3 players OSU football needs a breakout from in 2023

OSU can return to Big 12 contention, such as Garret Rangel, Ollie Gordon and Jaden Bray, here are three underthe-radar picks for potential breakout seasons in 2023.

Cole Birmingham any position depending on injuries.

Anthony Goodlow

After a dismal end of OSU’s 2022 season full of blowout losses, injuries, bad luck and flat-out bad football at times, the Cowboys’ new-look team in 2023 will be looking for risers to come out of their role-player shells and become stars. While there are some obvious picks on who will need to improve so

After missing the entire 2022 season with a torn ACL, Birmingham will return for his fifth season and will likely start at left guard for the Cowboys. He started all 14 games in 2021, but only one at guard. He played well on an overall mediocre offensive line, and his presence was missed last year.

With presumed starting left tackle Dalton Cooper returning from a lower body injury that kept him out of spring practices, Birmingham will have to be a reliable blocker on the left side of the line, with the ability to move to

With only 10 starts in his college career before transferring to OSU, Goodlow is likely to see the field more than he ever has in 2023. At 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, Goodlow has prototypical size to play defensive end in a 3-3-5 defense.

He found success last season defending the rush — totaling seven tackles for loss in five starts — but needs to find more consistency attacking the quarterback. The Cowboys only sacked opposing quarterbacks 10 times in the last eight games of the season, and with Collin Oliver switching to offball linebacker, they will need to find more production in their pass rush.

Kendal Daniels

Some may say Daniels broke out in 2022 after being named the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. And while he had a solid season, his ceiling is much higher.

Defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo said most of the secondary will run through Daniels. As a single-high safety in a 3-3-5, he will be entrusted with most of the back end of the defense and will need to recognize opposing pass offenses and quickly get to defend deep passes.

Daniel was a four-star with major offers for a reason, and if he shows his athleticism and high-level of decision making in 2023, he could be one of the best players not just at OSU, but in the country.

sports.ed@ocolly.com

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The first clause in the Bill of Rights states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

Brian O’Brien, a pastor at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, said this new school does not violate the Constitution.

“It’s a new idea but one that I firmly support, so I was glad to see it get initial approval knowing that there is likely a legal case coming before the school opens to serve students and families around Oklahoma,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien said parents, especially of low-income families, will be the main beneficiaries of this new school.

A publicly funded religious school gives parents another educational option. He also said the consequences are more choices for parents.

“The Constitution of the United States of America allows for reasonable cooperation between religious entities and the government,” O’Brien said. “This happens with hospitals, social service agencies and universities. Various religions work with secular governments everyday. When a religious institution partners with a government (local, state, or federal), the religious institution is still religious (if they want to be).”

Jaime Gutierrez, a secondary education senior, said learning about the new school was both interesting and unsurprising. He believes publicly funding a religious school is a violation of the Constitution.

“I think one concern with this type of educational institution is that there may be debates about whether public funds should be allocated to religious institutions, and it can potentially raise questions of equity, fairness and the separation of church and state,” Gutierrez said.

As someone who attended a private Catholic school and a future educator, Gutierrez thinks incorporating religion within a school setting has negative societal connotations. However, the private schools he’s attended and worked with have set standards to include and welcome everyone, he said.

“Although Oklahoma might potentially be the first state to have a publicly funded religious school in the USA, I think some Oklahomans may choose to challenge the vote of approving this type of school,” Gutierrez said. news.ed@ocolly.com

“A dad came over to talk to me a couple weeks ago,” she said. “They’re looking at moving. They haven’t sought any surgical care but just advice, expertise, trying to understand implications. There was a discussion around possible treatment, but they hadn’t even sought medicine, yet.”

Bullard said the Millstone Act’s name referred to “Matthew 18:6, ‘but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

But one reverend said it’s “very easy for people to cherry pick Bible verses to back up their beliefs.”

“It is my understanding as a minister that the Bible doesn’t say anything. We interpret it,” said Rev. Lori Walke of Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ in Oklahoma City.

Walke, who opposed the Millstone Act, said she does not believe religion should be used politically to “harass an enemy.”

“We have to very, very careful to use Scripture wisely and with discernment, and we certainly have to use love to interpret Scripture and not Scripture to interpret love,” she said.

“The Gospel is political,” she said. “Politics are those things which organize us into community and how the community is shaped. That can be into a society that is homophobic, sexist, racist, xenophobic, or not.

“People of any faith … should be engaged in politics, should be engaged in a shaping of our community,” Walke said. “From a Christian perspective, I believe that we should be shaping our commu- nities into a reflection of God’s justice and God’s peace and God’s mercy.”

Walke preaches inclusivity and progressive values to her congregation. She has seen transgender people join her church and has members serving as deacons.

“It is of utmost importance,” Walke said. “We believe that we should only reject the people that Jesus rejected, which turns out is no one.”

A Stillwater church leader who supported the Millstone Act said he preaches politics from his pulpit.

“I’ve lost some people in the church because of that,” said Pastor Rusty Rhoads of Calvary Assembly of God.

“Where are you going to hear the biblical perspective if it’s not preached in the pulpit?”

Rhoads said he supports banning gender-affirming care that, in his opinion, causes spiritual and physical harm. He said the ban is needed to protect Christian values in Oklahoma. His opposition to gender reassignment comes from his love for Jesus Christ and his concern for the souls of others, he said.

“This stuff you’re talking about is not worth missing eternity, because it’s forever,” Rhoads said. “You don’t get a second chance. That’s why I am in business, because if I didn’t care, I would shut my Bible, get off the pulpit, tell people to go to hell and go play golf.”

He said allowing people to identify as a different gender would open the door for people to identify as anything they want.

“First of all, you can’t just identify as something and get it.” Rhoads said. “If that was the case, I would be an Indian and get Indian hospitalization and money. There’s a lot of things, I can say I’m an NBA player, am I going to get on their payroll? If I’m going to say I’m a cat, are you going to get me some litter boxes?”

SB 613 defines gender transition as “medical or surgical services performed for the purpose of attempting to affirm the minor’s perception of his or her gender or biological sex, if that perception is inconsistent with the minor’s biological sex.”

Moss Abla’s mother has been with him through the transition process. Both are aware of the risks after talking with the doctors providing the treatment.

“There’s a whole sitdown talking about the risks and the things that are reversible and the things that are not,” Leslie Abla said. “It’s called informed consent, and it’s important within the medical community. I think our legislators forget that we have that.”

Moss Abla recently started testosterone treatment. Prior to the treatments, he and his mother had met with the doctors on a Zoom call.

“We talked about my goals,” Moss Abla said. “What I wanted my body to look like and what I wanted my voice to sound like.”

He said gender-affirming care gives him a sense of peace knowing he socially presents exactly how he feels.

But Rhoads contended that allowing gender-affirming care increases suicide rates