Different Experiences for Oklahoma State Foursome at Senior Bowl as Practices Conclude
STILLWATER – The final day of practice at the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl are in the books and the there are three Cowboys feeling the trip to Mobile was a success. Yes, the game is on Saturday, but the practices in front of coaches and scouts and conducted by NFL coaches are a major part of the experience.
One Oklahoma State player saw only limited reps on Thursday (Jan. 30) after getting virtually no reps in on Wednesday’s practice. Oklahoma State defensive end Collin Oliver came to Mobile, Ala. and the Senior Bowl in good health coming off an early season foot injury suffered against Arkansas. Oliver had surgery and missed the final 10 games of the season. In Tuesday’s first practice he got in some reps in the one-on-one offensive line vs. defensive line drills, but he tweaked something in his left leg.
Our good friend Charles Davis of CBS Sports and the NFL Network is one of the primary broadcasters for the Senior Bowl week including Saturday’s game. “He came out on Thursday with a heavy wrap and tape job on his left leg, thigh or hamstring issue it seems,” Davis text me. I asked and hopefully will find out more later today (Thursday).”
Oliver did try to go in some reps in the team drills. Thursday was primarily work on the red zone offense and defense. We saw Oliver out there but he did not make any plays. Red zone work is more difficult for pass rush and edge players as the ball is almost always out of the quarterback’s hand more quickly in that are of the field.
It was obvious that with Oliver and one other defensive end appearing to be injured or limited that several players were getting added reps and the NFL Network broadcast crew pointed that out.
As for the other players from Oklahoma State it was a good week that only kept getting better especially for linebacker Nick Martin and safety Trey Rucker. One slight concern on Martin. He was wearing an extra white shell over his regular Oklahoma State helmet. It made him harder to identify and not being able to see the brand logo. The extra shell is used by some players in the NFL. It is usually used for players with previous concussion history or players that hit and appear to be prone to a concussion. Martin is a player that would qualify on the latter. Although this week there has been no contact and all team drills have been tag or thud.
Trey Rucker was out there for the first unit in team drills and after missing the first few reps, Martin was there with that same defensive unit and Rucker. Watching Martin playing inside linebacker, in both 4-3 and 3-4 fronts, and in some situations with Rucker at free safety, seeing them play off each other reminded me of what the Oklahoma State defense was missing this season.
“Speed, speed, speed,” the NFL Network’s Charles Davis said when asked by his broadcat partners what Martin brought to the defense in the practices. “He gets to plays, and yes, he runs around blocks, and some people don’t want you doing that because it destroys the integrity of the defense, but Martin gets there so fast that it doesn’t matter.”
NFL Draft expert Daniel Jeremiah added, “I think Martin is a spy linebacker and you can have him stand in the middle and then when he goes, he’ll dance with the quarterback. That league (Big 12) he played in is a space and speed conference.”
Rucker, again got in on a lot of reps in the one-on-one drills. Those were red zone work as well. Oregon’s Tez Johnson got Rucker on one play, but it was fun to see Rucker cover Miami, Fla. slot Xavier Restrepo to the sideline and force an incompletion. Rucker has had good rivalry going with all of the Miami players including ultra talented tight end Elijah Arroyo.
Rucker certainly showed his predominant trait of physicality. On a run play as he came up for support, Rucker flattened receiver Kyle Williams of Washington State when he tried to block him. Rucker showed the ability in the red zone team work to play both zone and man coverage and handle correctly his responsibility. Honestly, he never gave up a reception. The closest he came was when the Virginia Tech tandem of Da'Quan Felton and Jaylin Lane ran a rub concept route, but it was the player that went opposite of Rucker that caught the ball.
Finally, Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II was making friends and was getting the job done. He did have one bad look as he got beat bad in pass pro drill by Utah linebacker Karene
Reid. In team drills, Gordon did not get an overabundance of reps, but he did score on a red zone run. He also got first reps. which is a good sign. The announcers had a projection or prediction.
“He is on the shortlist of MVP candidates for the game,” Jeremiah said. “he has size, ability,a nd he makes one defender miss or break a tackle then he is capable of going all the way.”
Gordon, as always, at Oklahoma State was enthusiastic. I guarantee that National squad head coach Mike Kafka knows Gordon well.