Eric Morris Calls Jaleel Johnson Oklahoma State's Most Dominant Defender of Spring Ball

Most of the offseason hype surrounding Oklahoma State has focused on the offense.

Drew Mestemaker.

Caleb Hawkins.

Wyatt Young.

The stars who followed Eric Morris from North Texas have dominated the conversation.

At Big 12 Media Days, Morris gave Oklahoma State fans another name to watch.

Jaleel Johnson.

Morris told ESPNU he believed Johnson was the most dominant defensive player of spring ball for the Cowboys.

That's significant praise for a player entering his senior season in Stillwater.

It's also exactly the kind of answer I was looking for before Oklahoma State arrived at Big 12 Media Days.

Earlier this week, I wrote about the questions surrounding the Cowboys' defense.

If Oklahoma State's offense produces anywhere close to the level Morris' North Texas unit did last season, the Cowboys should score points.

Who creates pressure on the other side of the football, though?

Who becomes the player opposing offenses have to account for?

Morris may have just given us one answer.

Johnson is in a unique position on Oklahoma State's roster.

While Mestemaker, Hawkins and linebacker Ethan Wesloski followed Morris from North Texas, Johnson represents the players who stayed in Stillwater through the coaching transition.

He's experienced the struggles of the last two seasons.

He's been part of an Oklahoma State program that hasn't won a Big 12 game during that stretch.

Now, he's being asked to help establish a completely different defensive identity.

Morris' praise suggests Johnson has embraced that opportunity.

Calling someone the most dominant defender of spring ball isn't simply saying he had a good offseason.

Dominance implies Johnson consistently stood out.

It means the new coaching staff noticed him.

On a roster that will begin fall camp with 87 newcomers, one of Oklahoma State's returning players has already established himself as a potential difference-maker.

That matters for a defense searching for an identity.

Johnson also gives the Cowboys something this rebuilt roster desperately needs.

A connection to Oklahoma State's past.

Morris has talked extensively about the program needing a "hard reset."

The Cowboys have added players from across college football.

New defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity is installing his system.

Almost everything is different.

Johnson knows what came before.

He also knows why it had to change.

That perspective could make him one of the most important voices on Oklahoma State's defense.

The Cowboys don't need Johnson to fix the entire unit himself, but they do need players capable of disrupting opposing offenses.

They need pressure.

They need negative plays.

They need someone who can create momentum on the defensive side of the ball.

After spring practice, Morris believes Johnson may be that player.

There are still questions to answer.

Spring dominance doesn't automatically guarantee Big 12 production.

Johnson will have to prove it when the games begin.

After an offseason filled with conversations about Oklahoma State's offensive stars, Morris finally gave Cowboys fans a defensive name worth circling.

Jaleel Johnson was Oklahoma State's most dominant defender this spring.

Now it's time to see if that dominance follows him into the fall.