Competition is everywhere in Stillwater right now, but Oklahoma State does have a couple of spots that already look settled.
With Eric Morris taking over, nearly 90 new transfers arriving and last season’s 1-11 record hanging over the program, fall camp has turned into an open fight at most positions. Quarterback is set with Drew Mestemaker.
Running back has Caleb Hawkins, even if other backs will still get work. Wyatt Young appears locked in at wide receiver, and holdover cornerback LaDainian Fields should also be comfortable.
Beyond that, Morris is treating just about everything as a battle.
But when he was asked this week about the jobs at punter and placekicker, the answer was pretty clear.
Oklahoma State’s punter spot belongs to Lachie Pozzobon, an Australia native who handled the job at Stephen F. Austin last season. He helped the Lumberjacks reach the FCS playoffs and earned Football Central All-American honors after averaging 41.8 yards per punt, putting 17 kicks inside the opponent’s 20 and sending six punts at least 50 yards.
The only other punter on the roster is Nate Ost, a transfer from Robert Morris who is more likely to serve as the holder on extra points and field goals. That was his role last year, and he does not have a collegiate punt on his resume.
“Paz is a guy that that's established himself right now as our number one punter,” Morris said.
The same kind of clarity exists at kicker, where former SMU kicker Sam Keltner has taken control. He led the Mustangs with 78 points last season, going 36-for-38 on extra points and 14-for-20 on field goals, with a long of 51 yards. Six of his made field goals came from 40 yards or beyond.
OSU does have other options in redshirt junior Joseph Kim, who played at Central Oklahoma last season after previously being at Houston, and freshman Gabe Pendyala. Still, Kim is clearly behind Keltner.
“Sam is a guy that we feel really confident in,” Morris said. “He’s been super accurate throughout the spring. I mean, we chart so many of those things, it's easy to see.”
For a roster that’s crowded with uncertainty, it’s at least easy for Oklahoma State to point to two places where the depth chart doesn’t need much debate.
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