Oklahoma State’s safety room is one of the more crowded spots on the roster, but it’s also one of the most unsettled. The Cowboys are heading into fall camp with turnover all over the place, and that’s especially true on the back end of the defense.
Only three players in the group have already logged time at OSU. Everyone else is either a transfer or a true freshman, which gives the room a very different look under new head coach Eric Morris and defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity. Cassity, one of the youngest coordinators in Division I, inherits the task of helping fix a defense that ranked among college football’s worst a year ago.
There’s no shortage of bodies to work with. Oklahoma State will bring 14 safeties into camp, and that number makes sense in Cassity’s 4-2-5 system, which uses three safeties on the field.
Some of those players could also get work at cornerback, where the roster is thinner with only eight players. That opens the door for a few more names to push for snaps if they don’t crack the two-deep at safety.
The good news for the Cowboys is that this group comes with real college experience. Just three of the 14 are freshmen, and only two - Braeden Presley and Hunter Trusler - are true freshmen. Twelve of the 14 were in college football last season, even if some were redshirted, so this isn’t a room starting from scratch.
The strongest connection in the group runs through North Texas, where Quentin Hammonds and Evan Jackson both look like projected starters. Both fit the scheme well and both produced last season.
Hammonds posted 53 tackles, including five tackles for loss and a sack, and he was named a Bronco Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week after intercepting two passes against Navy. Jackson added 45 tackles, two pass breakups and two interceptions.
Those are the kind of numbers that give Cassity players he can trust.
Vincent Holmes, who came over from Washington, looks like another candidate to factor in. He didn’t start much there, which leaves him with a real chance to carve out a bigger role in Stillwater. Liberty transfer Christian Bodnar adds another experienced option after finishing last season with 44 tackles, two sacks and two pass breakups.
That gives Oklahoma State a few different paths at the position. Hammonds, Jackson and Bodnar all have the look of players who can make a real impact, while Holmes has a shot to turn a fresh opportunity into steady playing time.
Then there’s Braeden Presley, one of the freshmen who could force his way into the conversation quickly. The in-state Bixby product is listed at safety, but his background says he can do a lot more than line up in one spot. At Bixby, he played defensive back, wide receiver and returner, and he finished his prep career with 2,219 all-purpose yards.
On defense, Presley piled up 82 total tackles, nine interceptions, 21 pass breakups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, two pick sixes and a fumble return touchdown. That kind of versatility makes him a fascinating piece for this roster. Cassity may want to keep him at safety, but Morris could have reasons to use him in other ways too.
For now, the simplest path may be the best one. Presley is a true freshman, and the college transition is hard enough without asking him to master too many roles at once. Oklahoma State would be smart to keep the adjustment manageable and let him focus on the spot where he can help fastest.
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