Spring Football Preview #9: Wide Receivers
STILLWATER -- It's a good time to be a wide receiver at Oklahoma State because the man in charge of that position, Kasey Dunn, is now in charge of the entire offense. For those skeptics wondering how this will work, and whether head coach Mike Gundy can be comfortable with a coach other than the quarterback coach calling the plays? The answer is it will work fine because Dunn has been here for 10-years and has seen how it has worked with Gundy. He knows the job and is well prepared.
The stress this spring on Dunn won't be calling plays, but more whose number to call at wide receiver. The position is a little thin compared to what it has been. You know the leading receiver, an All-American and former Biletnikoff finalist Tylan Wallace will be back full speed in the fall. Wallace has 146 receptions for 2,512-yards and 20 touchdowns in his first three seasons. He will be good for another 80-90 receptions as a senior provided he stays healthy.
Behind Wallace you have Dillon Stoner, who can play inside and out and is as reliable a target as you could have. Landon Wolf is an inside guy that is very good.
Last season's knee injury to Wallace sped up the development of speedster Braydon Johnson and the red-shirt junior can blaze, just ask Texas A&M as he burned them twice in the Academy Sports and Outdoors Texas Bowl. It was fun to see as he will be a major weapon.
The next big thing, and there is always a next big thing at receiver in Stillwater. Kasey Dunn pointed us to Langston Anderson. Anderson was a four-star prospect out of Midlothian Heritage High School in Texas. He is 6-0, 202-pounds with track speed and power. He has excellent hands and is a really good at route running. Anderson may have next, but we have another sleeper we've been waiting on.
Jonathan Shepherd is 6-3, 193-pounds and he is truly a track man that played receiver for a power/option run offense at Kilgore. He was only thrown about 20 passes a season and blocked 95 percent of the plays in high school. He has been developing and dealing with injuries, but the path has cleared and along with Langston Anderson, Shepherd could be fun this spring.
I would also point to four walk-ons that could impress this spring. Newcastle's Jacob Morris is a sophomore that is as reliable catching the football as anybody on the team. Gabe Simpson is a former walk-on hero in basketball that has become a special teams stalwart in football. There are a pair of Bixby receivers now at Oklahoma State. Of course, Oklahoma Player of the Year Brennan Presley is coming this summer, but Cade Cavender and Clayton Barbour proceeded Presley to Stillwater coming as walk-ons. Several members of the Oklahoma State staff, including Gundy, saw Cavender blow up Stillwater in the Class 6A-2 State Championship Game in 2018.
This spring Wallace will mainly watch, Stoner and Wolf will lead the group, and all others will position themselves for next fall. They know several recruits, Presley and San Antonio standout Rashod Owens will show up wanting to play this summer. LSU graduate transfer Dee Anderson has said he is coming too.
The smiles will be all the way around the offensive staff if Braydon Johnson shows no signs of slowing down from his 2019 finish and Langston Anderson shows he is ready to be a major contributor.
