Mike Gundy: Oklahoma State Star Linebacker Potentially Out For Season
Oklahoma State’s star linebacker’s season might be cut short.
On Saturday, OSU linebacker Collin Oliver left the game against Arkansas and went to the locker room before returning to the sideline on crutches later in the game. ABC reported that Oliver headed back to the locker room for an x-ray on his lower right leg.
In the postgame press conference, OSU coach Mike Gundy said he thinks Oliver could be out for the rest of the season.
“I think that he’s done for the year,” Gundy said. “I’m not sure. I haven’t gotten an update other than the game when they said that he wasn’t coming back. And they thought that he might’ve had, maybe a fracture or a crack or something, but I’m not for sure.”
If Oliver is unable to return for OSU, it would be a significant blow to the Cowboys’ defense. In Saturday’s game, Oliver had two tackles, broke up a pass, and had two quarterback pressures before leaving.
Throughout his career, Oliver has been an integral part of OSU’s defense and ability to get to the quarterback. While his season might be over, OSU has others ready to step up in his place.
In Oliver’s absence, transfer Obi Ezeigbo came up big for the Cowboys against Arkansas. Headlined by his sack on third down in the first overtime, he had nine tackles with two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.
As one of the stars of OSU’s defense, Oliver will leave a big hole regardless of how long he is out. With a veteran group, OSU defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo has the personnel to keep the Cowboys’ defense among the best in the Big 12.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.