Golf, Fishing and Skeet Shooting: How Oklahoma State Is Building Chemistry With 87 Newcomers

How do you build a football team with 87 newcomers?

Apparently, you start with golf clubs, fishing poles and shotguns.

Eric Morris has spent his first offseason at Oklahoma State completely rebuilding the Cowboys' roster.

The new head coach revealed at Big 12 Media Days that Oklahoma State will begin fall camp with 87 newcomers after Morris determined the program needed what he called a "hard reset."

That much turnover should create an obvious problem.

How do 87 new players become teammates?

Morris believes Oklahoma State is already answering that question.

The Cowboys have intentionally spent time together away from football, participating in activities that include golfing, fishing and skeet shooting.

It may sound like a small detail from Big 12 Media Days.

I think it's one of the more important things Morris said.

Oklahoma State doesn't have the luxury of years of chemistry.

Drew Mestemaker already knows Caleb Hawkins.

Hawkins already knows Wyatt Young.

Ethan Wesloski has played alongside several of the former North Texas players who followed Morris to Stillwater, but the entire roster isn't North Texas 2.0.

Players have arrived from programs across college football.

Jaleel Johnson and Oklahoma State's returning players have spent years in Stillwater.

Some newcomers arrived during the winter.

Others joined the program later.

Now they're all expected to function as one team by the time Oklahoma State travels to Tulsa for the season opener.

That's a massive challenge.

Morris' solution has extended beyond the practice field.

"If you came in our locker room right now and paid attention to the way our guys interact with one another, you would think these guys would have been around each other for years and years," Morris said.

That's a remarkable statement considering the makeup of this roster.

Chemistry is one of those football terms coaches use constantly.

Every team says its locker room is close.

Every coach talks about players buying in.

Oklahoma State's situation makes the subject more meaningful.

The Cowboys genuinely need relationships to develop faster than normal.

When a linebacker misses an assignment, the player next to him has to communicate.

When a quarterback faces pressure, his receivers have to understand where he expects them to be.

When adversity hits, players have to trust the people around them.

Those relationships aren't built only during games.

Sometimes they start on a golf course.

Or while fishing.

Or during a skeet shooting competition.

Morris understands the football part of Oklahoma State's rebuild will receive most of the attention.

His offense will be judged.

His defense will be judged.

His win total will certainly be judged , but before the Cowboys can become a winning football team, Morris has to make them feel like a team at all.

That's why the off-field activities matter.

Oklahoma State is attempting one of the most dramatic roster resets in college football.

Eighty-seven newcomers will enter fall camp.

Nearly everyone is learning new teammates.

Many are learning new coaches.

Some are learning an entirely new part of the country.

Yet Morris believes the interactions inside his locker room already resemble a group that has spent years together.

We'll find out this fall whether that chemistry translates to wins.

For a program attempting to completely reset its culture, the work can't begin only when the ball is snapped.

Golfing.

Fishing.

Skeet shooting.

Oklahoma State's rebuild is happening everywhere and with 87 newcomers, every opportunity to become a team matters.