The Winners and Losers of Fall Camp

Training camp has come to a conclusion and football season is staring us right in the eyes. Before we start, however, let’s take a stroll down the short term memory lane and sort out who the winners, losers, and others were from fall training camp.

Winners

The running backs

A group that received some criticism last year has been bolstered by the addition of both young and old blood. Barry J. Sanders has stepped in and, by all accounts, should prove to be a reliable option out of the backfield. He’s more than just an extra dude at the position, and that’s excellent news for a group that desperately needed an extra guy to count on. The young blood of the group, Justice Hill, is a recent emerger who at this point is chalked in as a *maybe* could play. But I’d be surprised to see him redshirt. He should be ready to play early, and that’s a pleasant, welcome surprise for OSU coaches. (P.S.: Told you so?)

Walk-Ons

A year ago, it was walk-on tailback Raymond Taylor who came on strong and was a reliable ball carrier for OSU as a walk-on. And this year, the walk-on tradition shall possibly continue. Taylor Cornelius is in line to become QB2, and freshman wide receiver Obi Obialo is apparently the next Marcell Ateman that everyone overlooked because of a dislocated ankle his senior year. Gundy magic!

Mike Gundy’s Hair Stylist

Mike Gundy’s hair stylist is probably on a beach in Cabo enjoying the royalties from this beautiful masterpiece.

[@AustinChadwick]

Losers

Cornerbacks

The starting group of cornerbacks is fantastic with Ramon Richards and Ashton Lampkin the presumed starters. But beyond that, the depth seems to take a considerable hit. Fortunately, Lenzy Pipkins is in line to become another successful grad transfer under Mike Gundy. But beyond that, it doesn’t sound like many guys are proving themselves to become the next legitimate option. Guys like Madre Harper, Bryce Balous, Rodarius Williams, and Darius Curry will all get their shot. There’s definitely talent and upside to each, but which one will it be? Fall camp is supposed to sort that question out, but it seems to have only complicated things.

Marcell Ateman

No, I’m not calling Ateman a loser. But Pro Football Focus grades him as one of the top 30 returning receivers in the nation from last year, alongside his running mate James Washington. He was named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch list in the preseason, but now is sidelined until October thanks to a broken foot. That’s unfortunate news for a guy who is entering his senior year and probably would like to take his talents to the NFL after this season.

Draws

The Offensive Line

I struggled writing this in lower caps, but the amount of information and detail surrounding the offensive line is maddening. It’s looking like Marcus Keyes will assume duties at left guard, while junior college transfer Larry Williams will take over right guard. But as far as improvement — does anyone actually know? Last year we thought it would be improved, but it actually got worse. Until we see something tangibly better on the field, I’ll chalk this up to a draw.

Jason McEndoo

The second year coach from Montana State was able to make a marked improvement last year, helping Blake Jarwin take home All-Big 12 honors as a junior. And now he has Jarwin in the fold again, with plenty of young, ripe talent surrounding him. Former receivers turned cowboy backs Cole Neph and Keenen Brown should make for an upgrade in talent, too. If Brown can figure out how to block, he will be one I’m most intrigued by. He was a freak show coming out of high school at receiver, but one too many trips to Whataburger [Kidding!] helped create a position change that could pay dividends for both parties as early as this year. He’s a big target who is already a natural route runner, and could make Mr. McEndoo’s job a heck of a lot easier once he can put it together.

Honorable Mentions

Kasey Dunn

With the Coup De Boot landing Tyron Johnson over the weekend, Dunn is a big winner although he won’t see the fruits until 2017. Adding a five-star talent never hurts; Really, everyone wins in this one.

Rennie Childs

Childs was No. 2 in the pecking order last year, but with the addition of Justice Hill and Barry Sanders, I have him sliding as far down as No. 5 on the depth chart. I’m not a coach, obviously, but if that happens, you’d have to feel bad for him — probably not exactly how he’d like to spend his last year on the field. Regardless, he seems to be sliding down past his No. 2 spot from last year. Seems like a loss no matter how you frame it.

Depth on the D-Line

There’s so many legitimate contenders who could fill in with the first team that I’m glad Joe Bob is the one sorting out the depth chart and not me. It’s a good problem to have, however, and the defensive tackle position is three-deep with talent who can play. Also, I’ve procured exclusive footage of Joe Bob following a recent scrimmage:

He’s got a group full of studs, and for that, he’s an honorable mention winner.