STILLWATER — Mike Gundy is never short on opinions.

And this offseason, college football is not short on impactful rule changes.

So the Oklahoma State coach has thoughts on the new technology and guidelines coming to the game this season.

The three most notable rule changes are:

• Two-minute warning time stoppages at the end of each half, like the NFL.
• In-helmet communication devices for a coach to speak to a player on the field.
• Tablets on the sidelines for teams to review in-game video.

Particularly when it comes to using technology, Gundy has been a vocal proponent of improving what is available to college programs. 

He suggested last year the need for an in-helmet communication system amid the Michigan sign-stealing scandal.

Still, he feels college football ventured into the technological advancement a little too softly with its newest change. 

Here’s a look at what Gundy had to say about the three major changes at hand:

More: Some Oklahoma State football game times set, including early starts for Arkansas, Colorado

Communication device ‘doesn’t do much’

Following the NFL’s footsteps, college football will allow one player on each side of the ball to have an in-helmet communication device so a coach can speak directly to the player until the play clock reaches 15 seconds.

Gundy is excited to see the communication devices brought in, but he doesn’t believe the guidelines are broad enough to impact the game or stop sign stealing.

“In the NFL, they huddle up on both sides of the ball,” Gundy said. “Colleges don’t huddle up. So one ear piece in one player, in my opinion, doesn’t do much for college football on either side of the ball.

“One guy either has to yell what he hears to everybody, which is not gonna go over good in a big stadium with a college football environment, or you’re back to signaling. So I think it’s a step in the right direction, but I’m just not sure we took the step that’s gonna stop the issues that forced us into this situation.”

Gundy’s solution? Allow teams to use five communication devices at a time. 

“Your quarterback gets one and your skill kids on offense get one,” Gundy said. “Then your quarterback’s always gonna tell the line what to do. 

“On defense, you can give it to two safeties, your corners and one linebacker, and he becomes the quarterback on defense. That’s what I proposed to them, but I’m a process-of-elimination guy who solves problems really easily. I didn’t have to think that through. But they didn’t buy it.”

During spring practice, Gundy used the devices on both sides of the ball. Obviously, the quarterback was the option for the ear piece, but Gundy said the defensive decision was being toyed with. 

“We haven’t made that decision yet,” he said. “We were hoping multiple ear pieces would be allowed. We’ve had the discussion about who gets it. I would guess with most college football teams, it’ll be a linebacker or safety.”

More: How Gavin Freeman’s Oklahoma State ties led him from OU to Cowboys football in portal

Tablets a needed upgrade

Again copying the NFL, college football will allow 18 video-capable tablets on each sideline for players and coaches to review video of the current game only.

On NFL television broadcasts, cameras regularly catch players using the handheld tablets on the sideline for a quick review session of the previous series.

“We’re migrating toward the NFL in everything we do,” Gundy said. “With the technology and the two-minute warnings, and paying players, we’re becoming a minor-league system of the NFL is basically what’s happening. Revenue sharing is right around the corner.

“Each position group and multiple other people — whoever they (the NCAA decision-makers) determine can have them — will use (tablets) just like you see in the NFL,” Gundy said. “When I would go watch my boys play high school football, they would come off to the sideline and go watch a 70-inch TV that they had wired up and they could go over their stuff.

“We’re just now getting to a tablet, but we can’t use anything other than just that tablet.”

More: How Oklahoma State football’s Parker Robertson learned he was no longer a Cowboys walk-on

Two-minute warning adds strategy

Another idea plucked from the NFL, college football will now have an automatic stoppage with two minutes left in each half.

It’s an interesting change, considering last year’s move to shorten the game by eliminating certain late-game clock stoppage situations. 

The previous changes made it easier for a winning team to run down the clock, but this will provide an additional stoppage without a team using a timeout.

“There is some strategy involved in that,” Gundy said. “When you’re on defense and you’re trying to get the ball back, you’re trying to use your timeouts and force them to use the two-minute warning as another timeout when the offense doesn’t want to. So there’s some strategy that goes into it.

“Last year’s change, if you got behind by multiple scores with seven minutes to go in the game, it felt like the clock never stopped. You were really in trouble. I think that’s gonna stay the same with the exception of that one timeout.”

On Saturday night, 3-star McKinney (TX) defensive lineman Jordan Covington announced his commitment to Oklahoma State.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds, Covington is one of the top 100 defensive lineman in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. The Dallas-area product chose the Cowboys over Missouri, Michigan State, TCU and others, marking a huge win on the recruiting trail for Bryan Nardo and company.

With good size and solid agility for his stature, Covington is a good fit in Nardo’s defense and has the potential to make an impact off the edge or inside. The rising senior helped lead McKinney to a 9-3 season record and a berth in the UIL State Playoffs.

Covington announced his commitment during a visit to Stillwater, which he set for June 7-9 back in late May. Mike Gundy and company originally offered Covington in early May, securing a commitment from the 3-star prospect just over a month later.

The Lions’ standout defensive lineman is the 10th player to join OSU’s 2025, with all 10 commits coming in the past four months and nine coming since the start of April. Covington is just the second defensive player come on board for the Cowboys, joining Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic (KS) edge rusher Kyle Keya, who announced his pledge in April.

Covington is the third player in the Cowboys upcoming class from the Dallas-Forth Worth metroplex, with McKinney North (TX) wide receiver Kameron Powell and Trinity Christian Academy (TX) offensive lineman Jaylan Beckley both hailing from the same area.

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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The United States Auto Club Indiana Midget Week is in full swing across the Hoosier state. 

There are just two races remaining this week: One at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt on Saturday, and the finale at Kokomo Speedway in Kokomo on Sunday.  

“To be running Midget week itself is a blessing,” driver Ryan Timms said.

Timms, an Oklahoma City native, is finding plenty of success on the track so far this week. He is currently second in the USAC Indiana Midget Week standings, 31 points behind USAC Indiana Midget Week points leader Daison Pursley.

Pursley, like Timms, is also an Oklahoma native. Pursley’s hometown is Locust Grove, Oklahoma.

Cannon McIntosh is in third place in this week’s standings entering Saturday. And guess what? He also is from Oklahoma. McIntosh’s hometown is Bixby, Oklahoma.

“I love this week,” Timms said. “I love all the tracks here in Indiana.”

Timms, who is just 17 years old, started the week off strong. He stormed to victory on Wednesday night at Lawrenceburg Speedway, the first race of the USAC Indiana Midget Week (after Circle City Raceway’s event was rained out on Tuesday). On Thursday, he finished in second place at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville. Then, on Friday, he finished in 11^th place at Bloomington Speedway.

“The standards are definitely high, but I feel like I’m very capable of meeting those standards,” Timms said. 

He’s showing off those skills on the track this week. In fact, he’s passed the most cars (25) of any driver during the past three races.

“Running so many Midget races, I’ve gotten really comfortable in the car,” Timms said. “And I’ve just adapted really well to it. I learn something new every single night. I just take what opportunities are given and make the most out of them, and try to learn everything I can going into the next night.”

The highlight of his week so far was his victory on Wednesday. What made it even more special for the Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports/JBL Audio–IWX–Mobil 1/LynK/Speedway Toyota driver was that the victory gave Mike Curb his 200^th career victory as a USAC national entrant.

“Going into that race, I had no idea that that was a thing,” Timms joked. “And I didn’t know that that was his 200^th win until I got out of the car in victory lane.”

Timms added it was an honor to be a part of that moment. 

“To be able to race for him, and to get their 200^th win at a place like Lawrenceburg, in a race week like Midget Week, it’s really awesome,” Timms said.

Timms also won at Lawrenceburg Speedway during USAC Indiana Midget Week in 2023.