Sione Asi and Mike Gundy on Practice and Coach Mason plus Recruiting
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State finished practice No. 6 on Friday as they went close to two and a half hours, and it ended with a long physical set of team periods. The offensive line has earned their rest for this weekend.
“We know those offensive linemen are having to run around and work hard,” head coach Mike Gundy said. “They have to suck it up and get it done and they are.”
The Cowboys, as they have all week, got in a lot of full 11-vs-11 snaps. It was a mixed back of highlights. Among the most explosive offensive plays were long scoring passes from Spencer Sanders to Braydon Johnson and from Gunnar Gundy to Rashod Owens. Sanders also unloaded a pass to Braden Presley in the back of the end zone for a score. Gundy had a quick toss to Langston Anderson for a score.
The defense had highights too. Jabbar Muhammad at corner picked off a pass in team. Safety Kendal Daniels, who has had twp picks he has scored on, had one today in his hands that he did not hold onto.
There is good on both sides of the ball and some things that need to be corrected.
Two weeks in the books and I can tell you three things clearly about new Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive coordinator Derek Mason.
1. Mason has shown imagination and has shown some interesting, fun wrinkles to the defense.
2. The veteran coach connects with both players and fellow coaches and raises the energy level of practice.
3. As promised, Mason is not just a teacher. He is a student and has shown the talent of listening and adapting to ideas from fellow coaches and listens to players as well.
“I like his enthusiasm, and you can see him right now he is very vocal,” head coach Mike Gundy said. “I think the players migrate toward him. They like him and I was hoping his experience as a head coach and a long-time coordinator would work in our advantage. I think that is happening. Do I know for sure? No, but I think it is.”
It is easy to see the exchange between Mason and the defensive backs and even the linebackers, but defensive line maybe not as much. He has been to their drills and watched them work to. Defensive backs and linebackers are more second nature for the former cornerback that has spent more time coaching defensive backs and receivers on offense when it comes to being a position coach.
It is a positive that defensive linemen, like starting nose and veteran red-shirt senior Sione Asi sees it.
“Coach Mason, he brings a different energy than our past defensive coordinator ((Jim Knowles), Asi said leaving out the primary detail which would be tone and language. “It’s actually exciting because he is like a people person. He really cares about us as people and I think that is huge on our part. Everyone is buying in and wants to buy in.”
Asi said it was a change and a positive from the first meeting. Mason met with the defense within 48 hours of being hired. He flew into Stillwater and met with the team as soon as he could.
“When he first got here, he sat down and leveled with us,” Asi continued on Mason. “He told us that he is here for us and made us want to commit with the energy that he brought.”
I’ve always been a big fan of Asi, who came to Oklahoma State after playing at Snow Community College in Salt Lake City. The Reno, Nev. native is 6-1, 310-pounds and was the Defensive MVP in the Graphic Edge Bowl for the Badgers. At Oklahoma State he has career 20 tackle, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, and 1.5 sacks in 27 games played. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but Asi is a classic nose that eats up a double team and works to free up teammates to make plays. He understands team and as a young man from a culture that promotes the virtues of family, he now understands that better than ever.
“I have a little one, a little girl and I don’t go out anymore,” Asi kind of laughed. “I’m really just with my family. I’m a dad and I had to get used to it early. I’m learning new things and how you look at life, I guess. That is where you will find me on my free time with my family.”
Actually, his free time and his practice time both. Different families but I think all would agree including Coach Mason, family. He’ll have free time this weekend as the Cowboys won’t practice again until Monday and the seventh practice of the spring.
There were a bunch of recruits and some recruited walk-ons for next season in attendance for the Friday practice. Among the headliners was Manor, Texas four-star running back Quinten Joyner. Joyner has offers from a bunch of schools including Oklahoma State and USC, where he is flying to make an unofficial visit tomorrow. He also has offers from Arkansas, Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, SMU, TCU, UTSA, and Vanderbilt.
The 5-10, 190-pound Joyner rushed for 2,494-yards and 31 touchdowns on 223 carries as a junior for the Mustangs. He was Class 5A All-State according to the Texas Sportswriters Association and he was the MVP in District 11-5A-1. He has a 10.99 in the 100 meters in track. He looks the part and was there with family.
Ricky Lolohea of Euless Trinity is a 2023 defensive lineman that Oklahoma State, North Texas, Texas Tech, and Louisiana-Monroe have all offered. He is 6-4, 250 pounds and was first-team All-District 3-6A-1 last season. Lolohea had 20 tackles.
Parker Andrews is another defensive end prospect in the 2023 class from Norman North. He is 6-4, 225-pounds and last season had 40 tackles, two sacks, and an interception for the Timberwolves. He was at the practice with family as well.
Finally, Ezra Ballinger is a 2024 offensive line prospect and he is already 6-5, 255-pounds. He plays for NOAH in Tulsa and his father is the head coach for the home school organization’s team. Ballinger definitely looks like a player to keep an eye on and his video is impressive.
Among the preferred walk-ons attending practice. Edmond Deer Creek offensive tackle Matthew Wade was back with his father. Wade was there Wednesday and he is a very good looking player.
Eli Cordy is a state wrestling champion from Edmond Memorial High School. Jenny Carlson of The Oklahoman wrote an interesting feature on how Cordy came to be a Cowboy walk-on. He is a wrestler that got involved in football and loves it. He was born into a “Sooner” family as far as fandom and Bedlam preference but became enamored with Oklahoma State.
Harrison Dempsey is an outside linebacker out of Gainesville, Texas that was a District 4-4A-1 All-District defensive utility pick.