Mason Cobb Has Some Big Shoes to Fill This Fall

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State has been blessed the past couple of seasons with some of the best linebacker play its seen in several years.

The combination of Amen Ogbongbemiga, Devin Harper and Malcolm Rodriguez the past three seasons recorded a combined 655 total tackles. They also combined for 25 sacks for a loss of 150 yards, 70 tackles for loss (328 yards), 46 quarterback hurries, 11 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries, 10 pass break ups and four interceptions.

And those numbers are with two less games played during the 2020 season.

Harper more than made up for the loss of Ogbongbemiga but having Rodriguez roaming around out there made things much easier. Now, the coaching staff will have to replace both Harper and Rodriguez, both of which will most likely be joining Ogbongbemiga in the NFL in the fall.

So, who’s next in line to fill the shoes? Mason Cobb.

“He should give us some quality work in the first game,” Mike Gundy said of Mason Cobb. “He’s close to 225-pounds now and he runs well and he’s a physical player. Seems to have some natural ability, some natural savvy to be in the right place at the right time. I’ve noticed him running around in practice and he’s been here long enough now to where he understands the maturity it takes to practice at a high level to get ready to play in a game.”

Cobb is entering his third year in Stillwater and has learned from three very talented linebackers during his first two seasons on campus. He played in all 14 games last season, recorded 10 total tackles, including one for a loss. That’s compared to just five games during the 2020 season where he recorded two tackles, including one for a loss.

Much like the duo of Harper and Ogbongbemiga, it’s not a trio since Rodriguez played every year, Cobb also had the luxury of sitting out and learning how to play the game at this level and develop his body before being thrust into the action.

If you think about the improvements of both Harper and Ogbongbemiga from their first few years to their last few years, it has to give you some hope about Cobb. At least Gundy certainly thinks so.

“It’s been a blessing for those guys that they didn’t have to play too early in their career; it keeps them healthy,” Gundy said of Amen Ogbongbemiga and Devin Harper. “So, [Mason Cobb’s] had the luxury of developing in our system for a couple of years. Sometimes we don’t have that luxury anymore with players that go out early in their career and that’s when they’re at risk to be injured, because their bodies just aren’t ready to play at this level. As we all know, there’s a considerable difference between a 22 and 23-year-old male, than there is an 18 or 19-year-old male, particularly the ones that are training in Division 1 football programs like this. So, it was an advantage for him to be under those guys for a couple of years.

“He’s been here a couple of years and he’s starting to mature.”

It’s hard to glean information on how a player’s going to be in the fall based on how he’s performing during Spring Football or the Spring Game/practice. However, we’ll get our first true look at Cobb’s development when the Cowboys kick the season off on Sept. 1 against Central Michigan.