Pat Kinnison - Pokes Report chief photographer
Oklahoma State A Part of ESPN's Future Rankings
STILLWATER -- With a vote from the Big 12 potentially coming on Monday on whether athletes can return the campus, let's take a look at ESPN's college football future overall power rankings list.
ESPN released their annual top-25 list and Oklahoma State checks in at No. 21.
This is how ESPN goes about coming up with their rankings.
After examining quarterbacks, defenses and offenses, this list projects the top 25 teams for the next three seasons. The forecast covers the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons, and factors in both current rosters and future recruiting classes, as well as coaching, program trajectory and other categories.
What's impressive about the Cowboys' 21st ranking, is that it's based on the quarterback and offense ratings as ESPN doesn't grade Oklahoma State on its defense. They check in at No. 10 in quarterback play after having been unranked in the category entering the 2019 season.
But there's a lot of offensive factors that play into the Pokes' ranking.
Scouting the Cowboys: Mike Gundy's coaching history -- eight seasons of nine or more wins, no three-year stretch without nine wins since his first three seasons -- indicates Oklahoma State should improve after two mediocre seasons. The Pokes' offense fuels the optimism, as Gundy has one of his better groups. Running back Chuba Hubbard, the nation's rushing leader in 2019, is back for another season. He'll share a backfield with quarterback Spencer Sanders, the 2019 Big 12 offensive freshman of the year. Wide receiver Tylan Wallace, a 2018 Biletnikoff Award finalist, also returns from injury and leads a receiving corps featuring senior Dillon Stoner, junior Braydon Johnson and others. The line has a mix of seniors (Teven Jenkins) and players who should return in 2021 (Bryce Bray, West Virginia transfer Josh Sills).-ESPN
I've got news for ESPN, when they're putting together their futures rankings before the start of next spring, they're going to be wishing they had done a better job of researching the Pokes' defense.
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles returns one of the best defensive units Oklahoma State's turned out in a quite some time and it's led by not just one guy, but several.
Guys like Amen Ogbongbemiga and Kolby Harvell-Peel, who will both contend for Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. Guys like Malcolm Rodriguez and Rodarius Williams who are talented veterans and playmakers. Guys like incoming grad transfer Christian Holmes, who's a talented and experienced corner, and young pup Thomas Harper, who's ready to set the Big 12 on fire.
Also, there's also a guy set to return to action in linebacker Calvin Bundage who is an absolute menace rushing off the edge.
And of course, there's no way to forget virtually the entire defensive line. Sophomore Trace Ford is set to become a conference leader this upcoming season after a great freshman season, Samuela Tuihalamaka and Xavier Ross are guys set to make a bigger impact as well.
