Oklahoma State Football Projected Depth Chart Ahead of Week 1 vs. Tulsa

Fall camp is winding down, Oklahoma State is turning its attention toward Tulsa and Eric Morris' first starting lineup in Stillwater is beginning to take shape.

The Cowboys won't release their official Week 1 depth chart until closer to the Sept. 5 opener, but after weeks of practices and two scrimmages, most of the starting jobs appear to be settled.

Morris said recently that many of the remaining competitions involve backup jobs and rotations rather than starters. So, with Week 1 approaching, here's my projected Oklahoma State two-deep against Tulsa.

QB1: Drew Mestemaker

QB2: Grant Jordan OR Brodie Vehrs

There isn't a question at QB1.

Mestemaker followed Morris from North Texas after leading the FBS with 4,379 passing yards last season and will be the centerpiece of an Oklahoma State offense generating plenty of preseason attention.

The more interesting competition is behind him. Jordan brings six years of college football experience, which could make him the safer option if Mestemaker were forced out of a game. But don't sleep on true freshman Brodie Vehrs. His performance throughout camp has generated buzz and he appears to have made this a legitimate competition.

I'll give Jordan the slight Week 1 edge because of his experience, but an OR wouldn't be surprising on the official depth chart.

RB1: Caleb Hawkins

RB2: KD Jones

Also in rotation: Tre Page, Ayo Adeyi

Hawkins is about as secure as anyone on this roster. After his breakout freshman season at North Texas, he'll reunite with Mestemaker and Morris as the featured back in Stillwater.

The battle behind him is much more interesting. Freshman KD Jones has received repeated praise during camp, and I'll make the aggressive prediction that he earns the RB2 designation for Week 1. Tre Page and Ayo Adeyi should also get opportunities, and this could ultimately be more of a committee behind Hawkins than a traditional backup situation.

WR: Wyatt Young — Miles Coleman

WR: Chris Barnes — Terrence Lewis

WR: Justin Bowick — Jabarie Thornton

This might be Oklahoma State's deepest offensive position.

Young, Barnes and Bowick appear firmly established as the top three, while Coleman should essentially function as a fourth starter considering how frequently Morris' offense will spread the field.

Bowick has been one of the biggest risers of the offseason, while Thornton has made enough of an impression during camp to potentially crack the two-deep as a freshman. Morris is going to have options here.

TE1: Carson Kolb

TE2: Donovan Green

This has quietly become one of the more interesting competitions of camp. Morris said earlier this month that if Oklahoma State played the next day, Kolb would have a good chance to start. That's enough for me to give him the Week 1 nod.

Green has significantly more receiving experience, however, and Oscar Hammond also belongs in the conversation. Don't be surprised if all three see the field early in the season.

LT: Jacob Sexton — Braydon Nelson

LG: Joseph Hanson — Desmond Magiya

C: Tyler Mercer — Jakobe Sanders

RG: Johnny Dixon III — Louie Canepa

RT: Shaun Torgeson — Ashton Lepo

The biggest question on the offensive line appears to have been answered. Morris said this week that Torgeson would likely start at right tackle if Oklahoma State played immediately, giving us what looks like the Cowboys' Week 1 starting five.

Sexton brings Power Four experience at left tackle, while Mercer appears locked in at center. Hanson and Dixon should occupy the guard spots, although which side each plays could still change.

This group doesn't need to be dominant immediately. It needs to give Mestemaker enough time for Oklahoma State's loaded collection of skill players to do its job.

DE: Jaleel Johnson — Malik Charles

DE: James Williams — Billy Walton III

This is where listing only two players probably doesn't tell the whole story. Oklahoma State has enough depth on the defensive front that Morris and defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity appear prepared to rotate heavily.

Johnson and Williams get my starting nod, but Charles should play plenty, and Walton has been one of the names generating momentum late in camp.

Don't get overly attached to who takes the first snap. The Cowboys could cycle through four or five defensive ends regularly.

DT: Saadiq Clements — Iman Oates

DT: Jerry Lawson — Enai White

This might be even more fluid than defensive end. Clements and Lawson get my starting nod, but Oklahoma State has several legitimate options inside. White's transition from defensive end to tackle has drawn positive reviews during camp, while Oates could have a significant role depending on his availability.

Braylon Rigsby and freshman Savion Barthelemy are also names to watch. Again, expect rotation.

LB: Ethan Wesloski — Dallas Winner-Johnson

LB: Isaiah Chisom — Tate Romney

Wesloski and Chisom feel like two of the safer defensive projections. Both bring significant production and experience into Cassity's defense and should be central pieces of the Cowboys' attempt to completely overhaul a unit that struggled last season.

Winner-Johnson and Romney give Oklahoma State experienced options behind them, and Cassity's ability to change fronts could create opportunities for all four.

CB: LaDainian Fields — Kollin Lewis

CB: Mo Horn — Kobi Foreman

Fields is one of the most intriguing returning players on Oklahoma State's defense and gets one starting spot. I'm pairing him with Horn, whose experience gives him an early edge in what Cassity described during camp as an open competition.

Lewis should play plenty after following Cassity from North Texas, and Foreman has also generated positive reviews during camp.

This is one position where the names listed as “backups” could end up playing nearly as much as the starters.

S: Evan Jackson — Cameron Epps

S: Quinton Hammonds — Markeith Williams

NB: Christian Bodnar — Vincent Holmes

Oklahoma State's secondary suddenly has plenty of experience. Hammonds and Jackson both played under Cassity at North Texas, which should give them an advantage entering Week 1.

Bodnar is my pick at nickel, and Morris has been extremely complimentary of the Liberty transfer throughout the offseason. Williams is another player to watch after arriving later in the summer and quickly earning praise from the coaching staff.

Much like the defensive line, Oklahoma State could mix and match personnel here depending on the opponent and situation.

K: Sam Keltner — Joseph Kim

P: Lachie Pozzobon — Nate Ost

Holder: Nate Ost

KR: Chris Barnes — Miles Coleman

PR: Miles Coleman — Chris Barnes

There shouldn't be much mystery with the specialists. Keltner is the favorite to handle field goals, while Australian punter Pozzobon takes over the punting job.

The fun part could be the return game. Barnes and Coleman are two of the fastest players on the roster, and giving either one space with the football could create another avenue for explosive plays.

For all the turnover Oklahoma State experienced during the offseason, there aren't many major starting competitions left. That's probably exactly what Morris wanted.

Mestemaker, Hawkins and Young give the Cowboys proven stars at the most important offensive skill positions. The offensive line has started to settle. Wesloski and Chisom provide experience in the middle of the defense, while Fields headlines a secondary with intriguing potential.

The bigger question isn't necessarily who starts. It's how deep Morris and his staff are willing to go.

Running back could feature four players. Wide receiver might go six or seven deep. The defensive line could operate almost like a hockey rotation with fresh bodies constantly entering the game.

That's what makes this first depth chart so interesting. Tulsa won't just be our first look at Eric Morris' starting 22.

It'll be our first real look at how he plans to use the roster he completely rebuilt in one offseason.