Why did Oklahoma State football recruit tall DBs in 2023 class? 'It is advantageous'

STILLWATER — Kendal Daniels, a 6-foot-4 safety, made a strong impact for Oklahoma State as a redshirt freshman this season. Cameron Epps, a 6-foot-3 cornerback, cracked the two-deep as a true freshman.

And now, the Cowboys are bringing in a couple more tall defensive backs in what has become a growing trend for head coach Mike Gundy.

OSU signed 17 scholarship players when the early signing period kicked off Wednesday morning, filling some needs and adding some developmental prospects.

The class included a highly regarded quarterback in Zane Flores of Gretna, Nebraska, and four linemen on each side of the ball.

But with a secondary that could ultimately lose four starters — Jabbar Muhammad and Thomas Harper are in the transfer portal, and Jason Taylor II and Sean Michael Flanagan are redshirt seniors who have not announced their intentions for next season — the five defensive backs who signed on Wednesday should help with immediate depth.

More:'100% locked in': Why Oklahoma State QB commit Zane Flores never wavered when others pursued him

Jones College transfer Lardarius Webb Jr. has the best chance to jump into the starting lineup. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound native of Opelika, Alabama, had nine interceptions over the past two seasons and could step into Harper’s position as the nickelback safety.

“He’s very mature and fits a spot of a couple guys we lost,” Gundy said. “He's an older guy who can play that slot/nickel, maybe even some corner once we get him here and see what kind of ability he has. I'm excited about what he brings to the table.”

But the size of other signees like Kamryn Franklin and Tywon Wray Jr., a pair of safeties who are each 6-2, provides intrigue. Cornerback signee R.J. Lester is 6-1.

Wray was an under-the-radar prospect who defensive coordinator Derek Mason identified late in the process, and Franklin had a stellar season at Oak Grove High School in Louisiana.

Franklin had 112 tackles with 43 for loss, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, two interceptions, four safeties and four defensive touchdowns.

“I think my biggest strength is probably my length, speed or my field vision,” Franklin said. “By next August, I plan on majorly improving my footwork.”

Gundy says he likes the versatility a tall defensive back can offer.

“The ones that are taller, that have what would be a little bit bigger body, they are built for a certain position, and the good news is if they grow a bunch, then they can go and move to a different position because they have height,” Gundy said. “Sometimes, if you don’t have height, then it makes it a little bit more difficult. So it is advantageous.”

More:National Signing Day tracker: Oklahoma State football signees, 2023 recruiting rankings

Gem of the class: Zane Flores

OSU’s signing class didn’t include any four-star recruits, leading to a lower-than-usual team ranking, but the Cowboys addressed needs, found potential early contributors and built long-term depth with this class, even if the star ratings weren’t through the roof.

One of those needs was another quarterback who could develop into a multi-year starter. Once Spencer Sanders went in the transfer portal earlier this month, OSU was down to one scholarship quarterback in Garret Rangel, plus a group of walk-ons led by Gunnar Gundy.

Flores was highly recruited and had good success at the Elite 11 camp last summer, then threw for more than 3,000 yards in his senior season.

“He’s had tremendous success,” Gundy said. “He’s really developed over the last 6-8 months with his ability to move around and run. We’re thrilled with what he brings to the table. Tremendous success in high school. Wins a lot of games, carrying his team.

“His mental capacity and his football savvy, football IQ and his ability to move has really upped his game in my opinion.”

More:Carlson: The number of OSU football players in transfer portal isn't troubling, but something else is

Adding Oklahoma beef

OSU signed three players from Oklahoma schools, and the smallest of the bunch is 250-pound Del City defensive line prospect Jaedon Foreman.

While Gundy says Foreman is “just scratching the surface with his body” and should easily be 290 pounds before long, the other two Oklahoma guys are already over the 300 mark.

Northeastern Oklahoma A&M product Iman Oates, a defensive tackle originally from Tulsa Edison, is 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, and Stillwater’s JaKobe Sanders is listed at 6-3, 310.

Sanders played center for Stillwater and has long been friends with Gundy’s youngest son, Gage, who was the quarterback for the Pioneers’ run to the Class 6A-II state title this season.

“He’s been at our house just about every day since he’s been this tall and I think he’s special,” Mike Gundy said of Sanders. “His ability to play center, his football IQ, he can snap, he’s a 400-pound bencher already. I think he’s a 550-pound squatter already. At some point over the next year, he could be the strongest guy on our team.”

More:Oklahoma State defensive back commit Lardarius Webb Jr. ready to 'show the world I can play'

Portal players allowed to practice

Two NCAA rule adjustments will impact the Cowboys for bowl season.

One, which currently only applies to this season, will not count the bowl game against the total participation number for redshirting players, meaning that players who have already played in four games can play in a fifth without burning their redshirt.

For OSU, that impacts cornerbacks Cameron Epps and D.J. McKinney, who have each played in four games but can participate in the bowl game and maintain their redshirt status.

The other change, which will carry beyond this season, allows players who have joined a new team via the transfer portal to practice with that team during bowl prep.

Gundy did not specify if any of the seven players OSU had added through the portal will take part in any of the practices the team will hold in Arizona.

“There will be some of them, we don’t know who yet,” Gundy said. “But there’ll be some that want to join our team in Arizona who are really excited about being in a bowl and being part of our team.

“I wouldn’t see why it would be a disadvantage. I think it works. The young man’s excited about being a part of the team and wants to be on location with that team. I think they should have that opportunity.”

More:Oklahoma State football recruiting class 2023: Meet the Cowboys' early signees

OSU misses on Macho

The Cowboys were waiting on a couple of players who announced their college choices later in the day, but neither picked OSU.

Receiver Tre Spivey of Chandler, Arizona, signed with Kansas State and defensive back Marquez “Macho” Stevenson stuck with his initial Texas Tech commitment, signing with the Red Raiders late Wednesday morning.

Stevenson was the more serious of the two targets, but it remained unclear over the past few weeks how strongly he was considering the Cowboys.

With only 17 signees, OSU will have room to add more prospects in the late signing period, which opens on Feb. 1.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football targets tall defensive backs in 2023 class