How can Oklahoma State football fix its offense? Here are 3 key areas of concern

OKSTATE1 · 2024-12-26T14:04:35-0600

How can Oklahoma State football fix its offense? Here are 3 key areas of concern

Scott Wright
The Oklahoman

STILLWATER — As Mike Gundy rebuilt Oklahoma State football’s offensive coaching staff over the past few weeks, he seemed to be focused on blending old with new — not necessarily in age or experience, though you can make that case.

But more so, the new coaches are a mix of guys who have been at OSU and guys who haven’t.

It all started with Doug Meacham, the former Cowboy offensive lineman of the mid-1980s, who was on Gundy’s staff from 2005-12.

For the offensive line, the area in need of the most significant overhaul, Gundy and Meacham brought in a pair of OSU products, Cooper Bassett and Andrew Mitchell.

Bassett primarily played defensive end at OSU from 2009-12, but began his career as a tight end, a position Meacham coached at the time. Mitchell was an offensive lineman in 2008-09.

Yet other positions on the staff went to newcomers to Stillwater, like running backs coach Cory Patterson, who has coached at Purdue and Illinois, or quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns, whose coaching career has taken him all across the country. D.J. Tialavea will coach tight ends at OSU, which is his first job away from his alma mater, Utah State.

The blend of old faces and new blood seems like the ideal mixture for Gundy as he enters a crucial season in 2025, but can this staff fix the Oklahoma State offense?

Let’s examine what that will take:

How to fix the Oklahoma State offense

Find a quarterback

This might be as simple as choosing a quarterback, or it could quite literally mean the Cowboys need to keep shopping the transfer portal to find their next QB.

They kicked the tires with former North Texas/TCU/OU quarterback Chandler Morris, bringing him in for a campus visit earlier this month. But he landed at Virginia instead.

More quarterbacks remain available, but OSU needs to find one who fits. Of course, with just three quarterbacks currently on the roster, a fourth body wouldn’t hurt.

But back to the three who are already in Stillwater. Garret Rangel looked good in his lone start this past season, before he broke his collarbone in the second quarter. Maealiuaki Smith had one great start and one miserable one.

And Zane Flores was sidelined by ankle surgery just before he got his shot. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Flores, who will be a redshirt sophomore, has yet to take a snap as a Cowboy, but remains the most buzzworthy candidate of the three.

Based on what is known about them, their skillsets are different branches of the same tree. All three are pass-first quarterbacks who are athletic enough to do damage running the ball, but not necessarily elite runners.

Yet if you look back at Meacham’s history as an offensive coordinator, he's been at his best when his quarterback can run.

Of his seven seasons as a Division I coordinator, his four best years were with a quarterback who was a primary ballcarrier. Those seasons were all at TCU in 2014-16 and 2021.

In 2014-15, the offenses averaged 533.0 and yards per game with Trevone Boykin at quarterback. In those seasons, he rushed for 707 and 612 yards while throwing for at least 3,500 each year.

In 2016, the Frogs averaged 463.2 yards per game with Kenny Hill throwing for 3,209 yards and rushing for 609.

And the 2021 offense (436.6 yards per game) had Max Duggan, who led the team in rushing attempts with 105 for 352 yards.

In each of those seasons, the quarterback was either first or second in rushing attempts.

This isn’t to say Meacham can only succeed with a running quarterback. His 2013 Houston offense averaged 419.5 yards a game with John O’Korn slinging the ball around.

But Meacham’s trends, along with Gundy’s historical tendencies, suggest a quarterback who can run will be the best option for the Cowboy offense going forward.

Rebuild the offensive line

Honestly, this will be more difficult than the quarterback issue. It’s basically a complete rebuild.

When the Cowboys came out of August camp, they had eight veterans with notable starting experience. Six of them exhausted their eligibility, one left the team in September and the other entered the portal this month.

So the Pokes will not only have two new coaches, but also an entirely new starting lineup.

Maybe the front five will include one of the transfer portal additions OSU has made, like Kason Carpenter from Tulsa, Louie Canepa from New Mexico State or Lavaka Taukeiaho from Weber State. The Cowboys also added a junior-college All-American, Tyler Brumfield, from Snow College in Utah.

Any of the four could find their way into the starting lineup, as could some of the several backups who were stuck behind those aforementioned veterans who have departed.

Austin Kawecki spent a few games rotating in at the guard spots, and the rest of the roster is dotted with names of guys who’ve been in the program for multiple years but just haven’t had a shot on the field.

Find your playmakers

Ollie Gordon II left early for the NFL. De’Zhaun Stribling transferred to Mississippi. Rashod Owens and Brennan Presley concluded their eligibility.

That’s 3,100 yards from scrimmage gone from a not-so-great offense that will also have a new quarterback and offensive line.

Maybe some combination of Trent Howland, Sesi Vailahi and breakout freshman Rodney Fields Jr. will bring the production the Cowboys need at running back. And OU transfer Kalib Hicks is an intriguing youngster as well.

The receiver group will benefit from the return of Da’Wain Lofton, who entered the transfer portal then reversed course. And Gavin Freeman, who showed his promise in the first four games before redshirting, has two years remaining.

Talyn Shettron is the most productive returning receiver, after posting 245 yards this past season, but injuries continue to limit his blossoming potential. And behind them are a slew of young players waiting for a chance.

The Cowboy offense will look different schematically based on what Meacham brings to the table, but it’ll look far more different in a box score.