Oklahoma State 2012 Recruiting

Oklahoma State Cowboys 2012 ... Head Coach: Mike Gundy

Oklahoma State Cowboys

2011 Record: 12-1

Sep. 3 UL Lafayette W 61-34
Sep. 10 Arizona W 37-14
Sep. 17 at Tulsa W 59-33
Sep. 24 at Texas A&M W 30-29
Oct. 1 OPEN DATE
Oct. 8 Kansas W 70-28
Oct. 15 at Texas W 38-26
Oct. 22 at Missouri W 45-24
Oct. 29 Baylor W 59-24
Nov. 5 Kansas State L 52-45
Nov. 12 at Texas Tech W 66-6
Nov. 19 at Iowa State L 37-31 2OT
Nov. 26 Oklahoma W 44-10
Fiesta Bowl
Jan. 2 Stanford W 41-38 OT

2010 CFN Prediction: 6-6
2010 Record: 11-2

Sept. 4 Washington St W 65-17
Sept. 11 Troy W 41-38
Sept. 18 Tulsa W 65-28
Sept. 25 OPEN DATE
Sept. 30 Texas A&M W 38-35
Oct. 8 at Louisiana W 54-28
Oct. 16 at Texas Tech W 34-17
Oct. 23 Nebraska L 51-41
Oct. 30 at Kansas St W 24-14
Nov. 6 Baylor W 55-28
Nov. 13 at Texas W 33-16
Nov. 20 at Kansas W 48-14
Nov. 27 Oklahoma L 47-41
ALAMO BOWL
Dec. 29 Arizona W 36-10
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Oklahoma State Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. WR Brandon Sheperd
6-2 185, Scout.com 17th ranked, four-star receiver. A great playmaker at wide receiver, but the first thing that you notice when watching his film is that fact that he plays extremely hard on every snap. He takes the game seriously and the results speak for themselves. He has the extra gear needed to blow by defenders. When he gets the ball in his hands he is dangerous -- he makes people makes people miss in the open field and makes his moves at full speed. He plays with swagger.

2. OG Greg Brantley
6-6, 305, Scout.com 12th ranked, four-star guard. Throughout his high school career Brantley is a player who has continued to develop his skill set on the field and his strength and power off the field in the weight-room. He is quick off of the ball and will finish plays off. He plays tackle in high school, but could also play on the interior in college. He could be a very valuable member to any offensive line. He has quick feet that allows him to be a successful pass blocker.

3. OT Michael Wilson
6-6, 250, Scout.com 22nd ranked, four-star tackle. Wilson has quick feet and hands and a good drop step. He has good flexibility and covers a lot of ground in his backpedal without sacrificing balance. He uses his hands and arms well keeping an on rushing defender at bay. Wilson can change directions and pull block upfield and engage linebackers or even safeties. He'll need to get bigger and stronger and add weight as he matures, but the tools are all in place.

4. TE Blake Jackson
6-4, 232, Scout.com four-star JUCO transfer. Named first team All-ACCAC as a freshman after catching 33 passes for 540 yards and 9 TDs.

5. DT Calvin Barnett
6-3, 295, Scout.com three-star JUCO transfer.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Pass catchers. Oklahoma State is becoming known for developing top-shelf receivers, and the recruits are noticing with several good ones signing on along with JUCO transfer Blake Jackson and some excellent tight ends. Last year’s class brought in a ton of top skill prospects, and this year’s class looks even stronger in the receiving corps. The defense went strong on pass rushers a few years ago, and this year’s haul will be for the next cycle once the 2009 group is done.

Team Concerns For 2012: A pitch-catch combination that can make up for the loss of Brandon Weeden to Justin Blackmon. The Cowboys have top receiver prospects to spare, but all eyes will be on Clint Chelf to see if he can get everyone the ball. The pass rush that was so terrific last year has to replace both ends, and strong safety Markelle Martin will be missed on the defensive side more than Blackmon will on offense.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: The Cowboys aren’t going to fall off the map, but they’re going to take a step back after losing QB Brandon Weeden and two-time Biletnikoff winner Justin Blackmon. Clint Chelf will get the first look at quarterback, and he’ll get a star back to in Joseph Randle to take the heat off. Tracy Moore and Isaiah Anderson have to shine in place of Blackmon. Losing three starters off the offensive line is a big deal, and Josh Cooper will be missed after thriving on the other side of Blackmon. The defense was better and more aggressive than it got credit for, and now it has to replace both ends and leader Markelle Martin, who might be the first strong safety taken in the draft. All three starting linebackers, and leading tacker Daytawion Lowe at free safety, return. Quinn Sharp will be in the hunt for both the Lou Groza and the Ray Guy awards.

The 2011 Class Was Heavy On … Really, really good skill players. The bulk of the class is on the defensive front with James Castelman leading the group of defensive tackles, and Jimmy Bean is a promising end for down the road while JUCO transfer Ryan Robinson will likely see time right away, but the stars are on offense. With the success of Dez Bryant the Justin Robinson, getting receivers isn’t a problem with Desmond Rolany, Johnny Haynes, and David Glidden all good enough to be the next great Cowboy target. J.W. Walsh is a fantastic quarterback prospect with the potential to do a little of everything for the offense, while Herschel Sims is one of the nation’s top running back recruits.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 17. That Class Was Heavy On ... Defensive backs. No one is talking much about Oklahoma State's class mainly because Texas and Oklahoma stole all the limelight, but this was a great year for Mike Gundy. The secondary got lots and lots of bodies with eight prospect signed including corner Tommie Saunders and corner Larry Stephens. JUCO transfer Malcolm Murray is a big, skilled corner. Quarterbacks Nathan Sorenson and Johnny Deaton will get their chances right away to compete for the starting gig, while RB Joseph Randle might be too good to keep off the field. Shaun Lewis and Caleb Lavey will be good starters for the linebacking corps by 2013.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 40. That Class Was Heavy On ... pass rushers. The Cowboys weren’t bad at getting into the backfield over the last few years, but they weren’t good at closing. Getting to the quarterback in the pass-happy Big 12 South is a must, and OSU put a priority on bringing in players who can do that. David Paulsen will be a starter on the outside within the next three years, while Anthony Rogers could be special with a little seasoning. Linebackers LeRon Furr and Jordan Barnes can move and will be excellent blitzers.
 
Fiesta Bowl
Oklahoma State 41 … Stanford 38 OT

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys only committed one penalty. … Brandon Weeden completed 29-of-42 passes for 399 yards and three scores with a pick. … Joseph Randle ran ten times for 23 yards and a score. … Justin Blackmon caught eight passes for 186 yards and three scores. …Alex Elkins made 12 tackles, all solo.

Stanford: The Cardinal outgained OSU 243 rushing yards to 13. … Andrew Luck completed 27-of-31 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns with a pick. … Stephfan Taylor ran 34 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns and caught tree pases for 21 yards. … Ty Montgomery caught seven passes for 120 yards and a score. … Jarek Lancaster and Delano Howell each made seven tackles.

Fiutak - OSU Should've Played LSU
Cirminiello - A Special Fiesta
Sallee - Shaw Lost It
Johnson - Weeden Outplayed Luck
Mitchell - Luck Did His Job
Harrison - No Split Title

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Brandon Weeden threw for 399 yards and three touchdowns to Justin Blackmon in his final collegiate game, and Quinn Sharp hit a 22-yard field goal in overtime to give No. 3 Oklahoma State a 41-38 win over Andrew Luck and No. 4 Stanford in a wildly entertaining Fiesta Bowl on Monday night.

The most anticipated postseason game outside of the BCS championship, the Fiesta Bowl was an impressive offensive show, two of the nation's best teams trading big plays and scores.

Oklahoma State (12-1) had the last one on Sharp's game-winner to win in its first BCS bowl game, earning a chance to stake claim at being No. 1 in The Associated Press poll should Alabama beat LSU in the BCS title game.

Stanford (11-2) had a chance to win in regulation, but redshirt freshman Jordan Williamson hooked a 35-yard field goal wide left as time expired. He also missed from 43 yards in overtime.

Usually balanced Oklahoma State had just 15 yards rushing on 13 carries, but Weeden made up for it, completing 29 of 42 passes and the three scores to Blackmon, who had eight catches for 186 yards.

After the game, Blackmon said he will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Weeden did his best to keep up with Luck, who hit 27 of 31 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns in his final game before heading to the NFL. Stepfan Taylor ran for 177 yards and a pair of scores, and the Cardinal had 590 yards - nearly 200 more than Oklahoma State - but lost a chance for their second straight BCS bowl victory after Williamson's two misses.

Oklahoma State has an electrifying offense - second in scoring, third in total yards - run by the 28-year-old Weeden and featuring Blackmon, the two-time Biletnikoff Award winner.

The Cowboys also came in with a chip on their shoulder, believing they should have gotten a shot at the BCS title game instead of it being a rematch of the field-goal-kicking Game of the Century earlier this season between Alabama and LSU.

Finishing a tantalizingly close .0086 behind the Crimson Tide in the BCS standings, Oklahoma State had plenty to prove, with booster T. Boone Pickens saying the Cowboys should get first-place votes in The Associated Press poll with a Fiesta win and a loss by LSU in the title game.

The Cardinal lost to eventual Pac-12 champion Oregon and crushed nearly everyone else with an offense that was top-15 in scoring and yardage. Stanford also has Luck, the two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up and all-but-certain No. 1 overall NFL pick, complemented by a powerful running game that's as good as any anywhere.

Stanford was the only team to live up to the billing in the early going.

Manhandling Oklahoma State's defense up front, the Cardinal had 225 yards by early in the second quarter and led 14-0 after Luck hit Ty Montgomery on a 53-yard touchdown pass and Jeremy Stewart ran for a 24-yard score.

Oklahoma State's offense was stranded in the desert early: Weeden threw an interception on his first pass, the Cowboys had 27 yards while failing to score in the opening quarter for the first time this season and Blackmon was nowhere to be found.

That changed in the second - and quickly.

Blackmon caught his first pass by splitting the middle of Stanford's defense for a 43-yard touchdown catch, then showed off his power on the next, brushing off a defender like a jacket over his shoulder before racing for a 67-yard touchdown that tied it 14-all.

Two big catches, 110 yards and the offensive show was on.

Stanford answered with an 80-yard drive in eight plays, capped by Taylor's 4-yard touchdown run. The Cardinal left too much time, though, and the Cowboys raced down the field for Weeden's first career rushing touchdown, an ugly-but-effective 2-yarder that made it 21-all at halftime.

Stanford opened the second half with a yard-churning drive for a 6-yard touchdown pass from Luck to Zach Ertz to put the Cardinal up 28-21.

Oklahoma State had a great opportunity after recovering Geoff Meinken's fumble at Stanford's 4-yard line, but had to settle for a field goal. After a Stanford field goal, Weeden found Blackmon for a third time, on a 17-yard crossing pass that tied the game at 31.

Taylor put Stanford up 38-31 with 4 1/2 minutes left, ducking behind Stanford's massive offensive line for a 1-yard touchdown. Oklahoma State answered quickly, moving 67 yards in less than two minutes to tie it on Joseph Randle's 4-yard touchdown run.

Luck seemingly had the Cardinal in position after moving 63 yards, but Williamson couldn't come through, sending the game to overtime, where the Cowboys celebrated by mobbing each other in front of the OSU student section.

Dec. 3 at Oklahoma State 44 … Oklahoma 10
CFN Analysis: For all the great things has done this year, it was the defense that came up with the dominant stomping the team had to have. The Cowboys made the Sooners look silly. … The offensive line destroyed the Sooners with Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith each running for more than 100 yards and two scores. Brandon Weeden wasn’t sacked. … This was stunning from the start. It was a special performance and a great game overall, but it was as if everyone on both sides of the ball – including the fans – were stunned that things unfolded as they did. … Oklahoma State won the Big 12 title. In all the hoopla and all the debating, winning the conference championship can’t be overlooked. It’s a really, really big deal. 

Nov. 18 at Iowa State 37 … Oklahoma State 31 2OT
CFN Analysis: Oklahoma State obviously didn’t have the normal fire and energy after the tragic events of the day. Even so, there were chances to win the game and the team didn’t come through. From the Quinn Sharp missed field goal – it looked like it could’ve been called good – to blowing the 24-7 lead and failing to score in regulation after an early touchdown pass, the team didn’t put it away. … Even with the yards after the catch being kept to a minimum, Brandon Weeden still threw for 476 yards and three scores, but the three interceptions made all the difference. … The national title might be gone but the Big 12 title and the Fiesta Bowl are still there. As disappointing as this was, a win over Oklahoma would still make this an epic season. 

Nov. 12 Oklahoma State 66 … at Texas Tech 6
CFN Analysis: Oklahoma State played like a national title-level team. Any and all chance for Texas Tech to make this a game was gone instantly with Brandon Weeden and the offense as sharp as it’s been all season long. … Texas Tech might be sputtering, but the Cowboy defense made it struggle this week, too. The defensive front never let Seth Doege get comfortable. … Brandon Weeden has to be in the Heisman discussion now after completing 31-of-37 passes for 423 yards and five scores. … Maintain focus at Iowa State on Friday and then it’s two weeks to prepare for a shot at the national title. The team is playing well enough to deserve the shot. 

Nov. 5 at Oklahoma State 52 … Kansas State 45
CFN Analysis: The dream season remains alive, but the Cowboys were exposed on defense again by a team that could pound away with the running game. Missouri managed to crank out 248 yards, Texas ran for 231 yards, and Texas A&M ran for an efficient 162 yards. Collin Klein was unstoppable, but so was Brandon Weeden, who overcame a few huge mistakes to throw for 502 yards and four touchdowns as he came back time and time and time again to answer all of Kansas State’s haymakers. Oklahoma State is simply one of those really good teams that overcomes its problems by bludgeoning opponents with offensive firepower, but to beat Oklahoma and then LSU – and that’s what it’s about now – the defensive front has to be more creative at holding up on third downs. KSU converted half of its chances and had the ball for almost 41 minutes; the Sooners and Tigers can play ball control, too.  

Oct. 29 at Oklahoma State 59 ... Baylor 24
CFN Analysis: The offense gets all the headlines and all the respect, and the running game was special against Baylor with 327 yards helped by 152 yards and four scores from Joseph Randle, and 194 yards on just eight carries from Herschel Sims, but this became a blowout early on because of the defense. Forget about the final stats. Robert Griffin and the passing game bombed away, but it was way too late. The Cowboys looked every bit like they belong in the No. 3 spot in the BCS rankings, and considering it was 49-3 going into the fourth quarter, the 622 allowed don’t really mean all that much. With Kansas State and Texas Tech up next, OSU will face a contrast in styles. That shouldn’t be a problem for one of the nation’s most complete teams.  

Oct. 22 Oklahoma State 45 … at Missouri 24
CFN Analysis: Oklahoma State had its chances to fold, with a missed field goal and a few misfires letting Missouri to get back in the game. But the defense came up with four turnovers, Brandon Weeden was nearly flawless spreading the ball around to nine different receivers, and Joseph Randle ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns, and caught a touchdown pass, as the machine kept rolling along. OSU will have problems if and when the turnovers start flowing, but against the Tigers it was a +3 in turnover margin and was always able to stay two steps ahead. With home games against Baylor and Kansas State coming up, the Cowboys should be able to get through unscathed as long everyone keeps doing their jobs, and if the defense keeps forcing errors, it should be smooth sailing until the Bedlam.  

Oct. 15 Oklahoma State 38 … at Texas 26
CFN Analysis: It wasn’t the normally explosive Oklahoma State effort, outside of the 74-yard Jeremy Smith touchdown dash and a Justin Gilbert kickoff return for a score, but the offense still did enough to get ahead in the second quarter and stay there. Brandon Weeden didn’t have a great day, but he didn’t force any throws and didn’t make any big mistakes, taking what the Longhorns gave him to do just enough to get by. However, he wasn’t great on third downs and the offense didn’t do enough to hold on to the ball to give the defense much rest. That was okay, though, as the D did a nice job of getting pressure in the backfield and came up with three takeaways and enough stops in the second half to get out with the win. It might not have looked pretty, but the Cowboys won at Texas for the second year in a row.  

Oct. 8 at Oklahoma State 70 … Kansas 28
CFN Analysis: That’s what’s called a run. Kansas started off the game looking great with a 7-0 lead off a 10-yard touchdown catch, and then Oklahoma State’s offense rolled for 56 straight first half points in an jaw-dropping display of firepower. Brandon Weeden completed 24-of-28 passes for 288 yards and five touchdowns, and when all was said and done, 21 receivers caught passes with everyone getting to be part of the fun. The defense gave up yards, but it came up with four picks and didn’t have to do anything special in the second half. Weeden is in total command, and next up are a few nice road tests against Texas and Missouri to see if the O can keep rolling. This might have been a nice win, but KU came into the game dead last in the nation in scoring defense and 119th in total D.  

Sept. 24 Oklahoma State 30 … at Texas A&M 29
CFN Analysis: Oklahoma State didn’t panic, Brandon Weeden found his groove, and the team came up with a huge second half to pull off one of the biggest wins in school history. Weeden finished with 438 yards and two scores completing 47-of-60 passes doing a great job of spreading the ball around with Josh Cooper and Justin Blackmon each catching 11 passes and Hubert Anyiam making ten grabs. The offense was cool, calm, and collected as it started to roll in the second half, while the defense stuffed everything up front and forced the Aggies to abandon the run. The 11 penalties were way too many, and the first half really was a disaster, but OSU got the win, and the national title dream is still alive. 

Sept. 17 Oklahoma State 59 ... at Tulsa 33
CFN Analysis: It might have been a late and wild night, but the offense was humming on all cylinders as Brandon Weeden was winging it all over the yard to ten different receivers. Justin Blackmon might have only gone for 57 yards, but he made seven catches while several other players got involved. Joseph Randle continues to be terrific, running for 128 yards and three scores, while Quinn Sharp continues to be a weapon, pinning Tulsa deep on the few occasions the punter saw the field. Playtime is over; the team is fully tuned up for the showdown against Texas A&M. 

Sept. 8 at Oklahoma State 37 … Arizona 14
CFN Analysis: It’ll be interesting to see what happens when the Oklahoma State offense really puts it all together. It’s hard to complain about an offense that cranked out 666 yards in the opener and put up 594 against Arizona, but the team seemed to let down a bit after a dominant first half, and it took a little while to rev it back up again. A better team than Arizona would’ve gotten back in the game in the third quarter, but the Cowboy defense did its job to balance out the tremendous offensive performance. The ten penalties were a bit much, but everything clicked with Justin Blackmon getting back in the scoring swing after not catching a touchdown pass last week, making 12 grabs for 128 yards and two touchdowns, while Joseph Randle put on a show with 15 carries for 121 yards and two scores, to go along with nine catches for 99 yards. The real star, though, was Brandon Weeden, who started out red hot and put the game away in the first half with a near-perfect performance and finishing with 397 yards and two scores on a 42-of-53 passing day. Next up is Tulsa and a 600-yard offensive performance.  

Sept. 3 at Oklahoma State 61 … Louisiana-Lafayette 34
CFN Analysis: The offense looked like it’s business as usual yardage-wise, but there were way, way too many mistakes. Brandon Weeden completed 24-of-39 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns, but he threw three picks. Justin Blackmon was Justin Blackmon, catching eight passes for 144 yards, but he didn’t score, while Joseph Randle ripped off 129 rushing yards and two scores on 22 carries. The pass rush dialed it up a few notches with five sacks, and Markelle Martin showed why he might be the Big 12’s best defensive back with nine tackles, a tackle for loss, and three broken up passes. With 666 yards of offense and 61 points, the Cowboys appear to be more than ready for Arizona. 

The 2011 Recruiting Class Is Heavy On … Really, really good skill players. The bulk of the class is on the defensive front with James Castelman leading the group of defensive tackles, and Jimmy Bean is a promising end for down the road while JUCO transfer Ryan Robinson will likely see time right away, but the stars are on offense. With the success of Dez Bryant the Justin Robinson, getting receivers isn’t a problem with Desmond Rolany, Johnny Haynes, and David Glidden all good enough to be the next great Cowboy target. J.W. Walsh is a fantastic quarterback prospect with the potential to do a little of everything for the offense, while Herschel Sims is one of the nation’s top running back recruits.

Five Oklahoma State Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. RB Hershel Sims
5-9, 190, Scout.com’s 5th ranked running back. Sims is a home-run back who makes big plays in big games. He has some very sick moves in the open field making him one of the toughest players in the game to bring down in a one-on-one scenario. He will remind many people of LaDainian Tomlinson, because he has great hands so he is also able to make some big plays in the passing game. Runs with good power despite his size, but is more of a threat outside the tackles at this point in his career.

2. QB J.W. Walsh
6-2, 200, Scout.com’s 5th ranked quarterback. Strong armed quarterback who will get stronger. He throws a nice tight pass, does very well on fly patterns and patterns between the hash. He knows how to get just enough loft on the pass to get it over defenders and into his receivers hands. he moves well and is a threat to beat you running the ball, which makes defenses keep a close eye on him as a scrambler.

3. WR Desmond Roland
6-2, 190, Scout.com’s 15th ranked receiver. As a senior, Roland spent a large majority of his time at running back and rushed for 1,300 yards and 21 scores to help lead Lake Highlands to a 7-4 record and a berth in the playoffs.

4. LB Ryan Simmons
6-1, 218, Scout.com’s 15th ranked middle linebacker. Solid-sized linebacker, he is about average sized. Does a great job of squaring up for the tackle and completing the play. Sure handed tackler with few misses on tackles. Has great range inside of the tackles, but does not make a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage.

5. OG Travis Cross
6-5, 270, Scout.com’s 11th ranked guard. It is hard to give a great breakdown on Cross, because he does a lot of everything. He could be an excellent guard in college because he moves well, but has the size and reach up front to also play tackle. He is effective at run blocking and pass blocking and can run. He plays with a high motor and has the mean streak that you look for in a lineman. He takes every snap with the defender across from him very seriously, every snap.