Oklahoma State football: Wes Lunt starting means many things
OSU's Wes Lunt drops back to pass during Oklahoma State's spring football game at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, April 21, 2012. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
The news is in: True freshman Wes Lunt is Oklahoma State’s starting quarterback. The guy who is one month and one day shy of his high school graduation now quarterbacks one of college football’s most potent offensive traditions. Lunt has won a derby that included junior-to-be Clint Chelf and redshirt freshman J.W. Walsh. Here are my thoughts:
* Mike Gundy and Todd Monken both said they didn’t want to get away from the offensive identity started by coordinator Dana Holgorsen in January 2010 and established by quarterback Brandon Weeden the last two years. And they lived up to it. Walsh, an effective run/pass threat, would have harkened back to the Zac Robinson/Larry Fedora style of offense. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But the classic, pocket passing offense perfected by Weeden is what Gundy said he wanted to continue. Selecting Lunt shows Gundy meant it.
* Gutsy, gutsy decision. Not too many coaches would go with a true freshman quarterback. But if you believe he’s the best, it’s the proper decision.
* Funny timing. Naming a starting quarterback on the day of the NFL Draft, when one of your superstar players (Justin Blackmon) will get picked in the first few selections and another (Weeden) could go later in the first round. Seems like OSU is stealing some thunder from its own ballplayers. And I say it’s Lunt stealing the thunder. I love the NFL Draft, but OSU naming a quarterback is bigger than where Blackmon and Weeden call home the next few years.
* This is a pick for the future as much as the present. If Lunt holds the job, he will enter the 2013 season as one of the Big 12′s most experienced quarterbacks. OU’s Landry Jones, K-State’s Collin Klein, West Virginia’s Geno Smith and Texas Tech’s Seth Doege all will be seniors in 2012. The Cowboys, defending Big 12 champs, don’t see 2012 as a rebuilding year, but it most definitely is a reloading year. If the Cowboys can position themselves to be fully-geared for 2013, they can live with whatever mistakes Lunt makes as a freshman in 2012.
* Weeden was born in October 1983. Lunt was born in October 1993. Ten years apart, yet a direct handoff of the OSU offense.
* J.W. Walsh absolutely will be a part of the OSU offense in 2012. I expect a substantial short-yardage package for Walsh. That was the only knock on Weeden. The Cowboys weren’t great in short-yardage or goal-line situations with the Weeden spread.
* Clint Chelf has a decision to make. Transfer and play at a smaller school, or stick with it at OSU. You never know when opportunity might come. But even being a career backup at a Big 12 school, with a degree from Oklahoma State and a mighty good name, stands for something.
* Funny, but Gundy’s stated reason for picking a quarterback this spring — so the Cowboys would have an established leader in summer workouts — doesn’t really mesh with this decision. It seems hard to picture the Cowboys rallying around an 18-year-old, at least in the summer. Guys like Shaun Lewis and Lane Taylor and Joseph Randle, be on standby.
* Lunt’s first road game will be Sept. 8 at Arizona. Don’t you know Gundy now wishes OSU had a more severe test for Sept. 1. Savannah State will not come close to replicating what Lunt will see out of Pac-12 athletes.
NFL Draft: Best-case scenarios for Blackmon, Weeden
The NFL Draft is about nine hours away, which means Justin Blackmon quickly will learn his fate. Stay tuned on whether Brandon Weeden does, too. But what are the best- and worst-case scenarios for OSU’s stars? Let’s look.
JUSTIN BLACKMON
Best-case scenario: Minnesota, at No. 3. Aside from the prestige of being the first pick past the two obvious quarterbacks, the Vikings are not a bad place to land for a receiver. Minnesota has a history of showcasing elite receivers, going all the way back to Gene Washington and continuing into the Brett Favre era with Sidney Rice. Christian Ponder actually showed some potential last season as a rookie quarterback.
Next-best scenario: St. Louis, at No. 6. The Rams have a quarterback in Sam Bradford and a desperate need at receiver. Blackmon could catch a ton of balls as a Ram. Of course, the beleaguered Ram offensive line might make it difficult for Bradford and Blackmon to connect.
Intriguing scenario: Carolina, at No. 9. Cam Newton appears to be the real deal at quarterback. Steve Smith is a quality Panther receiver, but he’s not a long-term partner for Newton. Blackmon would be.
Worst-case scenario: Uh, take your pick. Cleveland, I guess, at No. 4. The Browns have quarterback issues. Even if Weeden gets picked by the Browns and becomes Blackmon’s QB, the future isn’t bright. Cleveland is where offensive careers go to die. Not that Tampa Bay, Jacksonville or Miami would be any better. Remember when the Florida schools always had great college quarterbacks? It’s the reverse in the NFL; not a decent quarterback among the three Floridian NFL teams.
BRANDON WEEDEN
Best-case scenario: Cleveland. When you’re just trying to get a chance to play, you don’t get too worried about franchise stability. The Browns very well could give Weeden the chance to win the job. Cleveland stinks, and the weather is lousy, and there are no offensive playmakers within 100 miles of Lake Erie. But if an NFL team is willing to hand you their huddle, you graciously accept and get about the business of becoming the franchise QB.
Next-best scenario: Miami. The Dolphins are a mess; so much of a mess that they seem to want Ryan Tannehill as quarterback. But if the Dolphins don’t get Tannehill, and Weeden slips to the second round, Miami wouldn’t be a bad spot to land. The Dolphins at least have a playmaker (Reggie Bush) and a new coach, Joe Philbin, who has a good track record at quarterback.
Intriguing scenario: San Francisco. The 49ers keep getting mentioned as a team interested in Weeden. Wow. What a potentially sweet spot for Weeden. A great team, with a shaky quarterback (Alex Smith). It’s clear the 49ers aren’t in love with Smith, who got within a whisker of the Super Bowl last season. If the 49ers struggle out of the gate, or Smith gets hurt, or Weeden wows ‘em in training camp, it’s not kooky talk to think Weeden could be quarterbacking a Super Bowl contender in November.
Worst-case scenario: Kansas City. The Chiefs aren’t in love with Matt Cassell, but they aren’t like to bench Cassell in favor of a rookie.
Oklahoma State football: belated post-spring thoughts
Apologize for the delay on one of these types of blogs, folks. I’ve been a little slammed with draft preview coverage.
We covered a ton of angles from the OSU spring finale in Sunday’s and Monday’s papers, but here are some additional random observations that I had from the game, and from the spring in general, that weren’t noted or explained thoroughly in previous stories.
Not shocked we didn’t get a starting quarterback announcement today. It sounds like it might come Thursday. If that’s the case, can I request it happen in the morning? Some of us are covering Justin Blackmon, and possibly Brandon Weeden, getting drafted Thursday night.
J.W. Walsh told me that he didn’t know the finale/game/whatever was going to be “live” (as in tackling) until Saturday morning. “We didn’t know what (the spring finale) was.” None of us did, really. I was under the impression that it was going to be another “thud” scrimmage. Granted, the quarterbacks didn’t get hit unless they took off running, and running plays were often blown dead early. But there was definitely more hitting than I expected.
Have a day, Charlie Moore. As I mentioned in my Monday Insider, I certainly did not expect him to explode for nine catches, 243 yards and three touchdowns. But I was not surprised to see him become a solid target and make some really athletic plays. One of the best plays of the entire spring was a connection between him and Lunt on a 40-50-yardish deep ball in a scrimmage about two weeks ago. Moore ran either a wheel route or a go route down the far sideline. Lunt slightly overthrew the ball, and Moore made a remarkable diving catch in the end zone. I’ve also seen him out-jump defenders on more than one occasion and use his size to snag the ball. I was surprised, however, at his speed on that first touchdown grab. He split the defense and outran a quick secondary on his way to the house. Spring stars don’t always become fall stars, and I still expect Tracy Moore and Josh Stewart to be the Cowboys’ go-to receivers in 2012. But “Chuck” definitely showed this spring that he can contribute.
The defensive linemen have been really good at tipping balls at the line of scrimmage. Part of that could be on the quarterbacks, but you’ve got to have solid awareness and athleticism to get a hand up.
Staying with the defensive line, I thought one overlooked player was Ryan Robinson. He had three tackles (two for loss) and one sack. He’s quick off the edge. Mike Gundy has praised Robinson throughout the spring, saying he’s in so much better shape now and has finally “gotten it” after transferring from junior college a year ago.
I thought we’d see more of Herschel Sims. Running backs coach Jemal Singleton was extremely high on Sims’ development when I spoke to him a couple weeks ago. He had really started to show up in recent scrimmages, displaying some speed to get to the outside and then cut up the sideline. That said, it was a positive sign to see Desmond Roland rip off a big 30-yard run run. OSU is pretty stacked at running back, which will be a big help to whoever wins the starting quarterback job.
Cowboy fans better hope that David Glidden can catch a punt.
One of the most entertaining moments happened after the game. While I was in the middle of a media group around Joseph Randle, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that a couple reporters were talking to new tight end/inside receiver Blake Jackson. Interviews are a big no-no for first-year players—yes, even junior college transfers. It took a couple minutes before an OSU media relations staffer noticed this madness, grabbed Jackson and pushed him away. I think this is a silly rule with how much these kids talk to the press during the recruiting process, but it’s something Gundy is pretty adamant about. This means if Wes Lunt wins the starting QB job, you won’t hear from him all season unless the rule is changed or an exception is made.
Once this starting quarterback decision is made—or the decision is made that they will not yet decide on a starter (see what I did there?)—we’ll head into some down time in the summer months. I might even take a vacation…eventually =)
But until some QB news breaks…
Oklahoma State QB decision may not come Wednesday
Following Oklahoma State’s spring finale on Saturday afternoon, coach Mike Gundy told us about this magical meeting between him and the offensive staff taking place on Wednesday. The topic: quarterbacks. The goal: name a starter going into the summer.
Tonight, Oklahoma State sent out a press release saying this:
“We just want to give you a heads-up that it is not necessarily a given that Oklahoma State will have an update on its quarterbacks tomorrow. If we have something, we will certainly share it with you, but please don’t view it as an absolute that an announcement is coming tomorrow.”
This is something that my partner, John Helsley, and I have heard some rumblings about the last couple days. That certainly doesn’t mean that a starter will not be named tomorrow. And the possibility has always existed that a starter would not be named after the meeting. People change their minds. That statement could also simply mean that an announcement could come, say, Friday instead of Wednesday.
I know Gundy wants to name a starter in the very near future. He said it before practices began last month. He said it at every media availability throughout the spring. He said it Saturday multiple times.
I also know offensive coordinator Todd Monken was more hesitant about this when I spoke to him before the spring began. He didn’t come out and say that the Cowboys weren’t ready to name a starter after the spring finale, but I can’t imagine his feelings have changed much, based on how close this race has been. He did say in March that he for sure wanted to narrow it down to two quarterbacks before fall camp, however.
We’ll have a story in Wednesday’s Oklahoman breaking down what it would mean for the Cowboys if Clint Chelf, J.W. Walsh or Wes Lunt won the job. Or the alternative–if OSU continues the competition into fall camp.
Mike Gundy reflects on his time as a true freshman starting quarterback
In Wednesday’s Oklahoman, I looked back at Mike Gundy’s experience as a true freshman starting quarterback in 1986 and what that means now that he could name true freshman Wes Lunt as the Cowboys’ starter for 2012.
If I had known Gundy would have an impromptu media session following Wednesday’s scrimmage — OSU’s final practice before Saturday’s spring finale — I would have waited until today to write that story. Because Gundy was asked about it that very subject.
The biggest difference between Gundy’s situation and Lunt’s is, obviously, that Lunt arrived on campus for spring practice and Gundy didn’t come until he had to report for fall camp the first week of August.
“I walked off the baseball field (in Texas) in the morning and came up here that night,” Gundy said.
Which means he didn’t have any sort of grasp of Pat Jones’ offense when he arrived at OSU.
“I had no clue,” Gundy said. “I was playing 75 Legion baseball games and worrying more about trying to hit an off-speed pitch than I was anything else. I didn’t think I was going to play (as a freshman) anyway, so I wasn’t really worried about it.”
But he did play, getting inserted at halftime of the Cowboys’ third game against Houston, and was successful as a true freshman starter. He finished the season with 1,525 passing yards and was named the best freshman quarterback in the country by The Sporting News.. After that, he helped lead OSU to a pair of 10-win seasons and became the Big Eight’s all-time leading passer.
Lunt, conversely, will have a clue about OSU’s offense when fall camp begins and has prepared this spring like he’s going to be the starter.
So that presents this question: is Gundy more likely to play Lunt because of his personal success as a true freshman starting quarterback?
“I would guess, if I thought about it, I would say maybe yes,” Gundy said. “But if a freshman’s the best player, then we’re going to play him. I think that we have an obligation to the team, to the seniors, to do that.”
Gundy said that Lunt is more developed than he expected, both physically and mentally. He even said he’s the best freshman passer he’s been around.
But Lunt still has a long way to go to being a big-time college football quarterback, in Gundy’s eyes.
“I don’t even think he’s halfway there,” Gundy said. “The fairest way to put it is, for where he is at in his career, in his age, in his life, he’s further along than what I thought he would have been at this point. I don’t know any other way to say it.
“He’s done really well out here of not being flustered, and that’s part of it. He’s got to learn things happen and don’t get flustered.”
Barry Sanders’ 44 touchdowns will count–eventually
Barry Sanders’ 44 touchdowns scored in 1988 are going to count in Oklahoma State’s records.
It’s just a matter of when.
The OSU media relations staff has begun compiling all bowl statistics, which include five touchdowns for Sanders in the 1988 Holiday Bowl, as part of larger process of digitizing every game school history.
That means inputting all stats — including play-by-play — from old-school, hand-written “game books” into a computer program. OSU media relations director Gavin Lang said Monday that he’s gotten back to the 1987 season, but he had to put the task on hold during spring football because of his other responsibilities during that time. He will start up again once following Saturday’s spring finale, but the OSU records will not be updated until every game has been digitized. Lang isn’t sure he’ll finish by the time the 2012 media guide is released this summer.
The NCAA only recognizes bowl statistics since 2002, which means Sanders will still be tied with Wisconsin running back Montee Ball for most touchdowns scored in a season (39) even after OSU updates its records. Ball reached that mark last season.
Brandon Weeden talking NFL Draft on Dan Patrick’s radio show
Brandon Weeden joined Dan Patrick’s radio show Monday morning to talk about his NFL future with less than two weeks to go before the draft.
I bet you’re shocked that Weeden’s age came up. Other topics included baseball (Ian Stewart gets the nod the as guy Weeden couldn’t get out), Ryan Tannehill, Chris Weinke and if he’d rather face Albert Pujols or the Ravens’ defense. Props to Patrick for asking this really blunt question: who was the best quarterback in the Big 12 last season? And for asking if teammates ever asked Weeden to buy them beer.
You can listen to the full interview here.
Breaking down a reshuffled Oklahoma State receiving corps
One of the biggest questions surrounding Oklahoma State spring practice is who is going to replace Justin Blackmon.
The answer is nobody is going to straight-up fill the gigantic hole left by the two-time Biletnikoff winner. But Tracy Moore and Isaiah Anderson have expressed a strong desire to be that go-to receiver in 2012. That should be expected from a pair of seniors.
But the reality is the Cowboys need to replace multiple receiver roles, not just Blackmon’s. Josh Cooper. Hubert Anyiam (he was healthy for half of the season). Colton Chelf. Michael Harrison.
With just one week of spring practice to go, these are the Cowboys I currently see sliding into those spots. Some of them are based on size/playing style/position. Some are based on production predictions and don’t take position (inside or outside) into account.
Of course, plenty of things can change by September. Six freshmen receivers will arrive in fall camp, and it’s fair to expect one or two to play in their first year. Injuries could happen. Someone could really progress in the summer or camp, or once the season begins.
2011 Justin Blackmon=2012 Tracy Moore
Blackmon’s 2011 stats: 122 catches, 1,522 yards, 18 touchdowns
Again, no one is going to replace the production of Justin Blackmon by themselves. Tracy Moore will not be expected to catch 122 passes and 18 touchdowns. But Kasey Dunn talked last week about how pleased he has been with Moore’s transition into Blackmon’s old spot on the outside. Moore has dropped close to 15 pounds to help with his speed. He’s shown at times he can be a dangerous playmaker—most notably in his performances against Louisiana-Lafayette (seven catches, 112 yards, one touchdown) and Kansas State (nine catches, 146 yards, one touchdown) last season. He called the way he was disciplined in the Fiesta Bowl a big learning experience. He’s a prideful guy, but he needs to channel that into leadership as one of the senior receivers.
2011 Josh Cooper=2012 Josh Stewart
Cooper’s 2011 stats: 71 catches, 715 yards, three touchdowns
I’ve mentioned before that Josh Stewart has arguably been the best offensive player in spring ball, and that still holds true. Last season, Stewart always seemed to make one “wow” play each game, but he was still picking up the offense as a true freshman. He’s smaller than Cooper, but a bit flashier, and should become a reliable option in his second season. He has the awareness to find the open holes in the defense for the catch and then the shifty moves to make potential tacklers miss (the buzz word from Dunn and inside receivers coach Doug Meacham is “twitch”). He’s going to be fun to watch over the next three years.
2011 Hubert Anyiam/Isaiah Anderson=2012 Isaiah Anderson
Anyiam’s 2011 stats: 27 catches, 370 yards, three touchdowns (six games)
Anderson’s 2011 stats: 28 catches, 315 yards, four touchdowns
This one was easy, because he’s really the only guy that has basically the same role as last season. Anderson filled in nicely when Anyiam got hurt, catching 22 passes for 231 yards and one touchdown. But that production will have to increase with the loss of Blackmon. He’s a speedster that could become a bigger vertical threat.
2011 Tracy Moore=2012 Blake Jackson
Moore’s 2011 stats: 45 catches, 672 yards, four touchdowns
Jackson will play attached (on the line of scrimmage) and occasionally block, but his main value as a tight end is, of course, in the passing game. He’s got a big, rock solid body and can make the catches others can’t because of his size and athletic ability. He will be valuable on those short and intermediate routes in the middle of the field and has deceptive speed for his size. But Gundy put it best when he said Jackson “realized it wasn’t junior college” during the Cowboys’ first scrimmage on Monday. He is still trying to learn the offense and has mental lapses from time to time. Still, he is expected to start and make an impact right away.
2011 Colton Chelf=2012 Charlie Moore
Chelf’s 2011 stats: 21 catches, 291 yards
Obviously, these two guys don’t resemble each other at all physically (Chelf is 5-9, 180 pounds and Moore is 6-2, 200). But Moore has had made some plays this spring and could emerge as a solid fourth or fifth option in the passing game. I expect similar production to what Chelf had this season, with the potential for a breakout game depending on how defenses play the Cowboys.
2011 Josh Stewart=2012 Torrance Carr
Stewart’s 2011 stats: 19 catches, 291 yards, two touchdowns
Another receiver who has had a strong spring, Carr is 6-2, 225 pounds but has some speed and athleticism. Like Stewart, he’s sure to go through some growing pains during his first year on the field but should contribute as a backup on the inside.
2011 Charlie Moore=2012 David Glidden
Moore’s 2011 stats: three catches, 56 yards
Again, cannot compare these guys at all when it comes to size, as Glidden is just 5-7, 170. But Meacham talked this week about Glidden’s ability to pick things up quickly and get to the right spot on the field. With Blackmon gone and the catches/yards more spread out, I actually expect Glidden to have much better numbers than Moore did last season as a backup inside receiver.
2011 Michael Harrison=2012 C.J. Curry
Harrison’s 2011 stats: 20 catches, 255 yards, three touchdowns
During Harrison’s two years at OSU, he was regarded as the guy with all the potential. I think Curry, one of the gems of the Cowboys’ 2012 recruiting class, will be thought of in the same way when he arrives for fall camp. In the spring, Kevin Johnson has been Anderson’s backup on the outside. I see Curry eventually taking that spot.
Also look out for: Kevin Johnson, Blake Webb
Weeden or Tannehill? It’s Easy…
Who'd you rather have, this guy, or Brandon Weeden?
By John Helsley
follow on Twitter @jjhelsley
Finally, a voice of reason.
As we near the NFL Draft in two weeks, we’re beginning to see heightened analysis of the prospects. And we’re – finally – starting to see the popular voices side with Brandon Weeden over Ryan Tannehill.
For a superb and detailed take on the subject, check out KC Joyner’s side-by-side comparison at espn.com. The headline couldn’t be more clear or direct: “Weeden is better than Tannehill.”
I’ve been saying this for months, as Tannehill has been rising up draft boards to the point that he’s now under consideration as a top-10 pick.
I’ve got nothing against Tannehill, who by all accounts is a wonderful athlete and has upside as a quarterback. We saw glimpses of that over the past two seasons, once Tannehill took over that job at Texas A&M.
But really, they were only glimpses.
Tannehill was, after all, on the field for A&M’s second-half collapses.
And while Weeden was leading the Cowboys to big wins in major matchups, Tannehill and A&M too frequently faded.
Sure, Tannehill is younger. But he’s not better. And nothing says he’ll ever be better.
And as former NFL quarterback-turned-analyst Trent Dilfer said earlier this week, “(Weeden’s) age (and accrued wisdom) has given him great perspective in life and as a player. Nothing is too big for Weeden and although old in age, he has plenty of time to be a good NFL QB.”
Fans picking uniform combinations: Should Oklahoma State take part?
Tuesday night, Doug Haller, the Arizona State football beat writer at the Arizona Republic tweeted this:
“ASU is considering letting students pick the uniform combos for three home football games. Other three will be set.”
So I ask this question–should OSU consider something similar?
Last season, a select group of players (led heavily by Brandon Weeden) picked every uniform combination the Cowboys wore. But having students/fans play a role in the selection process certainly isn’t unprecedented. For example, Wyoming, another Nike school that debuted new gear last season, allowed fans to vote online for the uniform combination it wore for the season opener.
So let’s have a little fun with this. The home schedule is below. What would you want to see for each game? Keep in mind that the white jersey can only be worn on the road. And no repeats.
Sept. 1 Savannah State
Sept. 15 Louisiana-Lafayette
Sept. 29 Texas
Oct. 20 Iowa State
Oct. 27 TCU
Nov. 10 West Virginia
Nov. 17 Texas Tech
Leave a comment below.
