Cowboy Fans Need to be Glad They Have Charlie Dickey
STILLWATER -- One of the term's being used for COVID-19 is threat level. You know the drill, a color-coded barometer of where the virus is in terms of threatening an area or community. Oklahoma State fans and fans of their rival Oklahoma have been voicing where they think the threat level is for the Cowboys on the offensive line. During the summer and the preseason the OSU offensive line has gone from having four returning starters and a starter and second team All-Big 12 transfer to two returning starters and the transfer. Plus, Oklahoma State has lost some depth and talent on the line as well.
With Friday's change from a very heavy scrimmage to the players and coaches gathering in small groups to meet and discuss the deeply concerning social landscape and senseless violence between law enforcement and African-American males, offensive line coach Charlie Dickey has had a chance to further gather his thoughts. Dickey has to map out how to overcome the departures on the offense line and have a line that can assist Chuba Hubbard and the running game and protect Spencer Sanders in the opener with Tulsa on Sept. 12.
Is the offensive line threat level at yellow, is it orange, or has the shade darkened even more. I'd say orange is a fair shade for now.
The concern comes, in part, when we saw Oklahoma State take in a transfer in Chandler Anthony from North Texas. Sure, the Cowboys lost senior starting offensive tackle Dylan Galloway because of career injuries early in the summer and most recently lose starting guard Bryce Bray and potential starting tackle Jacob Farrell to a violation of team conduct, but picking up an offensive line transfer this late is tough to fathom. Offensive line requires some book learning in the playbook and there is always the need for chemistry in an offensive line. Five players have to work together as one for success.
I bumped into Charlie Dickey the other day and just made the comment, "your ranks have thinned out."
"We'll be okay," Dickey answered. "We'll have them ready to go."
That is the Dickey way. He was known at Kansas State for taking young players, often as young as red-shirt freshmen and turning them into contributors, even starters. It was often you would see a Kansas State senior offensive lineman and his bio would read, three-to-four year starter. Names like B.J. Finney, Dalton Risner, Cody Whitehair, Nick Stringer, and Cornelius Lucas. Finney, who now starts for the Pittsburgh Steelers was a walk-on. Dickey is considered somewhat of an offensive line professor from his days molding together lines for the Wildcats.
"Competition is high and everybody wants to prove themselves and prove that they can take that sport that has opened up," said starting center Ry Schneider. "Just whoever it is and what position it is then somebody is going to step up and take it over and we'll be ready to go."
Chandler Anthony will really be behind the eight ball when it comes to playing early, but he could help with depth especially later in the season. Rge older brother of the Cowboys Hunter Anthony is a fourth-year junior and has just one start. As for how it looks right now on the offensive line, here's our educated guess on where it stands.
Left tackle will be Teven Jenkins. He moved over to the position from the right side at the beginning of the OTAs this summer. Jenkins was one of the best linemen in the Big 12 last season according to the analytics of Pro Football Focus and he is on the NFL landscape for next year's draft. He is a senior that is big (6-6, 320) and athletic with excellent feet. Taylor Miterko, a red-shirt freshman from Carlsbad, N.M. and newly scholarshipped Jake Springfield is capable of backing up either tackle position.
Springfield is from Flower Mound, Texas and one heckuva walk-on find before going on scholarship entering his red-shirt freshman season.
"The greatest thing my whole time being here was when I was able to call home and tell mom that she didn't have to worry about me, paying for college and stuff, so I'm sure as soon as he found out that he thought of his mom too," Schneider said of Springfield, who was told at a team meeting in a video from another former walk-on in current Dallas Cowboys tight end Blake Jarwin.
Hard Work Pays Off! EARNED! @Jakespring77 #LetsRide | #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/gUlEuMP7TY
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) August 15, 2020
"I'm sure he couldn't wait to call home," Schneider continued. "It was such an awesome moment because he worked hard for it and he deserved it."
Left guard is where you find the West Virginia transfer in Josh Sills and he is legit. Another NFL potential prospect next to Jenkins. Sills is a really physical player.
Backing up at guard is another player that can play on both sides as Hunter Woodard is of starting caliber and will see lots of action. The red-shirt sophomore has had the respect of his teammates for his toughness and attitude since arriving.
Schneider is at center and has started at that position and at guard during the past two seasons. He has six starts three at center and three at guard. His first start came in 2018 when he stepped in for the injured Johnny Wilson at center against No. 7 West Virginia and helped the Cowboys to an upset win.
One of the best developments coming into this season for the offensive line is the development of red-shirt sophomore center Tyrese Williams.
"Tyrese has really worked hard and he is playing well," Dickey told me. "The strength staff told me he has gone from being in the back to leading the way in (offseason competition and stadium steps)."
The helps give the line more flexibility because Schneider can play center or either guard.
Right guard is the position that Bray left up for grabs and it appears that red-shirt freshman Cole Birmingham is seized it. Birmingham was a load in high school as one of the main pillars on the line of Houston-area powerhouse Katy. He is 6-8, 308-pounds and mature beyond his class.
Right tackle is Hunter Anthony. The younger Anthony is better than his older brother Chandler and is huge at 6-6, 318-pounds. The weight is down a little from the 330 of last season as he worked on trimming up and moving better and he does. Anthony started one game at tackle and three games at guard in 2019, so he has some starting experience.
Springfield is the back-up behind Anthony.
Is the line now as experienced as before? No, it isn't. Is the line now as talented as before the losses of Galloway, Bray, and Farrell? No, it isn't. Can this line get the job done and will it improve over time including the back-ups. That answer is absolutely.
