Format not yet decided for OSU’s spring football game

COWBOYS JOURNAL

Oklahoma State will take the field at Boone Pickens Stadium on April 16 for its annual spring game.

However, it’s not yet clear whether the Cowboys will play an actual game as a slew of minor injuries has coach questioning if it makes sense to stick with tradition.

“If you lose a couple guys with tweaked ankles or (hamstrings) or such,” Gundy said, “then you’re somewhat limited in what we can do in a game atmosphere.”

The good news is those injured players are expected to be full-go by summer workouts. A few notable examples? Kicker is recovering from offseason surgery. Cornerback

and defensive tackle have also dealt with spring injuries. Several more Cowboys are reportedly banged up, too.

It’s a situation OSU similarly faced in 2014, when it held an “Orange Blitz” event that featured positional work, one-on-one drills and a scrimmage period instead of a game with kept score. An influx of youth paired with an ongoing quarterback derby were mostly to blame. This time around, overall health might be the culprit.

“We want to put on the best show we can for our fans,” Gundy said. “I would love to split teams and have a game. But if we don’t feel like we can execute enough to where the crowd would enjoy the game, then we’ll come up with some other format.”

RECEIVERS AIM TO IMPROVE YARDS AFTER CATCH

OSU’s offense is once again headlined by a deep receiving corps with the return of all but one starter from a year ago. The focus for improvement this spring? “We’ve worked hard on run after catch,” receivers coach said.

SPRING GAME INFORMATION

• 1 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at Boone Pickens Stadium • Free admission • Gates open at noon with seating available only on the south side (club and suite seating not available) • Fan entrances are located on the south side of the stadium • Concession stands will be open • Normal stadium policies will be applied • Fans are permitted field access after the game following a public address announcement to interact with players with access from the ramp behind the east end zone and stairs from the 50-yard line.

The Cowboys were plenty efficient in the explosive passing game last season, recording 72 receptions of 20 yards or longer. Another offseason working with starting quarterback

will undoubtedly aid in that production behind the deep-threat potential of and

“The run after catch, right now there’s an emphasis for us to take even balls that we catch in one-on-one and put them in the end zone and turn that into even a one-on-one tackling drill,” Dunn said. “I’m talking about oneon-one against our defensive backs in a pass situation.”

However, improving yards after catch average requires improvement from Cowboys who aren’t on the receiving end, too.

“I think the blocking really came along midway through the season last year,” Dunn said. “We were able to get on defenders and stick on them and keep them out of the mix, so I think we’ve fixed that.”

MISSISSIPPI PREP QUARTERBACK VISITS OSU

OSU was visited by a 2017 quarterback prospect from a region not traditionally known as a recruiting hotbed for the Cowboys.

— a 6-foot-3, 180-pound, pro-style passer from St. Stanislaus (Miss.) — traveled to Stillwater on Friday to watch OSU’s spring scrimmage, where offensive coordinator

explained why he was interested in Brennan.

“(Yurcich) said it’s very rare for him to get out of his comfort zone in recruiting, but he said he’d do whatever he has to do to get the right (quarterback),” Brennan told The Sun Herald newspaper. “We talked a lot and he said I fit the program really well. He loves me, my quick release, pocket awareness. He said all of that is why he came down to South Mississippi.

“He said he’s going to do whatever he has to do to find the quarterback who fits their program perfectly.”

Over his past two seasons, Brennan reportedly tallied a 66.7 completion percentage for 11,045 passing yards and 17 touchdowns. Although he has yet to receive an offer from OSU, Brennan has more than a dozen scholarship opportunities — including California, Kentucky, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Vanderbilt. Brennan is rated as a three-star prospect by 24/7 Sports.

OSU currently has one quarterback committed in its 2017 class: of Fort Worth South Hills (Texas).