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Five Storylines to Watch Headed into Fall Camp (Part 1)

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It’s officially football season. There’s less than 40 days until opening kickoff. Mike Gundy’s tweeting about the first practice of fall camp. And the man KP has the 2016 football preview up and running.

With players reporting on Monday and the first practice set for Tuesday (Yes, next Tuesday!), here are five storylines to watch as we prepare for the 2016 season.

5. Mike Gundy’s Hair

I’m all in on the Gundy Mullet. It’s flashy, strange, and slightly arrogant — everything you would expect from a former college quarterback who doesn’t giveth a rip about your opinion. It got quite a bit of play at Big 12 media days, but if it continues, this could be something OSU could play to it’s advantage to gain national attention both in the media and in recruiting. It sounds strange, but the more attention on the second largest school in the state, the better. No matter how it comes.

4. Freshman emerging

Oklahoma State returns a pretty experienced veteran group on both sides of the ball. But there are positions I will definitely be keeping an eye on as fall camp unfolds, as there are several intriguing and talented freshman who I think could make an impact. Don’t be surprised to hear some whispers of good things coming from wide receiver Dillon Stoner, running back Justice Hill, cornerback Madre Harper, and quarterback Keondre Wudtee. If I’m taking bets, I think all four will see the field as true freshman.

3. Who stands out in a crowded stable of running backs

With the veteran presence of Barry J. Sanders officially on campus, is he primed to take over a starting role and unseat returning starter Chris Carson or Rennie Childs? Or will Chris Carson, with a full year under his belt and the learning curve presumably shortened, grab the reigns at No. 1? That’s my pick for the moment. Behind him, there will be tons of talent vying for playing time with Barry J., Rennie Childs, Jeff Carr, Jakeem Johnson and Justice Hill all in the fold. As fall approaches, we’ll know a lot more about who is in line to get serious playing time, and who may be falling down the depth chart.

2. Junior college players transitioning

OSU has several JUCO guys coming in who will make an immediate impact, and some who may have a large learning curve. Guys who I think will play right away are defensive tackle DeQuinton Osborne, offensive guard Larry Williams, and defensive end Tralund Webber, who I think will be more of a rotational player. Beyond them, offensive tackle Shane Richards is on campus, and cornerback Malik Kearse is as well. Both will be at the least quality backups at their respective positions.

1. Who will be the backup quarterback?

When the Oil Baron emerges behind QB1 in September, I’m going to look like a complete idiot. But I have all my chips pushed into the middle for Keondre Wudtee, and the fact that the No. 2 position is still open after having Cornelius and Kolar all spring competing says a lot about how confident they are with their current options. Cornelius, Kolar, Wudtee, and Burns all seem to be contending for the No. 2 spot, and I would suspect given Wudtee’s unique skill set as a dual-threat, he could be the guy going into the fall.

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