Linebackers could be one of Cowboys’ strongest groups

will feature returning starter Xavier Benson, Tulsa transfer Justin Wright and former freshman All-American defensive end Collin Oliver.

step as well, just trying to improve in that area,” Oliver said. “I like moving around, I like doing all that good stuff.

I’m no stranger to it, we did it in 2021.

Former OSU linebacker Mason Cobb’s exit seemed to decimate the OSU linebackers when he transferred to USC in December.

It didn’t help that the Cowboys hired their third defensive coordinator in as many years. But the position found some footing and could now be one of the strongest groups for OSU in 2023.

The Cowboys’ linebacker group

Oliver will make the transition from defensive end to linebacker this year with the system new defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo brings. The scheme is a 3-3-5, which will allow Oliver to play freely and gives the preseason All-Big 12 selection more opportunities to make plays.

Oliver said he loves having the freedom of a defensive end/linebacker hybrid. In Oliver’s first two seasons with OSU, he had 16.5 sacks and 57 tackles.

“Like I said, just bringing back that instinctual stuff at linebacker, that’s been my biggest step and my next

I just love moving around on the defensive end and doing what I want to do.”

Wright played five seasons at Tulsa, where he earned two second-team All-American Athletic Conference honors and an honorable mention in his last three years. In those seasons, Wright recorded 246 tackles and 84 tackles for loss. Wright was one of the first portal commits for OSU in the offseason.

Also in the rotation for the group is sophomore Nickolas Martin, redshirt freshman Gabe Brown and redshirt freshman Donovan Stephens.

Benson is the leading returning tackler (76) to the Cowboys’ defense this season. Benson is a sixth-year senior and will help lead a young defense through a changing scheme and conference. Benson said he feels the linebacker group is more together than once before.

“It’s a lot more mature, older,” Benson said. “I feel there’s a lot more accountability held toward one another. Even with our threes, even with our ones. Nobody is out of the frame from getting corrected. There’s no dominant figure of the linebacker group because we are all as one. We take care of each other; we make sure everybody’s OK.” sports.ed@ocolly.com