'I can move better': Down 40 pounds, Caleb Etienne ready for bigger role with Oklahoma State football team
Scott WrightOklahoman
STILLWATER — With college offensive linemen, size is almost always viewed as a positive trait.
But for some, they pass the point of benefit and it becomes a hindrance.
That’s where Caleb Etienne was when he arrived at Oklahoma State last summer. The 6-foot-7 transfer from Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, showed up weighing 360 pounds.
On top of that, he hadn’t played in an actual game since the fall of 2019, because the COVID pandemic wiped out an entire year of football for most junior colleges across the country. So even though he had been training, he wasn’t in the type of shape required to play a full game — especially in the fast-paced Oklahoma State offense.
When fall camp opened last August, opportunity was ripe for Etienne. The Cowboys needed a starting left tackle, and he fit the bill.
But physically, he wasn’t ready to adapt to the intensity of the OSU offense. And that slowed his ability to learn the system as well.
He appeared in the first three games of the season as a backup, gaining some important on-field experience. He continued to suit up for the rest of the season, but it became a year of development for the promising prospect.
When spring practice opened in March, a slimmer Etienne was at the front of the left tackle line.
“I lost about 40 pounds and I’m feeling good,” Etienne said following the Cowboys’ spring finale last month. “It makes a lot of difference. I can move better. My knees don’t hurt as much. It’s been going good and I’m really happy about that.”
Now, with almost a full year of learning the offense and getting in shape, Etienne is primed to play the role he was brought to OSU for.
It won’t be handed to him. He’s going to have to earn it. The Cowboys still have Cole Birmingham, who started at left tackle most of last season, though he’s more comfortable at guard, which is where he played during the spring.
And a pair of transfers — Casey Collier from Southern Cal and Jason Brooks from Vanderbilt — are set to arrive next month. Either of them could get a look at left tackle come August.
But Etienne is in control of his own destiny now more than he was last season because of the work he has put in.
The lost weight plays a major factor, a fact Birmingham can attest to. As a redshirt sophomore last year, he played at about 305 pounds, but he had gotten up to 330 roughly a year earlier and had to trim back down to be comfortable on the field.
“From experience, I know (Etienne) definitely notices it,” Birmingham said. “That’s all that really matters, that he notices it and feels better being able to play and move.
“The weight is very noticeable. Caleb is moving around a lot better. It seems like he’s a lot more comfortable doing what he’s doing now than what he was.”
But losing some weight didn’t suddenly make Etienne a better player. He used the last year to dive into learning the offense and his role in it.
“He’s learning everything he needs to,” Birmingham said. “He’s spending a lot more time watching film and making sure he’s doing the right things. He’s progressed a whole bunch. It’s honestly really exciting to see. We need one more anchor on the line, so it’s good.”
The combination of a more agile body and a more prepared mind has opened the door for Etienne.
“Even after the season and bowl practice when we were giving him a lot of reps, he was a ways away. He’s now just a short ways away,” OSU head coach Mike Gundy said. “You just imagine being that massive — and it’s not like he’s heavy, he’s a massive man — and then you’re carrying weight, you’re out of shape, you’re trying to figure out what to do. Everything’s new and you don’t know what direction you’re going. That’s a bad combination.
“Now, he’s lost 40-50 pounds. He gets it. He’s learning. He can think. He doesn’t overreact, doesn’t panic, and he can become more aggressive. Which we all know, all he’s gotta do is be just somewhat aggressive, and he’s gonna be in good shape because of how big he is.
“I’m excited about watching him grow and become more physical, knowing now the direction to go.”
