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Why Oklahoma State recruited Gunnar Wilson at linebacker before he played the position

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Why Oklahoma State recruited Gunnar Wilson at linebacker before he played the position


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MELISSA, Texas — Gunnar Wilson has entered his linebacker era.

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Since first playing football at the age of 6, Wilson has played nearly every position on the field.

But his experience at linebacker was minimal when college coaches like Oklahoma State assistant Joe Bob Clements suddenly began recruiting him to be one.

Set to enroll at OSU in June with the remaining newcomers of the 2024 recruiting class, Wilson’s future became quite clear as his 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame was developing late in his junior season at Melissa High School.

But the journey to get there was far from direct.

For a couple years in elementary school, Wilson was so much bigger than his teammates that he found himself on the offensive line. By junior high, he was still one of the bigger kids for his age, but this time, he landed on the defensive line. At other times, he’s been a quarterback, a running back and a defensive back.

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As a sophomore and junior at Melissa, Wilson earned various all-state honors as a tight end, even though he was a bit undersized for the position at 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds. In his junior season, he also played five games at safety, totaling 40 tackles and two interceptions — but more importantly, providing game tape as a defensive player.

“I guess they saw my length and my ability to run sideline-to-sideline from the safety position, and that’s what they liked,” Wilson said of the OSU coaches, who extended an offer before Wilson had ever played a game at linebacker. “OSU didn’t even come see me play linebacker in spring because I was hurt.”

More: Life ‘coming full circle’ as Oklahoma State football recruits former star Tatum Bell’s son

The Cowboys weren’t the only ones to offer Wilson a scholarship without seeing him play the position. By the time he committed to OSU last June, he had 13 offers, with only one — from Texas-San Antonio — as a tight end.

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Wilson finished his senior season with 88 tackles in 12 games, but piled up multiple double-digit tackle games late in the season as he began to really settle into the new position.

Playing closer to the line of scrimmage, he combined the physicality he learned playing tight end, and the field vision he gained at safety to be a wrecking ball at outside linebacker. 

Though his experience as a linebacker isn’t deep, Wilson believes the knowledge he has gained playing so many different positions is a bigger benefit.

“I can see the whole field and anticipate what’s about to happen,” he said. “I pay attention to the down and distance every play and I can put myself in the right situation.

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“My football IQ allows me to be in the right spot to make the right plays.”

Because of the way he has grown into his body, Wilson’s speed stands out. 

He played baseball and ran track previously in high school, but is focused on adding muscle this spring. Following the training plan provided by the OSU strength staff, he says he’s added more than 10 pounds since the end of football season.

“I’ve focused on a lot of skills training and in the weight room instead of running on the track,” he said. “But I’m fine showing up like this in June, because they’ll probably cut 5 pounds off me then add 10 back.

“I’m just excited to get there. They’re always competing to go to the Big 12 Championship, and now, hopefully, the playoff.”

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More: Oklahoma State football recruiting tracker: Which players are committed to 2025 class?



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Oklahoma

Oklahoma transfer LB Dasan McCullough commits to Nebraska

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Oklahoma transfer LB Dasan McCullough commits to Nebraska


Oklahoma transfer LB Dasan McCullough commits to Nebraska

Oklahoma transfer linebacker Dasan McCullough has committed to Nebraska, he confirmed on Instagram Sunday afternoon.

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The 6-foot-5, 235-pound McCullough spent the past two seasons in Norman with the Sooners. He began his college football career in 2022 at Indiana, where he earned Freshman All-American status.

McCullough will come to Nebraska with one season of eligibility remaining.

McCullough, who played Oklahoma’s versatile hybrid linebacker/safety position called the Cheetah, suffered an injury before the start of Oklahoma’s fall camp this season and missed the first five games. He returned to the field in October and played in the final seven games, the last five of which he started. He recorded 17 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in 2024.

In 2023 at Oklahoma, McCullough played in 10 games and started seven while making 30 tackles with 3.5 TFLs and three pass deflections.

McCullough, who was a star recruit and ranked No. 61 nationally in the 2022 class, comes from a football family. His dad, Deland McCullough, played running back in the NFL and is currently Notre Dame’s associate head coach and running backs coach.

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While Deland spent three seasons as the Kansas City Chiefs’ running backs coach from 2018-20, Dasan played his high school ball at Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kansas. Deland became Indiana’s associate head coach and running backs coach in 2021, and Dasan, then an Ohio State verbal commit, flipped to Indiana not long after.

Dasan followed his father to Bloomington and made an impact right away. He played in all 12 games with four starts and racked up 51 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, four sacks and four pass deflections. He gained Freshman All-American honors and a Big Ten honorable mention selection.

— Steve Marik, Inside Nebraska staff writer,

Analysis

McCullough is a versatile backend defender that can play a variety of roles in Nebraska’s defense.

A rare blend of size and athleticism at 6-5, McCullough shows good speed and change-of-direction ability for his size. Has high-end instincts and IQ, which shows up in zone coverage and reacting against the run. Has had some intriguing flashes as a pass-rusher, but largely relies on athleticism to get into the backfield, still developing consistent pass rush moves.

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Technically sound tackler, though lean he’s got wiry body strength. Consistent aggression could improve as could hip fluidity. Athletic enough to hold his own in man coverage, technique can continue to improve, better in zone at this point in his career.

In Nebraska’s scheme, McCullough can play all three linebacker positions, rover or even safety if needed. He’s likely best at inside linebacker with a few pass-rush opportunities.

This addition provides Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler something of a chess piece to move around his defense.

— Tim Verghese, Inside Nebraska recruiting analyst

Additional analysis

McCullough is a versatile and sizable defender who played both a traditional linebacker position and Oklahoma’s “cheetah” spot, which is roughly equivalent to the nickel. He also saw some periodic snaps as an edge rusher for the Sooners during his two years in Norman.

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McCullough at his best against the run, as he takes good pursuit angles, fills gaps responsibly and is a reliable tackler. That said, he’s intelligent and instinctive in zone coverage and can generally be trusted to hold his own in man-to-man matchups against tight ends and running backs.

McCullough ought to be quite the chess piece in John Butler’s defense, and could truly thrive in Lincoln depending on the Huskers’ specific vision for his diverse skill set.

— OUInsider writer Parker Thune

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Fears leads No. 14 Oklahoma against Central Arkansas

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Fears leads No. 14 Oklahoma against Central Arkansas


Associated Press

Central Arkansas Bears (3-8) at Oklahoma Sooners (11-0)

Norman, Oklahoma; Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Sooners -28.5; over/under is 145.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 14 Oklahoma hosts Central Arkansas after Jeremiah Fears scored 30 points in Oklahoma’s 87-86 victory over the Michigan Wolverines.

The Sooners have gone 6-0 at home. Oklahoma has a 2-0 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Bears are 0-6 on the road. Central Arkansas ranks fourth in the ASUN with 23.8 defensive rebounds per game led by Brayden Fagbemi averaging 4.6.

Oklahoma averages 82.0 points, 5.2 more per game than the 76.8 Central Arkansas allows. Central Arkansas averages 9.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 more made shots on average than the 6.5 per game Oklahoma allows.

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TOP PERFORMERS: Fears is scoring 17.9 points per game with 3.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists for the Sooners.

Layne Taylor is scoring 17.0 points per game and averaging 4.4 rebounds for the Bears.

LAST 10 GAMES: Sooners: 10-0, averaging 80.9 points, 29.3 rebounds, 14.1 assists, 10.1 steals and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 68.5 points per game.

Bears: 3-7, averaging 73.0 points, 34.3 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 8.8 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 38.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 75.7 points.

___

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.




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Firefighters respond to commercial fire in Oklahoma City

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Firefighters respond to commercial fire in Oklahoma City


OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded to a commercial fire near the area of NW 10th and N Western Avenue.

OKCFD were at the scene of a commercial fire around 7 p.m. Saturday night, when they arrived there was heavy smoke visible from multiple floors of a boarded up building.

One adult female was found in the building and taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

At this time no cause has been reported.

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Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.



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