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Exactly How Much Firepower Does the 2017 OSU Offense Bring Back?

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The 2016 Oklahoma State offense was a large reason behind their 10-3 finish and runner-up finish in the Big 12, including a no. 11 national rank in both the AP and Coaches Polls.

They averaged an impressive 2.89 points per drive, ranking 17th nationally. It was their best output as an offense since the 2012 team. So how much offense does Mike Yurcich return in 2017 to surround Mason Rudolph for his senior season?

Rushing

The Oklahoma State will return a 1,329 of 2,221 total rushing yards from this year’s team, good for 60 percent of its 2016 rushing production. The trio of Barry Sanders Jr., Rennie Childs, and Chris Carson are all graduating. However, freshman All-American Justice Hill is back for a lot more of this..

The additions of freshmen speedster Chuba Hubbard and J.D. King will give Hill some help in the backfield and fill the void that Chris Carson will leave after his fantastic senior season (6.8 yards per carry!) If they can find a reliable option for third and fourth down and short situations, Oklahoma State will be in great hands in 2017 running the rock.

  • Get back: 60 percent of production
  • Lose: 40 percent of production
Receiving

The 2016 receiving core, lead by All Big-12 first-teamer James Washington, finished 8th in the nation with 323.9 receiving yards per game. They made big play after big play and were without a question one of the best overall groups the school has ever seen. For 2017 the Cowboys will return receivers accounting for 2,861 of their 4,211 yards from 2016, good for 68 percent of their production.

As good as the 2016 receiving group was, the 2017 will certainly be better and may be the deepest group in the country. On top of returning The President, Jalen McCleskey and Chris Lacy, the Cowboys add five-star Tyron Johnson from LSU, who does stuff like this-


Also back are Marcell Ateman from an injury that kept him out all of 2016, and freshman playmaker Tylan Wallace. They will also welcome back Dillon Stoner, who only played in a few games before a foot injury sidelined him for the season.

  • Get back: 68 percent of production
  • Lose: 32 percent of production
Quarterback

At quarterback, they obviously return 99 percent of production. Mason Rudolph threw for 4,091 of 4,211 yards (Austin Hays and Chris Carson combined to throw for 46 yards which is the part they’re losing!)

Mike Yurcich and the Cowboys offense roll into 2017 with more weapons than a Bass Pro Shop. Rudolph coming off a 4,091 yard season with a 28 touchdown/4 int. Washington with 73 catches, 1,380 yards and 10 touchdowns. The nation’s freshman rushing leader, Hill. An army of big, athletic, blazing fast receivers.

Oh, and the Cowboys get Kansas State, TCU, Baylor, and Oklahoma at Boone Pickens stadium. Is it September yet?

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