Punter Sinor has surgery
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State punter Zach Sinor underwent hernia surgery Tuesday morning, a source told The Oklahoman.
It was not immediately clear how long Sinor could be sidelined for recovery.
Sinor posted a message on Instagram that said, “surgery went well! Thanks everyone for the support.”
He later posted on Twitter in response to his injury status, a simple, “I’ll be back,” with a thumbs-up symbol. According to an OSU official, any injury information from the program would come through coach Mike Gundy, but news of the surgery came to light after Gundy had spoken to the media following Tuesday’s practice. Gundy is not scheduled to speak to the media again until next Tuesday.
Sinor, who is a senior, averaged 43.1 yards per punt on 38 attempts last season, with seven of 50 yards or more and nine that were downed inside the 20. Senior Matt Hockett would be in line to handle punting duties should Sinor have to miss any game action. Hockett punted twice last season, averaging 46.0 yards. Depending on the severity of the hernia, Sinor’s recovery time could be as short as a week or two, or as long two months.
Justice Hill not thinking about NFL future yet
As of Tuesday morning, Oklahoma State running back Justice Hill said he hadn’t heard Gundy’s comments from the Tulsa-area Cowboy Caravan stop a night earlier when the coach suggested Hill was “probably gonna move on” to the NFL if he completed his degree this school year.
A finance major, Hill says he has 30 course hours left to complete his degree. Players usually take between 12 and 15 hours per semester, which puts Hill, a third-year junior, within reach of graduating in the spring or summer. While he might be considered one of the top running backs in college football, and possibly in the draft class should he leave, Hill says he isn’t worrying about that yet. Instead, he’s remaining focused on his education.
“It is a big deal,” Hill said after Tuesday morning’s practice. “You want to be a student-athlete, not just an athlete. Football ends at some point in your life, so being able to carry yourself and do things outside of football is important to me.”
Siverand's academic grind impresses Gundy, Williams
When Rodarius Williams saw a Texas A&M cornerback was joining Oklahoma State’s football team as a graduate transfer, he wasn’t worried about what it might mean for his playing time.
Instead, he was excited to compete and play with someone with the determination of Kemah Siverand, who took 25 credit hours this summer to graduate a year early and take two seasons of eligibility with him to Stillwater.
“For a guy to do that in the summer, man, he could’ve been training or doing any other thing, but he chose to put his mind to it and really get to where he wanna be,” Williams said. “We need guys like that in the room.”
OSU returns both of its starting corners in Williams and A.J. Green, but Siverand adds depth at a position the Cowboys need it. The redshirt junior’s playing time with the Aggies was limited, and he’s only a year removed from converting from receiver, but OSU’s corners beyond Green and Williams have combined for seven tackles. Siverand, who isn’t available to the media as a first-year member of the team, had six last year at Texas A&M. That, of course, wasn’t the number that impressed Gundy.
“He got a lot of hours,” Gundy said. “It’s incredible now what kids can do with online classes and things like that, but we’re glad to have him.”
As part of what Gundy said was an acclimation period, Siverand was not wearing pads during Tuesday morning’s practice, OSU’s first in full pads, but he did get work in as a punt returner, a position Gundy said he gained experience at with the Aggies.
“He seems to be very athletic,” Gundy said. “He’s mature. He’s a college graduate.”