Oklahoma State is heading into the week with a couple of key defensive questions hanging over it, and the Cowboys may have to keep their contingency plans ready for Saturday’s matchup with Kansas State.
Linebacker Tate Romney and defensive end Jaleel Johnson both left Saturday’s game against Iowa State dealing with injuries, and head coach Eric Morris said Tuesday that Oklahoma State is hopeful both players can suit up this week. If that optimism holds, the pair figures to show up on the Cowboys’ player availability report all week.
Romney has been the anchor at MIKE linebacker all season, and his production has backed that up. He’s already piled up a career-high 61 tackles to go with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He entered the year with 52 tackles in 2023 at Arizona State, and he finished the Iowa State game with nine tackles.
If Romney can’t go, Oklahoma State has a few options, though one looks more likely than the others. Taurean Davis sits directly behind him on the depth chart, but he has not started this season and has only one tackle.
The more likely move would be sliding Isaiah Chisom into a bigger role. Chisom is listed as the starter at will linebacker, though he doesn’t start because of OSU’s 4-2-5 alignment.
He has 42 tackles this season, along with Romney and SAM linebacker Ethan Wesloski.
Johnson’s situation is a little murkier. The fifth-year Cowboy has 16 tackles and two sacks, and he was named a starter coming out of fall camp after missing several games last year with an injury. Late in the Iowa State game, he had his arm in a sling.
That detail matters, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Safety Quinton Hammonds had his arm in a sling late in the Colorado game and still played against Iowa State, so it’s not clear whether Johnson’s issue is similar or how serious it is.
If Johnson is unavailable, Oklahoma State has a couple of names it can turn to. Malik Charles has logged meaningful backup snaps and brings 15 tackles, 3.5 sacks and an interception.
Keviyan Huddleston, who started the only game Johnson missed, is another possibility and could make his second start of the season depending on the matchup. Huddleston has 17 tackles and a sack.
On offense, the Cowboys are also likely to be without tight end Carson Kolb for a little while longer. Morris essentially ruled out the redshirt sophomore on Tuesday after Kolb injured his left foot against Colorado and missed the Iowa State game. Morris said it “wouldn’t be this weekend” for Kolb’s return and added that he would probably need another week or two.
With Kolb out, Oscar Hammond handled most of the tight end snaps against the Cyclones and caught one pass. Hammond transferred from North Texas last year but did not play because of an injury. Before that game, Morris described him as the team’s best downfield threat at tight end.
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Wyatt Young Now Faces One Oklahoma State Question After Painful Loss
Wyatt Young turned in one of the better performances of the night for Oklahoma State against Iowa State, hauling in seven catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns. But the wide receivers outing was overshadowed by a late unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that became a costly part of a painful loss, the kind of mistake that lingers long after the final whistle when the margin is so thin.
Young apologized publicly after the game and also made sure to do the same privately with his coach and teammates. Now the focus shifts to how Eric Morris handles it from here, with the head coach confirming that some form of punishment is coming as Oklahoma State tries to move on from a defeat made even harder to stomach by what happened in the closing moments. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Just Showed A Promising Answer At Point Guard
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The more intriguing development came at point guard, where sophomore Jacob Walker stepped into a bigger role with senior Kanye Clary unavailable. Walker handled the offense well in his Oklahoma State debut and gave the Cowboys a workable answer in a spot that had been a question entering the night, leaving the staff with something to evaluate as the schedule gets more demanding. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma States Defense Has A Problem Fans Cant Ignore
A defense that had looked steady earlier in the season suddenly found itself dealing with the kind of breakdowns that can unravel a game in a hurry. Linebacker Ethan Wesloski acknowledged communication issues on the field, and head coach Eric Morris said Skyler Cassitys unit simply was not getting the stops it had been getting before, especially when it came to getting off the field on third down.
For Oklahoma State, that matters beyond one rough stretch because the Big 12 leaves little room for a defense to lose its edge. The Cowboys have leaned on that side of the ball to stay competitive, but when the dialogue between players and coaches gets shaky, the margin gets thinner fast and the questions around individual performances only get louder. [Read more 🡒]