QB limitations guided Gundy’s plan
With backup quarterback Keondre Wudtee in the distance, wearing his green jersey and a black sling over his left shoulder on Wednesday afternoon, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy explained his plan for the football portion of Saturday’s spring game activities.
Because he has only two scholarship quarterbacks available — first-teamer Taylor Cornelius and backup John Kolar — Gundy opted for more of a practice-like scrimmage over the typical game setting. It will be more beneficial for the players, and likely more entertaining for the fans, because the offense and defense will pit their first-team units against each other for a significant portion of the day, rather than splitting the best players among two teams.
“I know a lot of people like a game, but the setting that we’ll have will be very similar to what we’ve used on Fridays (for scrimmages) over the last two or three weeks” Gundy said. “It just makes the most sense to go out and get some quality work for us, and it gives the fans the best chance to see our players in a role that they would be playing in the fall.”
Some special teamers will get involved, with punting and field goals as part of the action. Wudtee has a bruised “shoulder/sternum area,” according to Gundy, which has kept him out the last few practices. The spring game is set to kick off at 1 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium. Fan activities begin as early at 8:30 a.m. outside the stadium, and fans will be allowed on the field for 45 minutes after the game ends.
Cowboys excited to see ex-teammates go in draft
Cornelius can say he was technically roommates with two of the top prospects in the NFL Draft.
Cornelius, who shared a quarterback room with Mason Rudolph the past four seasons and actually shares a house with James Washington, will be among the Oklahoma State football players excitedly watching the NFL Draft to see when their former teammates get taken. The draft’s first round is Thursday, with the second and third rounds Friday and the final four rounds Saturday.
“I can’t wait for all those guys to go,” Cornelius said Wednesday. “It’s always cool to see your teammates go to the next level.”
Rudolph and Washington, OSU’s dynamic quarterback-receiver combo, are projected to go in the early rounds. Safety Tre Flowers and receivers Marcell Ateman and Chris Lacy are also among Cowboys who could hear their names called.
Redshirt junior receiver Tyron Johnson said spending time with those Cowboys helped prepare him to eventually go through the draft process himself.
“They was pros before they was pros,” he said. “How they took care of their bodies, how they practiced. It just helped me be a better player just watching those guys.”
The 2010 NFL Draft saw four Cowboys get taken, the most in program history. It’s possible this year’s group could surpass that, and Gundy said he believes they could all have lengthy pro careers.
“Their stock goes up more each day based on their character, their ability and as productive as they’ve been throughout their careers,” Gundy said. “I would put my money behind these guys to be in the NFL for a long period of time because they’re the total package.
“I don’t think there’s any question that the pool of players that we have in this draft are first class.”
Quotable
Asked to predict which team might select his former quarterback in the NFL Draft, Johnson says he’s been having some fun with Rudolph about the idea:
“I was joking with Mason about going to Buffalo. That’s probably the only one. Pretty sure he doesn’t want to be in the cold.”