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Thursday, July 5 Oklahoma State football preview By Mel Kiper ESPN.com Les Miles takes over the reins in Stillwater after working the past three years as an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys. Before that, Miles was the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. Now back on the OSU campus, Miles will find that there is enough offensive talent to put together a significantly more effective attack force than was the case last season. The Cowboys return a veteran offensive line, along with improving skill-position talent who should be ready to hit their stride.
The keys on offense will be a pair of sophomores, QB Aso Pogi and RB Tatum Bell. With his size (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) and arm strength combined with an outstanding work ethic, Pogi appears to be on the verge of developing into one of the bright young signal callers in the Big 12. The Cowboys are so thin behind Pogi that true freshman Josh Fields could operate as the primary backup. Fields, an athletically gifted 6-2, 210-pounder with 4.55 speed and a big-league arm, also excels as a baseball player. In the backfield, the Cowboys are fortunate to have an exciting youngster like Bell to seize control at the position. This is especially true because of the surprising decision by Reggie White to leave OSU with eligibility still remaining. White went undrafted, then was signed as a free agent by the New York Jets. Bell, a 5-10½, 190-pounder, was one of the stars of the spring, proving to be a breakaway threat every time he touched the football. Not only does he possess sub-4.40 speed, but Bell also ran inside between the tackles with the authority they were looking for. There is no question Bell is quality feature-back material. With the talent and potential on hand at WR, this may be as strong a group as the Cowboys have had in years. Sophomore Rashaun Woods combines speed with the ability to also make the difficult reception. Last year, Woods hauled in 29 receptions, but failed to produce a TD. That will change this season. Juniors Gabe Lindsay and Willie Young along with JUCO transfer John Lewis will also be looking to provide vital contributions. The major concern is at TE. Gone are all three major contributors from a year ago, Marcellus Rivers, Bryan Blackwood, and Khary Jackson. In the mix are senior Tarrick McGuire and redshirt freshman Mark Milosevich. Up front, the Cowboys' offensive line will be led into battle by three seniors and a pair of juniors, so experience isn't a problem. The strength of the OSU line is at OG, where Jeff Machado and Bryan Phillips are as impressive a tandem as they have had in years. DEFENSE With the defensive line losing several key performers to graduation (Zac Warner and Jaqua Thomas), this group doesn't figure to be as formidable during the early portion of the season. How quickly the front four develops is critical, since the Cowboys are suspect at the CB spots, lacking ideal size to matchup with big wideouts. The top player along the defensive front figures to be junior DT Kevin Williams, a 6-4½, 277-pounder who recorded four sacks last season. Physically talented (6-5, 290) junior LaWaylon Brown also presents the necessary potential. While the CB spots are questionable areas, sophomore Elbert Craig has a chance to become a very solid performer in the Big 12, while FS Chris Massey needs to come through with a breakthrough-type year. Massey has the talent, but he needs to assert himself and gain the necessary consistency. The top player on the OSU defense is without question senior MLB Dwayne Levels. He's coming off a 2000 season that saw the rugged veteran finish with a team-leading 95 tackles. Also providing solid play is junior Terrence Robinson. SPECIAL TEAMS Heading into fall practice, the kicking game has to be an area of concern. P Scott Elder needs to upgrade his performance level, and the Cowboys will be breaking in a new PK, junior Chris Calcagni. OVERVIEW Even though Levels is their major headliner at MLB, the Cowboys could have serious problems along the defensive line and at CB, which is a bad combination. The key is Williams. He has to dominate along the interior, while converted sophomore LB Greg Richmond needs to produce some sacks from his DE position. This group has to find a way to protect the CBs, who lack ideal height. Fortunately, the outlook is much more optimistic on offense. Pogi and Bell give the Cowboys an outstanding young QB/RB tandem. With both players just sophomores, the future is obviously bright at the two key positions. Bell will operate out of the "I" formation, with FBs Mike Denard and Tim Burrough leading the way. However, Miles, who was the former offensive coordinator at OSU, figures to change things up with a lot of different sets. With so much depth at WR, the opportunity exists for the Cowboys to attack with multiple wideouts. Remember, TE is a primary question mark heading into the fall. Up front, though, the Cowboys are in good shape, with OGs Machado and Phillips the standouts. They will be counted on to clear running room for Bell, allowing the Cowboys to maintain possession of the football and run the clock, something that wasn't the case last year. Overall, the OSU offense should be significantly more productive. With the defensive concerns, they are going to have to be.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent storiesCopyright ©2000 ESPN Internet Ventures. Click here for Terms of Use and Privacy Policy applicable to this site. |