Brendon Evers says Oklahoma State football doesn't have ‘that underdog status anymore’
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STILLWATER — Oklahoma State defensive lineman Brendon Evers returned to Bixby over the summer to a lineman camp with the desire to help.
But he also wanted to offer more.
Among his many lessons and messages, he thanked the kids in attendance for keeping the tradition alive.
Football recruiting in Oklahoma is only improving since he arrived in Stillwater in 2017.
“When I was coming up, people didn’t look at Oklahoma as a real powerhouse as far as putting recruits out,” Evers said. “Now, we’re top tier when you look at guys that are getting drafted this year, guys that are playing at a high level, getting national awards here at OSU, Oklahoma, Tulsa. Tulsa’s had however many draft picks, same with OSU and OU.
“It’s really cool to see. There’s no end in sight. It just keeps growing. We keep getting that recognition. It’s really cool to see.”
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The Cowboys have benefitted, using a strong mix of in-state recruits to bolster a program that is coming off a run to the Big 12 title game and a Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame.
OSU has 55 players — including walk-ons — on its roster entering the season. Seventeen are defensive linemen.
“We’re not a ‘underdog,’” Evers said while making quote marks with his hands. “I never thought we were an underdog in my life. We’re not that underdog status anymore. We just beat a blue blood, you might say, and we were an inch away from making the playoff.
“To call us an underdog in recruiting I think is blasphemy at this point.”
Evers said the Cowboys are going after big recruits. Their roster has multiple four-star recruits. But it’s also littered with key players whose recruiting status was lower.
“We’re going after big recruits just like everybody else and we’re going to be in the running in the top 10 as long as Coach (Mike) Gundy is running things, and whoever comes after him,” Evers said. “I think he’s built this place up to what it is today, along with all the leadership, the administration and coaches. I think we’re proven a powerhouse just like everybody else now.”
Blaine Green’s wrist injury a looming concern
OSU head coach Mike Gundy says that by the end of the week he’ll know more about the wrist injury that has kept receiver/tight end Blaine Green out of practice for several days.
Green suffered the injury about 10 days into preseason camp and Gundy said late last week that he was unsure of the timetable of the sophomore’s absence.
Among returning pass-catchers, Green had the second-most yards last season with 314 and a touchdown on 21 catches. He started the year as an inside receiver, but moved into more of a hybrid role with some tight end responsibilities.
This year, Green is expected to be more regularly used as a tight end, so an extended absence could hurt the depth at that position, where only returning starter Braden Cassity has any significant experience.
At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, Green brings a stronger pass-catching threat to the position.
“He’s more of a big-type receiver playing that position, so there’s some things we can do differently,” Gundy said. “Coaching is understanding your personnel and who you have on the field and doing what they can do best, not which plays you can draw up that you think you’re best at, so we have to go through some adjustments.
“If he’s not in, we can hit you in the mouth a little more with the other guys, but maybe not as much in the vertical threat, so we just have to make those adjustments.”
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Cowboys settle into routine starting Tuesday
Preseason camp has concluded and school started on Monday at OSU, so with Tuesday’s practice, the football routine becomes more regular.
Gundy gave the players Sunday and Monday off, which he says was just a coincidence with how the calendar fell, rather than a plan to avoid practicing on the first day of school — the way Gundy’s head coach, Pat Jones, always did.
“Science says give them 48 hours to let their body recover, and then when they come back on Tuesday, they should be in much better condition from the stress standpoint from their body from camp,” Gundy said. “Then we get into the in-season, school routine.
"Coach's (Jones) patience with a not good practice was not real high, so he just said, 'Forget it. We're not practicing the first day of school.' We have done that some in the past, but this year, the way the calendar fell, with the Thursday game and several other things, we're able to give them Sunday off and then Monday off.
“It works really good for our plan getting ready for the first game."
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OSU surpasses last year’s season-ticket total
In the aftermath of last season’s 12-2 performance and Fiesta Bowl victory, Oklahoma State is seeing an uptick in season-ticket sales.
The university announced on Monday that it has now sold more tickets than the 44,800 it sold a year ago.
The press release says the school expects to sell more than 45,500 tickets, anticipating a full sellout of student all-sports passes for just the second time.
This is also the first time since 2012 that OSU has seen an increase in season ticket sales in a year that didn’t feature a Bedlam game in Stillwater.
The Cowboys begin the season against Central Michigan at 6 p.m. on Sept. 1 at Boone Pickens Stadium.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State Cowboys football no longer has an ‘underdog status'
