Talyn Shettron's Emergence a Bright Spot for Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State might need to get a young receiver more touches.
Coming into the season, OSU had a three-headed monster at wide receiver. Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens each made the Biletnikoff watch list, while De’Zhaun Stribling was set to return from an injury that kept him out most of last season.
Through five games, Stribling has established himself as the No. 1 option, making 27 catches for 502 yards and three touchdowns. Presley is second in receiving yards with 289, and Owens is third with 283. While that top three was expected in some order before the season, the fourth option has been a welcome surprise for Kasey Dunn’s offense.
Talyn Shettron, a redshirt sophomore, has burst onto the scene in the early stages of the season. He has 10 catches for 212 yards and a touchdown. Shettron’s speed and shiftiness are tools OSU can use to its advantage.
In Saturday’s loss to Kansas State, Shettron brought in three passes for 42 yards and was tied with Owens for the third-most targets with seven. As the season progresses, it would be wise for that number to increase.
Although OSU’s hopes of making the Big 12 Championship and College Football Playoff are not completely dashed, any more losses would almost certainly eliminate the Cowboys. Even with a 7-0 finish, OSU might not get in, which gives it reasoning to look ahead to next season.
Presley and Owens are in their final year, leaving the receiver group to rely on Stribling and Shettron in 2025. Already showing glimpses of being a star, Shettron will continue to grow and evolve as he gets more touches.
Using him in similar packages to Presley to get the ball more could be effective, given that OSU needs to alter some things offensively. In any case, Shettron is one of the brightest spots on OSU’s roster beyond this season and might be ready to take on a larger role already.
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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.