Trevino’s tidbits

Collin Oliver needs a breakout season. Not just for his stock, but for OSU’s defense

Most of the successful 3-3-5 defenses have one thing in common — a dominant edge rusher.

Of the ones in the Big 12: Kansas State had Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Iowa State had Will McDonald IV, two players who were drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. When a defense has three down, it’s immediately outnumbered, but it can be countered by a dominant rusher, who can single-handedly break through for a sack or tackle for loss, or set the edge.

Though OSU’s Collin Oliver will be playing more upright linebacker this season in new OSU defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo’s 3-3-5 scheme, if he and the Cowboys want to be the best it can be in the first year of the system, Oliver will need a breakout that puts him on the national stage. Oliver burst onto the scene with a 2021 freshman season where he led the No. 3 defense in the country in sacks and tackles for loss (11.5, 15.5). His highlight of — after being pancaked — crawling to sack then OU quarterback Caleb Williams to seal the Bedlam win for OSU marked him as a fan-favorite.

Last year, as OSU’s defense took a step back, so did Oliver. He again led the team with sacks, but with only five, it was a lofty step-back from the year before. Snap count was mostly behind this issue, as some drives Oliver wasn’t on the field. When he was, his limited pass rush plan made it difficult to get past larger, athletic tackles. As OSU begins training camp before the 2023 season with a projected three new starters on the defensive line, the Cowboys will rely on Oliver to have his best year, even with less snaps rushing off the edge. After fifth-years Brock Martin, Brendon Evers, Tyler Lacy and Sione Asi graduated, OSU replaced them with portal additions Justin Kirkland (Utah Tech) and Anthony Goodlow (Tulsa). Goodlow is an experienced, big defensive lineman at 6-foot-5 285 pounds, but has lacked production in pass rush, while Kirkland is expected to be the Cowboys starting nosetackle as a sophomore.

Otherwise, Nathan Latu, Xavier Ross, Collin Clay and

Kody Watlersheid — defensive lineman who are expected to get significant snaps — are fine players but haven’t showed a starter-level of play as upperclassmen.

Oliver, a prototypical 3-3-5 edge rusher at 6-2 235 pounds, can be the speed-topower rusher OSU needs using his best traits — a great get off speed, inside hand swipes and quality pad level.

Stopping the pass and the rush starts at the defensive line, which showed when the Cowboys couldn’t do either in the back half of OSU’s 2022 season. The Cowboys were mauled by Kansas State, Kansas, OU, West Virginia and Wisconsin, allowing almost every rush into the second level and failed to provide pressure onto the quarterback. sports.ed@ocolly.com

If Oliver put together a complete defensive season at linebacker and on the line, he can cement himself as a future NFL player, all-time OSU great and be the force behind OSU’s defensive resurgence with Nardo.