Day One of Oklahoma State Fall Camp Toasty but Smooth

STILLWATER – Rome was not built in a day, and Division I, Power Four college football teams aren’t either. The first day of Oklahoma State football fall camp was good. Because this is the last week of summer school, and there are exams and other important academic requirements going on, after breakfast each morning, which is mandatory for staff and players, the players focus on academics. The team meets for the first time at 1 p.m. and then breaks off into offense, defense, some special teams and individual position meetings. Practice stared just before 3 p.m. with stretch and went until 4:30 with a post-practice walk-thru tagged to it. 

Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Team gathers up after the stretch to start practice.

The practice on Monday was your fairly typical first day. Helmets, spider pads, jerseys, and shorts were the dress, and it will remain that way tomorrow. Shoulder pads will be added on Wednesday. 

Special teams work with punt and punt return. Lots of individual drills. I like the defense going with station drills for lots of work on fundamentals. From there, the offense and defense got together with some group drills. The competition was good with both pass pro/pass rush and some seven-on-seven. 

With the linemen, I was curious to see the newcomers on offense in Markell Samuel (Appalachian State), Bob Schick (Virginia Tech), and Grant Seagren (Nebraska). On the defensive side De’Marion Thomas (Vanderbilt), Wendell Gregory (South Carolina), Taje McCoy (Colorado), Sitiveni Havili Kaufusi (UCLA-held out of spring), and the return full speed of Armstrong Nnodim. 

Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Hejny is pass drill.

Nobody earned a starting position, and rotation was present at just about every position. We saw Hauss Hejny, Zane Flores, Banks Bowen, and even some Mason Schubert at quarterback. I was asked if I could ever remember when all of the quarterbacks on the Oklahoma State roster were freshmen. Honestly, I don’t think that has ever happened. Hejny and Flores are listed as redshirt freshmen. Hejny played in four games and kept the redshirt last season at TCU. In his third season, Flores has yet to play and with his injury last season was able to get a waiver from the NCAA for redshirt freshman status. Bowen was at Tulsa last spring as an early arriving freshman and Schbert is also a true freshman from Stillwater. 

Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Kalib Hicks on day one.

There was some 11-on-11 work. If you were looking for hero, running back Kalib Hicks had a good day catching the ball and running, but remember this is the first day. It is not full speed and full contact. I can concur that Hicks looked good doing those things in the spring. Hicks is also an example as are many of the Cowboys that Rob Glass and his staff did their job well over the summer in coaching these players, old and new, into being in good shape. 

The work today, a lot of it, was done on the grass practices fields outside. Being on grass helps the temperature, but being outside in the sun in the afternoon can be a body stresser. The players hydrated, seemed to handle it well and that is another sign of being in good shape. 

Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Royal Capell (11) in practice on day one.

Other freshmen looked good as well. Running back D.J. Dugar Jr. (No. 22) is a good-looking athlete, but it was a freshman who was here for spring football I truly think has the best possibility to make it to playing time first. Royal Capell may be on special teams, or it could be with some duty at receiver. A slot receiver initially, he was also coached on playing outside too.

Speaking of outside, I was talking with Dave Hunziker, and he did a lot of interviews on the team media day a little over a week ago and was impressed with so many, but he likes the new outside receivers in Christian Fitzpatrick (Marshall), Terrill Davis (UCO DII All-American) and Cameron Abshire (Emory and Henry DII All-American). 

Another position we’ve given applause to, and want to continue to, is the tight ends, from Josh Ford and Quinton Stewart to the new guys from spring in Will Monney and Oscar Hammond, they are a good-looking position group.

Practices stay in the afternoon with close to a 3 p.m. start on Tuesday and Wednesday before the first off day of fall camp on Thursday.