Camp Countdown Day -8: Important Dates and Look for New Names and Faces at Edge
STILLWATER – This is the last Sunday where the Oklahoma State Cowboy football team has it all for themselves. Next Sunday is report day and that means check in. There will be plenty of lines to get in, one to pick up the itinerary, another to pick up Gatorade and supplies, another to make sure all of the their equipment is checked out and fitted properly, there is one to measure ring size, and still others to check off. There will be a team meeting and a welcome back dinner. Practice starts on Monday, July 28.
If you were out and about on this Sunday, July 20, then you know how hot it is. My truck registered 104 degrees on my way to an afternoon workout at the Mitch Park YMCA. The high next Sunday in Stillwater is supposed to hit 100. That next week the temperature is set to stay pretty consistent. Practices will be in the morning as they have been for the past years as far as I can remember.
Classes begin on Monday, Aug. 18 and practices will shift to the afternoon. If the weather is extreme as in extreme heat then those practice times could be adjusted.
Important Dates for Fall Camp
Thursday, July 24 - All Staff back in office
Sunday, July 27 - Report Day for all players
Monday, July 28 - First Practice of Fall Camp
Friday, Aug. 1 - First Practice in Pads and Start of Extreme Camp
Saturday, Aug. 2 - Media Day
Monday, Aug. 18 - First Day of Classes
Saturday, Aug. 23 - Start of Game Week Practices
Thursday, Aug. 28 - Season Opener hosting UT-Martin
For our position preview we’re going to the edge position. This is outside linebacker/edge and in the spring it was West Georgia transfer Malik Charles that played that a bunch and really excelled. Charles has seen his weight jump up to close to 290 pounds from the 255 that he reported at. He was over 280 pounds by the end of spring and has worked this summer back to that. Charles is a freak athlete for his size and around 12 percent body fat, even at close to 290. He can run and make plays but that could be at defensive end if he stays big.
Two transfers have received multiple good reports to this reporter as former Putnam City edge player and a strong contributor last season at Colorado, Taje McCoy is ready. He had 23 tackles, four tackles-for-loss and four sacks last season for the Buffaloes. The 6-3, 245 pound McCoy is explosive and highly-motivated.
The other transfer getting good comps from the summer is former four-star recruit Wendell Gregory from South Carolina. A hard worker, the 6-3, 255 pound Gregory from Marietta, Ga. moved to Stillwater early in May, so he could begin working out early and spending time in the coaches offices to jump on learning Todd Grantham’s defense and his position.
Hard-hitting redshirt soph. Poasa Utu (6-0, 230) and redshirt freshman Temerrick Johnson (6-2, 230) are also determined to be in the mix. Finally, former elite recruit ChandavianBradley, who bounced from Tennessee to Hutchinson C.C. where he helped the Dragons to an NJCAA National Championship is starting to get the hang of the position. Bradley (6-4, 240) has elite athletic ability.
Talking with Grantham this summer. He likes his group, but if Charles has to move to defensive end that could see an end, likely Jaleel Johnson work some at the OLB/Edge.
This will be a position to watch in fall camp and I predict it will be a strong position, it has to be, for the Oklahoma State defense.
