Oklahoma State Football: 2017 season preview, predictions

Defense

If Oklahoma State’s offense is a reliable scientific constant, like gravity, their defense is like aliens. Odds are they exist, but you don’t know when or if they are going to show up and what they will look like when they do. The Cowboys have just five starters returning from an average to bad defense and one of them is changing positions.

Last year’s defense improved from the previous season as they kept opponents to less than 30 points for the first time since 2013. However, the 52nd ranked scoring defense at 26.5 points per game isn’t exactly stout. They actually overperformed given the yards they gave up. Oklahoma State was 92nd in total yards 98th in passing and 82nd in rushing. A top 10 turnover margin definitely made up for some of that.

The Cowboys bring back their two junior defensive ends Cole Walterscheid and Jarrel Evans. Senior Chad Whitener is the team’s leading returning tackler. The middle linebacker tied for the team lead in tackles for loss with 6.5.

The good news is their 2011 defense that went 12-1 and won the Big 12 gave up 26.4 points per game, so there is a precedent for this team.

Old faces, new places

The biggest area of concern for Mike Gundy will be the secondary. Seniors Tre Flowers and Ramon Richards will lead the defensive backs from the safety spots. Richards is making the move to free safety from corner. He had the second most tackles of any returning player even as a corner last year. He also led the team with three interceptions. Flowers, the Cowboys’ lone defensive Preseason All-Big 12 pick, led the team last year with seven pass breakups.

Adrian Baker, a grad transfer from Clemson, and Madre Harper, who played in 12 games as a true freshman, will attempt to take over the corner spots.