Examining OSU's final recruiting spots with Glass’ decision pending
Oklahoma State football fans got some unexpected news over the weekend, but the football staff is hoping for the longawaited payoff to a hardfought recruiting battle on Monday.
Katy, Texas, running back Deondrick Glass is set to make his college decision known sometime Monday during the Blue-Grey All-American Game from Houston’s NRG Stadium, which will be broadcast on ESPN3 beginning at 1:30 p.m.
The Cowboys filled one of the final three spots in their 2019 recruiting class when Colorado transfer Israel Antwine, a former defensive line standout at Millwood who was briefly committed to the Cowboys during high school, enrolled at OSU late last week.
By Monday afternoon, OSU hopes it has only one spot left to fill in this class.
Glass, who is teammates with OSU offensive line signee Cole Birmingham, is choosing between OSU, Alabama, Georgia, Miami, Texas and Michigan.
Alabama’s involvement is obviously interesting. The Crimson Tide landed a five-star running back on signing day in December, but recently lost junior Josh Jacobs, the Tulsa native who announced he will be entering the NFL Draft.
Glass rushed for 1,951 yards and 30 touchdowns on 225 carries, averaging 8.7 yards per carry and 177.4 per game. He surpassed 100 yards in nine of his 11 games this past season.
He would become the highest rated player in the class and the third fourstar recruit, according to 247Sports.com, along with Collinsville tight end Grayson Boomer and Midlothian, Texas, receiver Langston Anderson.
Regardless of Glass’ decision on Monday — and even with the addition of Antwine, who is expected to apply for a hardship waiver to be eligible immediately — the Cowboys will still be in the market for additional defensive line help.
Mesa (Arizona) Community College defensive end Soni Fonua remains the top prospect on the list. The 6-foot-4, 264-pound Fonua visited Nebraska over the weekend, and has trips to Central Florida, OSU and Kansas — in that order, according to GoPokes. com — remaining on his list before signing day on Feb. 6.
With OSU still not knowing of Antwine would be eligible or forced to sit out the 2019 season, Fonua could provide some instant experience and depth. He was used similarly to the way OSU used Jordan Brailford last season, both as a traditional defensive end and a stand-up outside linebacker at times.
If OSU doesn’t land Glass and Fonua, it could go a variety of directions with its remaining spot, or spots, including the graduate transfer market.
Those will be decisions the Cowboy coaches will face later, but it all starts with Glass on Monday.