OSU has unusual signing day excitement
STILLWATER — One of Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy’s first statements in his news conference to announce the Cowboys’ recruiting class pointed out how signing day isn’t as dramatic as it once was.
“Signing day now is mostly anti-climactic, based on the early signing period and most players across the country have been committed for six months,” Gundy said Wednesday morning.
Six hours later, the Cowboys found themselves on the good side of some signing day drama when four-star receiver Langston Anderson of Heritage High School
in Midlothian, Texas, announced he had chosen OSU over Baylor and Mississippi.
“Next chapter in my life is in Stillwater, Oklahoma,” Anderson posted on Twitter shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, just after making the announcement to an excited group of fans at Heritage.
The 6-foot-2, 186pound Anderson completed a day in which Oklahoma State signed 20 players, leaving a few spots open for the February signing date.
But Anderson was a huge addition.
Not only is he the lone receiver in the class, he is also one of the most highly regarded recruits the Cowboys landed Wednesday.
Though it won’t be complete until Febraury, OSU’s class ranks No. 41 according to Rivals.com and No. 44 by 247Sports. com.
With Jalen McCleskey the only receiver to depart from the OSU roster, loading up on wideouts wasn’t a high priority.
But that afforded receivers coach Kasey Dunn to be picky in who he pursued for the spot.
Making his announcement behind a table with his No. 88 jersey hanging off the front, Anderson oozes Dez Bryant comparisons.
From his jersey number to his body type to the photo of him posing behind OSU’s three Biletnikoff trophies during a recruiting visit, throwing up the X — Bryant’s signature celebratory move, crossing his arms in an X in front of his face.
Of course, from a talent perspective, comparing a high school player to an All-Pro isn’t fair, but Anderson has the makings of a potential impact player in Stillwater.
OSU will return its top four receivers — Tylan Wallace, Tyron Johnson, Dillon Stoner and Landon Wolf, all of whom had at least 30 catches — and have a young group of players waiting for their opportunity.
So immediate playing time might be hard to find for Anderson, but he has the skill to find a way to get involved.
Prior to Anderson’s announcement, Gundy said there were three more players the Cowboys were recruiting hard on Wednesday, with four more spots open in the class.
Obviously, Anderson accounts for one of the three OSU was still pursuing Wednesday morning, and Katy, Texas, running back Deondrick Glass is likely another, though he has said he won’t make a decision until January. The Cowboys recently extended an offer to Soni Fonua, a defensive end from Mesa, Arizona, Community College.
With six more weeks to go, other names could emerge as the Cowboys focus on filling out the final three open spots in their class.
“We’re eventually going to have to maximize that the best we can, unless there’s not somebody we think can come in and help our program” Gundy said. “But we won’t know that for a while.”