Practice Report: Christian Holmes May Be the Latest in the Series of Critical Transfers

Missouri's Christian Holmes has come in and made an immediate impact at the corner position adding talent and depth. That can really transfer a defense to a new level. There was likely eveidence in the Cowboys first scrimmage.

STILLWATER -- The Sherman Smith Training Center was silent on Friday afternoon and as Pokes Report guessed on Thursday when hearing that the Cowboys went through a light workout in helmets and shoulder pads, head coach Mike Gundy head his team scrimmage on Friday. Oklahoma State was inside the stadium with the videoboards on and the music blaring for the first scrimmage of the preseason. No details made available on the scrimmage except that Pokes Report heard the special teams were emphasized and the offense stayed fairly fundamental. The defense stayed aggressive and they have been that way through fall camp up until now. The scrimmage was not long as it lasted just a little over an hour. 

Gundy said it earlier this week that he has been very excited about the defense and has loved the spirit of which they have practiced with. All the returning players with experience lots of physical ability. To be fair, Heisman Trophy candidate (20-1 odds) running back Chuba Hubbard and wide receiver Tylan Wallace (100-1 odds) don't see many live snaps nor should they. There are some advantages this time of year for the Cowboys defense. 

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and the defensive coaching staff have been smiling a lot. They should and while Knowles might need a refresher course in under selling and over producing, he seems to be fine with being quite positive about the defense.  

"(I'm) very pleased and we are really poised to take the next step," defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said earlier this week. "The leadership is good and everybody knows what they are doing. (We are) playing fast and our packages are developing to best take advantage of the people that we have. Christian Holmes, the transfer, has done a great job. We are going to have a great corner situation with him, Rodarius (Williams), and Jarrick (Bernard-Converse)."

Oh yes, the cornerbacks. Going into the spring that ended after just three practices and then heading into fall camp there was some mystery about how that position would settle. For defensive neophytes, the corner position in today's football is fairly simple. They have to be able to cover the outside quarter of the field in man coverage or coordinate with the safeties for a good zone coverage. With all of the spread offenses, the defensive units that have good cover corners can stay more man on the outside, man cover one, man cover two or some variation of man, even half man and half zone. If you can do that then there are more defensive pieces to use and creat havoc or even better, chaos for the offense.

Christian Holmes has played well from the start of fall camp / Bruce Waterfield - Oklahoma State University Athletics

Oklahoma State has plenty of players on defense capable of that, and now with the Missouri graduate transfer in Holmes they have a solid three working on two deep on either side at corner. Freshman Korie Black is getting mentioned and there are some other candidates to fill that out. 

It is Holmes that has come in and fit perfectly. The Mississippi native is 6-1, 200-pounds, so big for a corner. He sat out 2017 with a shoulder injury, but in his other three seasons, Holmes played in 24 games and he started five games. He finished at MU with 66 total tackles, 52 unassisted, two interceptions with one in 2018 returned for a touchdown. He defended 17 passes. 

"Christian Holmes, our transfer, has great focus and is an excellent play," Knowles emphasized. "Those two guys (Holmes and Bernard-Converse) are good football guys, good players, good character and we are going to be fine at cornerback."

Holmes had a pick six in his first practice in helmets and shoulder pads. He has been physical, excellent in coverage, and as Knowles said displayed a great attitude, focus, and awareness of his responsibilities. 

I've even heard that Mike Gundy is considering letting the newcomer, albeit a graduate transfer, do interviews sometime in his first-year. That is a very rare at Oklahoma State, but Gundy must feel that Holmes will represent the Cowboy culture well. 

After the scrimmage on Friday, the Cowboys will take Saturday off and will meet to review the scrimmage and then be back on the field on Sunday evening for the next practice.