Why Are Oklahoma State Cowboys Being So Underrated?

Defense

The Cowboys broke tradition last year and surprisingly had a very good defense, giving up only 21.6 points per game and holding the high-powered Baylor offense to only 17 points. The losses on this side are the biggest causes for concern for the team because it is not as system-0riented as the offense. There are questions about this unit everywhere coming into the season.

Live Feed

Cincy on the Prowl

The defensive line, fortunately, is the one part of the defense that doesn’t face many questions. True, defensive end Tyler Johnson is gone along with tackle Calvin Barnett. But junior end Jimmy Bean was as productive as Johnson with 10 tackles for a loss and 5 sacks, and senior tackle James Castleman was more productive in the middle than Barnett with 29 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. Both should be better this year. Sophomore Emmanuel Ogbah had 5.5 tackles for a loss and 4 sacks as a freshman last year and should join them, lining up at end. Look for him to possibly turn into a major impact player. Senior Sam Wren and junior Trace Clark will also provide depth on the end. In the middle, senior Ofa Hautau should also have a much bigger role. He still managed 2 tackles for a loss and a sack in very limited time last year. Sophomore Eric Davis and redshirt freshmen Ben Hughes, Vincent Taylor, and Vili Leveni could all be in the rotation for defensive tackle as well since depth is needed at that position. Overall, expect the line to be better this year. There’s more experience and better talent stepping in. But this is where the good news for the defense stops.

The linebackers are a lot thinner with three of the four major contributors from last year gone. Caleb Lavey is a huge loss after 77 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, 4 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles. Shaun Lewis had another 63.5 tackles, 8 tackles for a loss, 2 forced fumbles, and 3 interceptions, and Joe Mitchell had 37.5 tackles and 2 tackles for a loss. All three of them are gone. The only returning major player from last year is junior Ryan Simmons, who is indeed very good after 58 tackles, 9 tackles for a loss, a sack, 1 interception, and 2 passes broken up last year. But he’s not as good as the top two performers from last year. Junior Kris Catlin will fill one of the other positions, but he saw very limited action last year. Sophomore Seth Jacobs will also be called upon, and although he didn’t play a lot last year, he was only a freshman, and the 2013 4-star on Rivals has lots of potential. Sophomores Demarcus Sherod and Dominic Ramacher are both going to have pretty regular roles as well this year, at least to provide depth. After that, there’s no experience with this unit. However, Junior Devante Averette, 4-star freshman Gyasi Akem, and freshman Josh Mabin could all step in immediately. This unit has a very bright future with lots of raw talent and no seniors, but this year the drop-off from the departing talent will be too much to overcome. Expect a major regression.

Aug 31, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive end Jimmy Bean (92) tackles Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott (15) during the third quarter at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The secondary would appear to have the worst regression because it loses all four starters. However, with a pass defense ranked 79th in the country last year despite all the coverage aid provided by the linebackers, it may not be such a bad thing. Only cornerback Justin Gilbert is a big loss, but believe me, he is a gigantic loss. Gilbert had 7 interceptions last year and another 7 passes broken up. However, with three safeties and the other cornerback, Tyler Patmon, all gone, perhaps some new blood is just what the doctor ordered. Junior cornerbacks Ashton Lampkin, Kevin Peterson, and Miketavius Jones will all be in the rotation, and Peterson was pretty good last year with 2 interceptions, 4 passes broken up, and 3 tackles for a loss. Senior Larry Stephens will fill the void at free safety left by Daytawion Lowe, and sophomore Deric Robertson will fill the strong safety position. Michigan transfer and senior Josh Furman will also have a role in the offense. After that, there are six freshmen to turn to for depth or to fill in if somebody isn’t performing. Long-term this unit will be better than it was last year, but it’s far too inexperienced this year. Expect it to be just as bad, if not worse, as it was last year.

Because of the drop-off in the secondary and the severe drop-off at linebacker, don’t expect the same defensive production this year. In fact, expect it to be a lot worse. It won’t stay that way in the future, but the Cowboys simply have too much to replace, even with a very solid defensive line returning. Continue to Next Slide for Special Teams