OSU FOOTBALL JOURNAL
COWBOYS OFFENSE WILL MANAGE WITHOUT ATEMAN
Marcell Ateman’s foot injury hit the Cowboys hard, robbing the offense of a starter and a playmaker and a wide receiver coming off a breakout season that hinted of more to come.
Ateman’s absence, which will likely last into October, is sure to hurt.
And yet, this preseason has delivered optimism that OSU’s offense will manage, perhaps just fine, too.
James Washington keeps working on becoming better, while already billed as an All-American by
some publications. Jhajuan Seales, Chris Lacy and Austin Hays are proven reliable receivers who have produced in the past. Jalen
McCleskey projects as this season’s major breakout candidate.
And the next wave is coming into view, with true freshmen Dillon Stoner and Tyrell Alexander making bids not simply to earn playing time, but fill significant roles, which puts the program ahead of schedule in re-establishing its receiver depth.
“I obviously didn’t know we were going to have two freshmen that may factor in as receivers,” Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said. “You never know that.”
Elsewhere, with the veterans, there’s an emphasis on playing tougher and making even more out of receptions.
“That’s something Coach (Kasey) Dunn has been teaching, run after the catch,” Seales said. “Don’t get tackled. That’s something he’s been preaching, and we want to take that into this year.
“Yards after catch; staying up after the catch; not going out of bounds. All of that.”
QUOTABLE
Gundy on recruiting McCleskey, the son of a former NFL player and J.J. McCleskey:
“He was a good player, but it’s like anything else, horse racing or whatever, history says that if their pedigree is good, there’s a good chance that could continue during their career here. Not always. But it gives you a better chance. We invest a lot of time in what kind of people they are, how they treat their moms and what kind of respect they have for the general things in society that I think we’re lacking as a group in this country. But we look at that, and they certainly have to be athletic enough to play here. And if they have good pedigree, that just makes the stop go up a little more.”
RUDOLPH NAMED TO MANNING LIST
Cowboys quarterback Mason Rudolph worked the Manning Passing Academy this summer.
Now he’s got another connection to the quarterbacking family: a spot on the Manning Award Watch List.
The Allstate Sugar Bowl announced the 30-player list Monday, with Rudolph among five Big 12 quarterbacks included. The OSU junior was previously named to the watch lists for the O’Brien and Wuerffel awards.
Created in honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning, the Manning Award is the only postseason award to include candidates’ bowl performances in its balloting.
The Manning Award winner will be selected by a voting panel made up of members of the national media and each of the Mannings. Midseason additions to the list will be announced on Wednesday Oct. 12 before the list is narrowed to 10 finalists on Wednesday, Nov. 30. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, Jan. 11.