Book Report : Oklahoma State Football Spring Practice and Recruiting, Spring 2025
Key Takeaways
- March 27, 2025: Spring Practice Begins, Offensive Line in Focus
- Practice No. 2 featured physicality despite no pads, with running backs Trent Howland, Sesi Vailahi, and Rodney Fields Jr. impressing, and QBs Zane Flores, Garret Rangel, and Maealiuaki Smith throwing TDs.
- Offensive line overhaul highlighted: no returning starters, only Austin Kawecki (6-4, 300) with experience; Tulsa transfer Kasen Carpenter (6-3, 305) leads at center.
- New O-line coaches Andrew Mitchell and Cooper Bassett hired to split duties, supported by ex-OSU players Grant Garner and Zach Allen. Gundy: “I ask them to figure that out on their own.”
- Senior analyst Chris Thurmond praised the staff: “They’re not just good, but they are really good.”
- March 29, 2025: Recruiting Gains Momentum
- Over 20 prospects attended the first Saturday practice, including signee Carl’Veon Young (6-4½, 215, four-star LB) and commit Landon Bland (6-4, 225, DE/OLB).
- Top OT Evan Goodwin (6-7, 320) set a May 2-4 official visit; Tahj Overton (6-3, 275) and Danny Beale III (6-4, 300) also visited, with Beale scheduling a Sunday meeting with Gundy.
- Family atmosphere emphasized with coaches’ relatives present, reinforcing “Cowboy culture.”
- March 30, 2025: Offensive Depth and Defensive Edge Emerge
- Inside receivers Gavin Freeman, Sam Jackson V, Da’Wain Lofton, and Jaylen Lloyd bring speed and Power Five experience; freshman Kameron Powell scored in the red zone.
- O-line makeover continues with focus on Nuku Mafi (6-4, 325) and Gage Stanaland (6-3, 300); Thurmond: “They really know what they’re doing and how to teach it.”
- Running backs Howland, Vailahi, Fields Jr., and Hicks (ex-OU four-star) show promise; Hicks’ dual-threat skills (3,508 HS yards, track speed) could make him RB1 and boost the passing game.
- Defense under Todd Grantham showed edge with two interceptions and pressure; Gundy: “I like where they’re at… they’re football guys.”
- April 1, 2025: Full Pads and Tight End Spotlight
- Practice No. 4 went full pads, prompting Gundy’s “take care of each other” speech after intense play; Rodney Fields Jr. and OU transfer Kalib Hicks ran strong; Zane Flores hit Jaylen Lloyd for a TD.
- Tight end Josh Ford (6-6, 255) stood out; Gundy: “That position has become very valuable.” Ford aims to quadruple last year’s 10 catches, 92 yards, 1 TD: “I just knew I was gonna give it my best.”
- April 2, 2025: Recruiting Class Grows
- Four commits in 16 days (KD Jones, Trey McGlothlin, Landon Bland, Aiden Martin) boost 2026 class to No. 34 nationally.
- Official visits start this weekend with 10 prospects, including four-star LB DaQuives Beck; spring transfer portal (April 16-25) targets RB and WR.
- Four-star QB Oscar Rios is top target, visiting late April: “They’ve been straight up with me.”
- April 3, 2025: New Staff Brings Intensity and a Cussing Revival
- Practice No. 5 showcased defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and D-line coach Ryan Osborn’s fiery style; Gundy’s decade-long no-cussing rule is officially history: “One, I can’t hear very good anymore, and I’m up top, so I have selective hearing just like I do when I’m at home at night.”
- The shift reflects a new staff’s louder, more colorful approach—Grantham’s old-school intensity and Osborn’s sideline energy set the tone, with language echoing former OC Todd Monken’s legendary tirades. Gundy: “There are some Todd Monken-ish guys that are on this staff… I’m not saying they can get to his level, but they’re heading in that ballpark.”
- Gundy’s keeping it in check: “We minimize it. We do have signals that if I think it gets out of control, somebody can go over there and we can calm it down some. The one thing I do have is we don’t direct it at a player.” Players like Iman Oates embrace it: “Having that juice come from your coach, he has the energy and he brings it, we bring it out of us.”
- Oates praised Osborn’s teaching: “It makes it hard not to be able to learn it.” Oates, Armstrong Nnodim, and Landon Dean made big plays; Trent Howland and Sam Jackson V shone offensively.
- Cam Smith loves the vibe: “You know if you don’t bring that same energy, you gonna hear about it.”
- April 4, 2025: A New Era of Coaching and Unfiltered Passion
- Gundy fully endorses the staff overhaul: “They’re football junkies”; Grantham and OC Doug Meacham lead with intensity, reviving Monken’s spirit. Gundy reflects on the change: “My job is to try to get the right guys and then let them coach and be who they are. We all have to be who we are.”
- The no-cussing rule, once a hallmark of respect and culture, has been shelved as college football evolves with pay-for-play and the transfer portal. Gundy: “I’d rather have to pull a dog out than kick him into a fight,” signaling he’d rather tame passion than force it.
- Players thrive under the unfiltered approach—corner Cam Smith said, “I love that… that’s really gonna take our defense to the next level,” noting Grantham’s consistency from meetings to the field: “He don’t change for nobody.” Iman Oates added of Osborn: “He’s relatable, but he can also teach like no coach that I’ve had before.”
- Culture shift is palpable: what was once taboo is now a tool for accountability and energy, with Gundy adapting to a louder, brasher staff that players respect for their football IQ and fire.
Key Takeaways
- Spring Practice: Physicality ramps up with full pads; O-line rebuilds with promise, receivers and RBs add dynamism, and Grantham’s defense gains edge.
- Recruiting: Strong momentum with high-profile visitors and commits; focus on in-state and national talent, plus transfer portal additions.
- Coaching: New staff injects energy and intensity, with the cussing ban lifted to unleash passion and accountability, reshaping the program’s vibe for 2025.
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