slightly more points per game than in 2020 (31.1 to 30.8) and slightly fewer yards per game (417.4 to 426.8). Both teams averaged 5.5 yards per play. In his third year, with quarterback Spencer Sanders entering his senior season, and the young receivers having a year under their belts, the offense should be in line for an uptick in production.
4. Super-seniors
Brock Martin has already announced that he’ll return for a super-senior season — the extra year afforded players because of the 2020 COVID pandemic. Gundy has said he expects others like Jarrick Bernard-Converse, Brendon Evers, Israel Antwine and Tyren Irby to be back as well.
A few others have announced intentions to head to the NFL. As OSU learned last season with players like Malcolm Rodrigez and Tay Martin, super-seniors make a significant impact. The final decisions from super-seniors are expected in the next few days, so they can get enrolled for the spring semester.
5. Sun Devil visit
The non-conference schedule includes three home games to start the season and is highlighted by a visit from the Arizona State Sun Devils of coach Herm Edwards. That game is set for Sept. 10. The season opens a week earlier when Central Michigan makes its return to Boone Pickens Stadium, and the non-conference portion of the schedule concludes with a visit from Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 17.
6. Spencer Sanders’ next step
After facing some offensive coordinator/quarterback coach shuffling in his first two seasons as a Cowboy, Spencer Sanders is now heading into the third straight year with the same coaches in those roles. Sanders solidified some of the inconsistencies from his sophomore year as a junior in 2021, but he still had occasional flare-ups where he dealt with the turnover bug. Sanders needs to find a way to replicate the way he played in most of October and November, plus the Fiesta Bowl, on a regular basis over the course of a full season.
7. Collin Oliver’s progression
Collin Oliver’s emergence was clearly the biggest player-related surprise for the defense this past season, with the true freshman totaling a team-best 11.5 sacks playing as a backup to starter Brock Martin. With another round of offseason training and the chance to add some bulk to his 225-pound body, Oliver should be physically prepared for an even bigger role next season.
8. Who’s next at linebacker?
Malcolm Rodriguez and Devin Harper, the team’s two leading tacklers who combined for 225 stops this season, are both gone, and filling that void will be the biggest challenge facing the Cowboy defense next season.
Junior-college transfer Xavier Benson joins a group of backups who gained a little bit of experience this season in Mason Cobb, Lamont Bishop and Kamryn Farrar. But replicating the value Rodriguez and Harper provided will be virtually impossible.
9. Running back turnover
Jaylen Warren and LD Brown are going to test the NFL waters. Dezmon Jackson is in the transfer portal. They’re the three most veteran backs the Cowboys had on the roster in 2021. Now, Dominic Richardson, who will be a true junior in the fall, is the elder statesman, along with Zach Middleton and Jaden Nixon, who saw a brief amount of playing time as a true freshman. Incoming freshmen Ollie Gordon and C.J. Brown will have a shot at earning a rotation spot, and Gundy could look to the transfer portal to bring in an additional veteran presence.
10. A star from the portal?
A year ago at this time, hardly any OSU fans knew who Jaylen Warren was, but by mid-September, he was the Cowboys’ most important offensive player. Can the coaching staff lock in on another Warren-type impact player from the transfer portal this time around? It worked last season, but striking gold like that won’t always be the case. Still, the Pokes have room in the recruiting class to add transfers now or after spring practice, and are likely to look at a few key areas: running back, linebacker, offensive line and defensive line. The Cowboys haven’t added any transfers yet, but will be busy in that department once they finalize their numbers in terms of who’s staying and who’s going.
11. Who else will leave?
Since mid-December, OSU has had seven scholarship players enter the transfer portal, and five others with eligibility remaining who opted to enter the NFL Draft. The offensive line has been hit hardest, with Josh Sills choosing the NFL, Danny Godlevske graduating and three backups hitting the portal. Several more seniors who have a super-senior year available have yet to announce their decisions, and there’s usually another round of portal jumping after spring ball, when players get a better idea of what their playing-time situation looks like. So the roster movement is not yet finished.
