Oklahoma
Oklahoma State Players Praise New Staff’s Knowledge, Intensity
STILLWATER — Cowboy fans will need a roster handy when the team takes the field next fall to learn all their new players, but there are also going to be a ton of new guys dressed in polos with headsets on along the OSU sideline.
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy just about cleaned house when it came to his coaching staff after last season’s 3-9 finish. He hired two new coordinators (OC Doug Meacham and DC Todd Grantham) and allowed those guys to fill out their position coaches.
Among the 15 guys listed on OSU’s coaching staff page, only three are in the same role this season as they were the last: Gundy himself, specialists coach Sean Snyder, and strength and conditioning coach Rob Glass. Safeties coach Greg Brown was on OSU’s staff last season as a defensive analyst, but outside of that, every one is new.
In talking with players during the first two weeks of spring ball, the word “intensity” has been said in reference to just about everyone. Gundy mentioned Tuesday how there is more colorful language being said around the practice fields this spring, particularly from the defensive coaches.
Returning defensive tackle Iman Oates said new defensive line coach Ryan Osborn, formerly the defensive coordinator at Charlotte, brings that intensity, and it helps bring the intensity out of his guys. But Oates also heaped praise on Osborn’s teaching ability.
“He’s all over the place, man,” Oates said. “He’s relatable, but he also can teach like no coach I’ve had before. The knowledge of the game, the way he gives the information, it makes it hard to not be able to learn it.”
Jules Montinar takes over coaching the Cowboys’ cornerbacks. He was at East Carolina the past two seasons as the Pirates defensive pass game coordinator and corners coach. He’s also been on staffs at Florida, Georgia and Alabama throughout his career.
Corner Cam Smith is entering his fifth year with the program. He’s started in all 26 of the Cowboys’ games the past two seasons. Smith spoke highly of Montinar’s ability to teach and noted that coaches from all over the staff are holding guys accountable.
“Coach Jules is big on technique, knowing what to do and how to do it and knowing why it’s important,” Cam Smith said. “So I feel like that’s definitely big from a corner standpoint. All the coaching staff holds everybody accountable. The D-line coach can yell at the corners if he see they not really doing what they supposed to be doing. So I just love that everybody’s held to the same standard.”
On the offensive side, there probably isn’t a position coach more under a microscope this offseason than quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns. With all the new players, every position coach will have to work through position battles this spring, but Johns’ four-quarterback battle among Garret Rangel, Zane Flores, Maealiuaki Smith and Hauss Hejny will have the most eyeballs on it.
“Coach Johns, he’s very big time with the mental side of the game — the IQ, the game slowing down,” Smith said. “I feel like I’m understanding the game a lot more with Coach Johns.
“Coach Meacham, he’s really fun because the offense is really quarterback friendly. We like to throw the ball down the field, and that’s what he likes to do, get the ball to his receivers.”
OSU brought in three new tight ends from the transfer portal to compete alongside returners Josh Ford and Quinton Stewart. That group’s new coach is DJ Tialavea, who had been at Utah State (his alma mater) since 2020. When speaking about Tialavea, Ford brought up that word again: intensity.
“Man, Coach DJ, I’d say just everything we do, the intensity is up,” Ford said. “I love that. Say it’s a Thursday morning run, we’re in here at 6 a.m. running 200s, that’s basically game day for us. He gets us all in the right mindset, like we’re gonna dominate this. He encourages us to be the first in everything. If there’s a line across the field and we end a drill over here on this corner, he’s expecting us to be the first there, be the first in line in every single line.”
NORMAN — Cord Rager’s return comes at a pivotal time for Skip Johnson’s Oklahoma Sooners. Not only do they get their day three starter back in time for big road matchups against Auburn and Arkansas on the horizon, but the Sooners pitching strength, their rotational depth, is primed and ready for the test.
The freshman lefty finished with eight strikeouts and only gave up one hit in only 65 pitches before his day ended in the sixth.
No. 14 Oklahoma earn its first conference sweep of the season, defeating Missouri 8-4. It was OU’s fourth conference series win.
Oklahoma (27-12, 10-8) put their best foot forward as they turn the page to the meat of their schedule where they will do battle against No. 13, No. 20 and No. 16 over the next three weeks — two of those series’ on the road.
Four runs in five hits in the second got things rolling for the Sooners.
Camden Johnson continued his brilliant play of late with a triple in the second. This came after a Brenden Brock solo home run to put OU up 1-0. Deiten LaChance grounded out to short but scored Johnson. Dasan Harris and and Nolan Stevens each found home before the inning ended.
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OU found fortune from the plate again in the fourth. Four runs off of four hits highlighted by a three-run home run by Johnson put Oklahoma up 8-0. It was Johnson’s seventh home run of the season, second on the team behind Brock’s nine.
Trent Collier got the nod in the sixth to relieve Rager.
In the seventh, Missouri finally got on the board for the first time since the ninth inning of Friday night’s Sooner victory. Cam Durnin hit a solo shot — his fourht of the season — to make the score 8-1 in favor of the home team.
The Tigers got their third hit of the game shortly after. From there, Collier’s short day was done. Gavyn Jones came on to relieve
LaChance missed a home run by inches when Tiger center fielder Kaden Peer made a leaping catch, jumping into the fence.
In the eighth, the Tigers continued to chip away. With bases loaded, Blaze Ward hit a basehit to score two Missouri base runners. OU led 8-3 heading into the final inning.
Harris led the Sooners with three hits. His day was accented by an RBI, stolen base and a run.
Oklahoma will travel to Auburn to take on the No. 13 Tigers for a three game series starting on Friday. Before that, they will host Oral Roberts for a midweek game at Kimrey Family Stadium in Norman. The Sooners won 4-0 against ORU earlier this season.
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New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
Iowa State wrestling’s first commitment of the Brent Metcalf era will be a transfer portal addition.
The Cyclones added Oklahoma State transfer Brayden Thompson, who announced his commitment on April 18 via Instagram. Thompson is a one-time NCAA qualifier at the 2024 NCAA Championships, doing so as a true freshman. He redshirted in 2024-25, but competed in open tournaments at 184 pounds and was 9-0. He did not wrestle a match in 2025-26 and will have at least two years of eligibility remaining.
Out of high school, Thompson was ranked the No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler and No. 1 at 182 pounds in the 2023 recruiting class by Flowrestling. He also won Powerade and Ironman titles, two of the more prestigious high school tournaments in the nation. Assuming Thompson returns to 184 pounds where he last wrestled, he should fill in nicely as a potential replacement for Isaac Dean after his graduation.
Thompson is Iowa State’s first transfer portal addition after several departures, including Anthony Echemendia and Christian Castillo, who also entered the portal.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners liked their wide receiver room a year ago. They want 2026 to be even better.
Isaiah Sategna’s return helps that desire. Earning experienced pass catchers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone via the transfer portal gives you added play makers. But after the Sooners Spring Game on Saturday, an unlikely hero emerged.
When Jahsiear Rogers flipped from Penn State to Oklahoma last December, he drew the usual excitement that comes with a new commitment. But few expected him to climb the depth chart this quickly, even with the injuries that hit Emmett Jones’ room.
Rogers did just that and more on Saturday. He led all pass catchers with five receptions for 70 yards in Oklahoma’s annual Red/White game.
“I knew it was time to showcase,” Rogers said after the game. “It was amazing to see the fans and get used to the OU way. I’m a playmaker. They really want to put the ball in playmakers hands. I pretty much knew I had to lead the white team.”
Rogers got the ball rolling early. On the second offensive play for the white team, backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer rolled to his right wide, then stopped and looked towards the middle of the field where he saw Rogers running open. Newbauer connected with Rogers for a 39-yard gain.
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With Rogers on the white team, he is running against (most of) Oklahoma’s starting defense. As fate would have it, on that 39-yard reception, Rogers beat his favorite teammate to compete against — Reggie Powers.
“He is just a leader, good guy,” Rogers said of Powers. “Me and him go after it every day in practice. Reggie is strong. When I come at him, I have to really come at him.”
Rogers’ big play over Powers was the second-longest catch of the spring game — Sategna’s 50-yard reception that appeared to be a touchdown before coaches pulled it back to set up a red-zone rep. The other four catches weren’t flashy, but they were important in their own way, and Rogers looked like he belonged on the field.
“I love it. As long as I can get the ball, I can be me. I love it,” Rogers said. “When I am on the field, I am ready to go. I am ready to be a playmaker.”
The season is still months away, and Rogers hasn’t earned a spot high on the depth chart yet. A strong spring and an encouraging Red/White Game can only lead to early playing time if he carries that momentum into summer and fall camp.
More experienced players will return from injury and receivers who’ve been in the program for a few years will have an extra leg-up.
But Rogers is taking everything in stride and leaving no stone unturned in his development.
“Just learning from the older guys,” Rogers said. “Manny Choice, Isaiah Sategna, Trell Harris, Mackenzie Alleyne. Really all of them. We lean on each other, learn from each other. That is kind of how our room is.”
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