Mike Gundy Updates Spring Finale Format
*The Pokes Report Premium Subscriber event with Collin Oliver has been moved to 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Bad Brad’s following the Spring Finale on April 23
STILLWATER – It’s been no surprise Oklahoma State Cowboy football has dealt with depth issues on the offensive line throughout the offseason and the spring.
Well, because of it there’s been a slight adjustment to the format of Oklahoma State’s Spring Finale this coming Saturday.
Cowboy head coach Mike Gundy announced on Monday the Pokes will be holding a full practice on April 23, with a little bit of a thud offense vs. defense session towards the end, rather than a traditional 11-on-11 Spring Game.
“We’ll have a full practice; we’ll have individual drills, we’ll have some 7-on-7, we’ll have some inside drill,” said coach Mike Gundy. “We’ll have a team thud period, which would be just like a spring game with the exception it’ll be just offense versus defense. That way if we have to rotate linemen in, we have them available on that particular sideline.”
Despite their not being a full 11-on-11, Cowboy fans will get a look at the new-look offensive and defensive units during the thud session. How are Korie Black and Jabbar Muhammad are fitting into their new starting roles, how Trace Ford looks out there with Collin Oliver, Brock Martin and Tyler Lacy after having missed the 2021 season due to a knee injury.
Receiver Braydon Johnson is back out on the field after having missed last season due to an undisclosed illness, plus fans will get to see how the young receivers from last year are improving.
They’ll also get a chance to see what the new freshmen look like. Guys like running back Ollie Gordon, quarterback Garret Rangel and receiver Talyn Shettron.
“Not really, just everybody; they’re all getting good reps,” Gundy said of who he wants to see on Saturday. “The young guys are getting quality work, they’re practicing hard. I feel good about our concepts, our schemes. I feel good about our coaches, feel good about our adjustments with coach [Derek] Mason; the players are getting to know those guys. So, we’ve had a really good spring, I just wish we had 12 linemen and we could go with six on each side and play a game, but we just don’t have that luxury at this time.”
Gundy was asked if the OL depth this spring was worrisome moving forward as they have four starting offensive linemen out right now with medical issues. “We will have 25 offensive linemen in August, so we’ll be just fine. We just don’t have them right now,” said coach Gundy.