Position Previews: Who’s ready to step up in OSU’s secondary?

elsewhere, but Taylor is with the Los Angeles Rams now after maximizing his time in Stillwater.

Sports Editor

The OSU secondary has many questions heading into this season, but not a lot of answers.

Losing players like safety Jason Taylor II, safety Thomas Harper and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad is less than ideal. That’s putting it lightly, too. So, who’s going to replace those guys?

Well, it’s unclear.

But when you consider how many former Cowboys hit the transfer portal, the secondary didn’t get too beaten up. Yes, Harper and Muhammad headed

Despite missing key pieces from last year’s squad and weakened star power heading into this season, there is one key attraction: Kendal Daniels. The redshirt sophomore from Beggs is heading into the season tabbed a preseason All-Big 12 safety while coming off a 71-tackle, threeinterception season where he won Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. In new defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo’s 3-3-5 scheme, Daniels will be the leader of the defensive backline.

Is Daniels going to be able to handle being the only star now? Heck, will Nardo’s scheme even translate to the Big 12 (not to mention Division I football as a whole)?

Once again, the answer to those questions is unclear.

This backline surrounding Daniels is made up of a mixed bag of players. On the one hand, there are older players like cornerback Korie Black, safety cornerback Trey Rucker, cornerback Kenneth Harris and safety Ladarius Webb Jr., who are far from the Taylor-HarperMuhammad level. Black had 25 tackles and zero interceptions last season in 13 games; Rucker only saw action in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against Wisconsin last year; Harris started 18 games in three seasons at Arkansas State and is in his first year with the program; and Webb Jr. was a big-time JUCO player, an NJCAA All-American at that, but who knows if he’s ready for Big 12 ball. Are those guys legit and ready to turn their game up a notch? They may be good veterans, sure. But on the field, are they going to fill the void?

On the other hand, someone like redshirt sophomore cornerback Cam Smith will presumably see most snaps on the field this season. As a freshman, sports.ed@ocolly.com

Smith joined Daniels as the only other freshman to start a game on defense after a slew of injuries to the OSU defense. Not to mention, if another wave of injuries comes this season or if one of the older guys isn’t working out, Cameron Epps and D.J. McKinney are just two players waiting in the wings to be called upon.

Are any of these young guys ready?

It’s not a fun answer, but only time will tell.

Any time a unit has this many questions surrounding it, answers can only come when the lights are on and the seats are full. Until then, the Cowboy faithful may have to cross their fingers for a star like Daniels to keep them afloat until Nardo and Co. know who’s ready to step up.