Quinton Hammonds’ availability is the biggest question hanging over Oklahoma State heading into Saturday’s game at Iowa State, while Carson Kolb has already been ruled out.
The initial player availability report listed Hammonds, the Cowboys’ starting safety, as questionable. Kolb, OSU’s starting tight end, was marked out after both players were hurt in last week’s 57-24 win over Colorado.
Hammonds’ potential absence would sting. Even after missing essentially an entire half against Colorado, he still leads Oklahoma State defenders in snaps by 28, according to PFF. That matters even more now that the Cowboys are already without Mose Phillips, another starting safety, who was lost to injury in the UCF game.
“Q, hoping to get him, I mean, hopefully, he can work back into it this week,” Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris said Tuesday. “I mean, we’ll see kind of how the week goes right now as that stuff all comes out, but hopeful that we can get Q back.”
When Hammonds left the Colorado game, Evan Jackson and Cameron Epps handled safety duties for the Cowboys.
Kolb’s injury is another hit to a thin spot. He has been Oklahoma State’s primary tight end so far this season and has played 370 snaps. The next closest OSU tight end, Morgan McPhaul, has 67.
The Cowboys had already been working Oscar Hammond into the mix, and he got a season-high 38 snaps against Colorado. That came in a game where Hammond also recorded his first catch of the season, a 15-yard gain.
Hammond arrived at Oklahoma State before last season after transferring from Morris and North Texas, but an injury in preseason wiped out his year before his old coach ended up taking the OSU job.
There were a few other names on the report as well. Landon Dean was listed as questionable after missing the past three games, freshman receiver Dayvon Standard was also questionable, and defensive end Malik Charles was probable. Starting left guard Johnny Dickson, who also exited Saturday’s game with an injury, was not listed on the report.
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