STILLWATER — Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy has spoken on multiple occasions this spring about the hybrid players on his defense, and two of the most important are Collin Oliver and Kendal Daniels.

Oliver was a traditional defensive end his first two seasons, but was used in a dual role as a linebacker and edge rusher last season. So far this spring, Oliver says he’s been working primarily on the defensive line, though his role will still contain some linebacker-style elements.

While neither of those aspects is entirely new to Oliver, Daniels has been working with the linebackers in addition to his usual role as the middle safety in the five-man secondary.

As Oliver has watched practice tape, seeing Daniels’ performance at linebacker has been exciting.

“I’ve watched plenty of film on the practices we’ve had, and I’ll tell you right now, he’s gonna be scary,” Oliver said. “Every time I watch it, he’s a huge dude with dreads, looking like a Predator. He’s gonna be real scary back there.”

For Oliver, adding some extra pass-rush opportunities gives him the best of both worlds. The 6-foot-2, 245-pound senior likely doesn’t project as a traditional defensive end in the NFL, yet rushing off the edge is his most dangerous weapon with the Cowboys.

And the inconsistency of the pass rush last season left room for improvement, which Oliver’s presence should help with.

“I love it,” he said. “With the teams we play, pass rushing is gonna be very important. That’s what a four-man front brings to the table.”

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Physicality of Nnodim, Ford standing out early

With only seven spring practices behind them, the true freshman early enrollees have had little opportunity to show off their football skills. 

But Gundy noted a couple of the newcomers who have stood up to the physical test of transitioning to college ball.

Defensive lineman Armstrong Nnodim and tight end Josh Ford arrived in January prepared for the increase in physicality that they’d see at OSU.

“Armstrong, I would say, is able to hold his own on the physical side of it,” Gundy said. “And then offensively, Ford can hold his own in there. Now, their heads are spinning and they might go the wrong direction. But they’re further along physically, so they can battle and fight through things that some other high school players wouldn’t.”

Both are at positions of need, which could lend itself to early playing time if they stay on track into the fall.

Nnodim is listed at 6-foot-2 and 270 pounds and could work his way into the rotation, while Ford, who is 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, will have an easier path to playing time at tight end, which has limited returning experience.

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Kobe Hylton is ‘what we thought’

Because of the unknown element of players coming in via the transfer portal, the early portion of spring is important for them to show their ability to fit in with their new program.

So far, so good, for UTEP transfer Kobe Hylton. A 6-foot, 210-pound safety who is in his super-senior year, Hylton brings a veteran presence to a secondary that relied on multiple first-year starters last season.

“You can tell he’s experienced,” Gundy said. “He’s gonna be mature and physical enough. He’s fast enough. Now he’s learning new terminology, new schemes, new concepts. But he’s what we thought when we brought him in here.

“He gives us that extra experience to help several of the young guys at that position get through another year. Because those guys, as we develop them, can compete and play sparingly, but hopefully, Kobe can carry more of the load.”