Oklahoma State University Athletics
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Gundy, Cowboys Discuss Another Week of Spring Ball
April 09, 2024 | Cowboy Football
STILLWATER – Head coach Mike Gundy and several players met with the media Tuesday in Stillwater to discuss another week of spring practice. Here are some of their comments:
Head Coach Mike Gundy
On recruiting in the spring and the importance of academics:
"The spring recruiting for us has been very good because we don't have anything to hide. We sell our players, we sell our culture, we sell our people and we open it up and let them see it. They come spend two, three hours at my house and goof around with all the players and things at the house. They get to see everything that will be involved in a daily operation for them as prospective student-athletes. Then, I really stress the academic side of it, because I think the academic side is very important even though it's kind of gone out the window. A lot of people say academics is a nonfactor in amateur or college sports, not at Oklahoma State. It's a big deal because I have sons, three of them. I know that they're going to have to have some type of academic structure, further education beyond high school in order to get maybe many opportunities. We stress that, I stress that. I think we have success with what we do because we lay it all out there. We don't hide anything."
On defensive line coach Paul Randolph:
"He has high energy. I see the players kind of migrating to him and being responsive to his coaching, which is important. It's important, in my opinion, that the players in that particular position (and) for people like Paul, that when he's coaching them that he's getting a response. Where they can tune in and listen and learn and absorb information. Then, be able to show it out here in our team drills. At this point, I see that. The end result is on Saturdays in the fall. Whether we like it or not as coaches, we see how well we coached by how the players play on Saturdays in the fall, and that'll be the true story."
On veteran players displaying leadership in the spring:
"That's instilled in them during their time here. I've always used a number of 24 months. It could be 18, it could be 36, most of the time 18 to 24 months. It's going to be instilled in them. They're going to form, fit into our culture and what we do and what we believe and who we are. Then, it essentially runs itself."
On freshmen Armstrong Nnodim and Josh Ford:
"They're doing very well. It's just so difficult for them, particularly, just the overall physicality and contact of padded practice at this level. I use the example of they should be thinking about prom and graduation and after they get out of lunch going to the lake and stuff. They're out here with us, and it's a different world for them. Armstrong, I will say is able to hold his own and all the physical side of it defensively. Then, offensively, Ford can hold his own. Now, their head is spinning, and they might go the wrong direction, but they're further along. Disciplined, so they can kind of battle and fight through things that some other high school players wouldn't."
Wide Receiver Brennan Presley
On using his extra year of eligibility:
"There are a lot of things I still need to work on. I'm not a finished product, I'll never be a finished product, but in terms of just working on little things like cuts, catching and knowing what I could be. I'm a better receiver than what I do show. I'm coming back an extra year to get myself ready for that level. Whether that's gaining weight, cuts and getting smarter; more knowledge of the game."
On embracing his role in special teams:
"I just love touching the ball, whether it's catching or returning the ball. Anytime I get a chance to touch the ball, I want the ball in my hands."
Offensive Lineman Preston Wilson
On the offensive line's versatility:
"We've got a lot of guys that have played a lot of snaps here, and it's a blessing. We've got a lot of great teammates and a lot of guys that are able to move up and down the line, and just, ultimately, play everywhere. Knowing that, it'll be able to help us if guys get banged up. We've got a bunch of guys that can plug and play everywhere."
On building good chemistry with the newcomers:
"We try to (be welcoming), but it's also credit to those guys that come in with a good working attitude and come in with the attitude of, 'We want to be a part of this program and learn from you.' They've seen the success that we've had as a team and as a unit. They've been able to learn from Coach Dickey, he teaches us a ton and just having him has really been huge."
Linebacker Collin Oliver
On being one of the older guys this year:
"That's been fun up to this point, and I've embraced it fully. I know that it's my role now, I'm an old guy now. I'm embracing it fully, just taking the head on. It does (feel crazy) because I'm only 21, so I'm not old and I'm not young anymore. It's a weird thing to say."
On his tandem with Kendal Daniels:
"I've watched plenty of film on practices that we had and I'll tell you right now, he's going to be very scary. It sounds cliche, but if you could turn on that film… He's a huge dude with dreads and looks like The Predator. It's going to be real scary back there. I haven't been in the (safety) room, but the way that we're coached up, they're a little bit involved with the linebackers in the way that we drop in certain coverages and stuff like that. He's going to be scary."
Cornerback Cam Smith
On differences in practice with a veteran team:
"It's not as much teaching on running from drill to drill or having a teach about effort or the speed that we're playing at. A lot of the older guys are taking on that leadership role and just telling younger guys, 'This is how we do things.'"
On learning from last season:
"That's all we talked about in the offseason… We were so close to being better and we knew the mistakes we made. This year, we want to have that chip on our shoulder with the Big 12 and the playoffs."
On leaders throughout the team:
"As players, we hold ourselves to the standard that we have to take on that leadership role. If the coaches have to do it, then we aren't doing something right."
Head Coach Mike Gundy
On recruiting in the spring and the importance of academics:
"The spring recruiting for us has been very good because we don't have anything to hide. We sell our players, we sell our culture, we sell our people and we open it up and let them see it. They come spend two, three hours at my house and goof around with all the players and things at the house. They get to see everything that will be involved in a daily operation for them as prospective student-athletes. Then, I really stress the academic side of it, because I think the academic side is very important even though it's kind of gone out the window. A lot of people say academics is a nonfactor in amateur or college sports, not at Oklahoma State. It's a big deal because I have sons, three of them. I know that they're going to have to have some type of academic structure, further education beyond high school in order to get maybe many opportunities. We stress that, I stress that. I think we have success with what we do because we lay it all out there. We don't hide anything."
On defensive line coach Paul Randolph:
"He has high energy. I see the players kind of migrating to him and being responsive to his coaching, which is important. It's important, in my opinion, that the players in that particular position (and) for people like Paul, that when he's coaching them that he's getting a response. Where they can tune in and listen and learn and absorb information. Then, be able to show it out here in our team drills. At this point, I see that. The end result is on Saturdays in the fall. Whether we like it or not as coaches, we see how well we coached by how the players play on Saturdays in the fall, and that'll be the true story."
On veteran players displaying leadership in the spring:
"That's instilled in them during their time here. I've always used a number of 24 months. It could be 18, it could be 36, most of the time 18 to 24 months. It's going to be instilled in them. They're going to form, fit into our culture and what we do and what we believe and who we are. Then, it essentially runs itself."
On freshmen Armstrong Nnodim and Josh Ford:
"They're doing very well. It's just so difficult for them, particularly, just the overall physicality and contact of padded practice at this level. I use the example of they should be thinking about prom and graduation and after they get out of lunch going to the lake and stuff. They're out here with us, and it's a different world for them. Armstrong, I will say is able to hold his own and all the physical side of it defensively. Then, offensively, Ford can hold his own. Now, their head is spinning, and they might go the wrong direction, but they're further along. Disciplined, so they can kind of battle and fight through things that some other high school players wouldn't."
Wide Receiver Brennan Presley
On using his extra year of eligibility:
"There are a lot of things I still need to work on. I'm not a finished product, I'll never be a finished product, but in terms of just working on little things like cuts, catching and knowing what I could be. I'm a better receiver than what I do show. I'm coming back an extra year to get myself ready for that level. Whether that's gaining weight, cuts and getting smarter; more knowledge of the game."
On embracing his role in special teams:
"I just love touching the ball, whether it's catching or returning the ball. Anytime I get a chance to touch the ball, I want the ball in my hands."
Offensive Lineman Preston Wilson
On the offensive line's versatility:
"We've got a lot of guys that have played a lot of snaps here, and it's a blessing. We've got a lot of great teammates and a lot of guys that are able to move up and down the line, and just, ultimately, play everywhere. Knowing that, it'll be able to help us if guys get banged up. We've got a bunch of guys that can plug and play everywhere."
On building good chemistry with the newcomers:
"We try to (be welcoming), but it's also credit to those guys that come in with a good working attitude and come in with the attitude of, 'We want to be a part of this program and learn from you.' They've seen the success that we've had as a team and as a unit. They've been able to learn from Coach Dickey, he teaches us a ton and just having him has really been huge."
Linebacker Collin Oliver
On being one of the older guys this year:
"That's been fun up to this point, and I've embraced it fully. I know that it's my role now, I'm an old guy now. I'm embracing it fully, just taking the head on. It does (feel crazy) because I'm only 21, so I'm not old and I'm not young anymore. It's a weird thing to say."
On his tandem with Kendal Daniels:
"I've watched plenty of film on practices that we had and I'll tell you right now, he's going to be very scary. It sounds cliche, but if you could turn on that film… He's a huge dude with dreads and looks like The Predator. It's going to be real scary back there. I haven't been in the (safety) room, but the way that we're coached up, they're a little bit involved with the linebackers in the way that we drop in certain coverages and stuff like that. He's going to be scary."
Cornerback Cam Smith
On differences in practice with a veteran team:
"It's not as much teaching on running from drill to drill or having a teach about effort or the speed that we're playing at. A lot of the older guys are taking on that leadership role and just telling younger guys, 'This is how we do things.'"
On learning from last season:
"That's all we talked about in the offseason… We were so close to being better and we knew the mistakes we made. This year, we want to have that chip on our shoulder with the Big 12 and the playoffs."
On leaders throughout the team:
"As players, we hold ourselves to the standard that we have to take on that leadership role. If the coaches have to do it, then we aren't doing something right."
Players Mentioned
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DE
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WR
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CB
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OL
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