OSU POSITION PREVIEW: COWBOY BACKS

Starter

Britton Abbott (RSr., 6-2, 245)

Key backups

Sione Finefeuiaki (Sr., 6-0, 252)

Jake Ross (Jr., 6-6, 240) Jelani Woods (RFr., 6-7, 251) Logan Carter (RSo., 6-4, 245)

Scouting ahead

This season: A season after the Cowboys had the nation’s top receiving corps, the Cowboy backs figure to much more involved offensively in 2018. That has as much to do with what OSU gained at the tight end/fullback hybrid as what it lost at receiver. Abbott and Finefeuiaki, two fullback types, return for their senior seasons, but the Cowboys added Ross and Woods at the position, both of whom should provide length and be threats in the passing game. Ross is a junior college transfer who didn’t begin playing football until his junior year at Coweta. Woods committed to OSU as a quarterback but had experience at tight end and moved to Cowboy back during last season’s bowl practices.

The Cowboys should employ more 12 personnel sets this season, meaning two Cowboy backs will be on the field at the same time, while it’s possible Woods, Ross or Carter could be featured out wide at times. Last season, three Cowboy backs — Abbott, Finefeuiaki and Keenen Brown — combined for only 11 receptions for 152 yards. The future: Abbott and Finefeuiaki are the Cowboys’ lone seniors at the position, so the majority of the group will be back in 2019. OSU’s first commitment in its 2019 recruiting class was Grayson Boomer, a tight end out of Collinsville who’s among the top recruits in the state. Coach Jason McEndoo could be on the hunt for a fullback type to replace Abbott and Finefeuiaki, though the Cowboy back position requires players to fill both the tight end and fullback roles.

[PHOTO BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN] Britton Abbott, left, is one of several Cowboy backs who could see action this season for Oklahoma State. The Cowboy back is expected to get more action this fall compared to last season.