Oklahoma State Owns ESPN’s Big 12 Position Rankings

Oklahoma State may be as deep across the board as it’s been since that historic 2011 season. The majority of you think the offense is more loaded this year and Mike Gundy thinks the defense could be better.

So it should be no surprise that when ESPN finished their post-spring rankings for each Big 12 position group last week, Oklahoma State came out with the highest ranking across the board.

Props to Mark Ortwein for drawing attention to it with this list.

ESPN’s Jake Trotter and Mitch Sherman traded off the position groups. Here’s a look at where they had on each and where the Cowboys ranked.

Quarterback – No. 2

Only two Power 5 QBs — Mayfield and Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett — have more starting wins than Mason Rudolph, who boasts a career record of 22-6. Backup QB, however, is becoming a perilous predicament for the Pokes. John Kolar, Keondre Wudtee and true freshman Jelani Woods all struggled in Oklahoma State’s spring game, leaving walk-on Taylor Cornelius as the favorite to back up Rudolph again in the fall. ESPN

Rudolph has everything he needs to put up an historic season and if he stays healthy will not only own the record books in Stillwater. He’ll give his team a chance at their second Big 12 title — and maybe more.

Running Back – No. 5

The Cowboys are thin here but remain in the top half of the league largely because of Justice Hill, the Big 12 offensive freshman of the year in 2016 who rushed for 1,142 yards. Look for Canadian newcomer Chuba Hubbard to complement Hill, along with senior Jeff Carr. And we already like incoming freshman J.D. King out of Georgia, mainly because his mom is a noted advocate of the Mike Gundy mullet. ESPN

Whether the No. 2 spot is filled by Hubbard or fellow 2017 signee J.D. King or someone like La’Darren Brown who showed some potential this spring, the Cowboys are going to even lean more on Justice Hill then they did last year. As long as he’s 100 percent from off-season shoulder surgery, he should be more than capable of handling the bell-cow load.

Wider Receiver – No. 1

Quarterback Mason Rudolph said this spring that LSU transfer Tyron Johnson was Oklahoma State’s best receiver in space with the ball in his hands. Considering the other components of the Cowboy receiving corps, that’s an incredible compliment and underscored just how deep this Cowboy wideout unit will be. ESPN

James Washington could break Rashaun Woods’ record for career receiving yards. Jalen McCleskey could be the most underrated player in the Big 12. Marcell Ateman could lead the team in touchdowns. Tyron Johnson could win Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. What am I missing? Oh yeah, the insane fact that all could come true.

Offensive Line – No. 5

Depth is lacking, but the Cowboys solidified their starting unit with the addition of graduate transfer Aaron Cochran from Cal. He will replace Victor Salako and mesh with returning starters Marcus Keyes at left guard, center Brad Lundblade, right guard Larry Williams and Zachary Crabtree at right tackle. If these guys stay healthy, Oklahoma State’s line could rank next fall in the top three to four of the Big 12. ESPN

Zachary Crabtree has had four different OL coaches during his time in Stillwater. The Cowboys have serious depth issues and didn’t take a single high school prospect in their last signing class. But it finally seems like Gundy has his guy in Josh Henson. He’s a former lineman at OSU and a nationally-recognized recruiter. Most importantly, the line seems to have bought in. If they can continue their improvement in the run game and amp up their efforts in pass protection, the sky is the limit for this offense.

Defensive Line – No. 3

The Cowboys boast one of the deepest units in the league, especially at end, where they have five reliable and experienced options in Cole Walterscheid, Jarrell Owens, Tralund Webber, Jordan Brailford and Vili Leveni. To replace Vincent Taylor inside, Oklahoma State is hoping Darrion Daniels can take a big step forward in his third season. ESPN

The deepest defensive line that Mike Gundy has coached is going to be even deeper thanks to the return from injury of end Jordan Brailford and transfer and former Michigan State DT Enoch Smith Jr. Darrion Daniels needs to be the star of this line and he’ll have help from DeQuinton Osborne and end-turned-tackle Trey Carter.

Linebacker – No. 3

Lots of options exist for the Cowboys, despite the departures of Jordan Burton and Devante Averette. Senior Chad Whitener is back in the middle, and Oklahoma State coaches expect at least one star to emerge from the group of Justin Phillips, Calvin Bundage and Kenneth Edison-McGruder. Phillips is especially versatile and could play alongside his backup, Kevin Henry. Linebacker should rate as the Pokes’ strongest defensive position group. ESPN

No. 3 seems high on this list but when you really look at the depth the Cowboys boast, it shouldn’t be a surprise. Glenn Spencer along with the help of former Notre Dame defensive coordinator and current analyst Brian VanGorder spent the off season installing a permanent second scheme on defense. They will play out of both their traditional four-down and a three-down sets. The number one reason that is a possibility is the depth and versatility of their linebacker corps.

Defensive Backs – No. 5

The Cowboys landed one of the more high-profile grad transfers this spring in former Clemson cornerback Adrian Baker. Baker should help shore up the biggest question on the Oklahoma State defense, while allowing the Pokes to keep Ramon Richards as a cover safety, which could go a long way in bolstering coordinator Glenn Spencer’s pass defense. ESPN

The Pokes have some talent at safety and lots of questions at corner. They also have six committed safeties coming in the next two classes. Adrian Baker is a huge help at cover man but there will still be some growing pains, especially early. No other corner on the roster has started a D-I game. As Mike Gundy said, they may have to score “a few points” early on.

Special Teams – No. 2

While making plans for QB Mason Rudolph’s Heisman campaign, the Cowboys may want to promote Zach Sinor, too — for the Ray Guy Award. The junior punter rates as a serious weapon with his powerful leg and precision. His 35 punts downed inside the 20-yard line last year led the FBS. Jalen McCleskey is also back as a threat on returns. ESPN 

The Sinor hype is real. He was the most effective punter in college football a year ago. Aside from him, there are questions which is why No. 2 seems a bit high. The Cowboys haven’t fielded a game changer in the return game in a couple years and they have to replace the much maligned — but all-time leading scorer in OSU history — place kicker, Ben Grogan.

Fan favorite or not, Grogan became a cold-blooded closer with three game-winners on his resume. Maybe Matt Ammendola picks up where he left off. Maybe Tyron Johnson sets a new punt return average record at OSU. But at this point, there are unknowns.