Former Alabama QB Greg McElroy Ranks Oklahoma State No. 16 in Preseason Top 25
On a recent episode of the Always College Football podcast, host Greg McElroy revealed a portion of his preseason Top 25.
Oklahoma State landed at No. 16 on the former Alabama quarterback's list, coming in one spot ahead of Oklahoma and one spot below LSU, who checked in at No. 15.
"There are very few teams in college football who return more production than the Oklahoma State Cowboys," McElroy said on his show, which produced by ESPN College Football and Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions.
"Especially considering the momentum they created in the final 9-10 games of the year after what was a horrendous start, they started to figured it out. You bring back a ton of guys. You bring back a group that knows how to win, and won 10 games. ... The big question is on the defensive side. I think some of their struggles last year (were) in ideology, and part of it is that (Pokes defensive coordinator) Bryan Nardo brought in a completely different looking defense. I don't think it was the easiest transition to go from what they were last year, to what they're hopefully going to be next year... but 10 guys are back, that helps."
As McElroy indicated, OSU returns most of its key players from a 2023 season that saw Mike Gundy's team play for a Big 12 title and take down an SEC opponent in bowl season.
On offense, Doak Walker Award winner and All-American running back Ollie Gordon II, veteran quarterback Alan Bowman, leading receiver duo Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens and six offensive lineman who started games last year return for another season in Stillwater.
Defensively, the Cowboys bring back two All-Conference linebackers in Collin Oliver and Nick Martin as well as to veterans like Collin Clay, Kody Walterscheid, Korie Black, and Trey Rucker. Nardo and company also added UTEP defensive back transfer Kobe Hylton and Gannon University edge rusher transfer Obi Ezeigbo to bolster the Pokes group.
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RANDALL SWEET