STILLWATER — Mike Gundy didn’t specify what tasks his son handles in the Oklahoma State football offices these days, but it seems safe to assume Gunnar Gundy’s duties fall somewhere between breaking down game tape and bringing his dad coffee.
“I’ve got him working in the office. He’s gotta be there at 7:55 in the morning,” Mike said prior to the Cowboys’ fourth practice of spring Tuesday at the Sherman Smith Training Center. “He’s with me, he’s working, and then he’s gonna leave in May and go play.
“He doesn’t know where yet, but he’s gonna leave in May.”
Gunnar Gundy entered the transfer portal in December, receiving multiple offers before committing to Ohio. Yet after a few days on campus, he reversed course and re-entered the portal. By then, the vast majority of vacancies for quarterbacks were filled.
Over three years at OSU, Gunnar appeared in nine games, completing 54.8% of his passes for 449 yards and four touchdowns. He rushed for 120 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown run in his final game as a Cowboy, the Texas Bowl in December.
The transfer portal opens for Division I football players in mid-April, which will spark the next round of player movement, and should lead to additional opportunities for players like Gunnar.
More: Why Oklahoma State quarterback commit Maealiuaki Smith ‘was born to’ throw the football
Kendal Daniels getting work at linebacker
Kendal Daniels is listed at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, though Mike Gundy says the redshirt junior safety is “almost 240 now.” And with that, Daniels is spending some practice time working with linebackers, where the Cowboys have one starting vacancy to fill.
While Gundy suggested Daniels’ move isn’t a full-time change, it could be a beneficial experiment because of his size and speed.
“We can bring him down and invert him now, play him in a stand-up position closer to the ball,” Gundy said. “But then we can move him back and let him cover the middle of the field if we want to. His long-term will be closer to the ball, but I don’t know that anybody knew he would get to almost 240 pounds.”
Daniels’ 247Sports.com recruiting profile listed him at 190 pounds when he was a senior at Beggs High School. The OSU roster had him at 213 for his redshirt sophomore season last fall.
With the graduation of Xavier Benson, the Cowboys have an outside linebacker spot where Daniels could work into action. Jeff Roberson, Benson’s backup last year, also has experience there.
More: Oklahoma State football’s Kendal Daniels seals win vs. Texas A&M, team he originally chose
Experience level stands out on O-line
The OSU offense has seven offensive linemen who have made multiple starts in their careers — all of whom are fifth- or sixth-year seniors.
So it’s not just about depth on the line, but also experience. And behind them, a couple of young players got on the field for limited action. Plus, the Pokes added a veteran lineman in the transfer portal with Isaia Glass, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound redshirt junior from Arizona State.
Glass has been getting a taste of the high tempo of OSU’s offense and the high level of repetitions the players get in practice.
“Glass has gotten a lot of work already,” Gundy said. “He was dragging after practice and we’re not even in pads.”
Glass started 15 games at Arizona State, including three last year before an injury ended his season.
“We were able to watch him on video in his conference, which gives us an idea of what we think we’re gonna see, and we competed against him,” Gundy said.
Although a couple of players are limited in spring ball, the Cowboys still have depth that rivals just about any year in recent memory.
“We’ve got a couple guys that aren’t gonna get as much contact with repairs this offseason, so there’ll be plenty of reps for those guys to go around,” Gundy said. “One advantage that we have now is there’s a lot of reps in spring football, so our ones, twos and threes get reps.
“When practice is over, the offensive line, they’re fatigued. They get a lot of work.”
More: Why Ollie Gordon II is excited about future of Oklahoma State football’s offensive line
Gundy excited for Steve Lutz
Gundy was asked for his thoughts on new men’s basketball coach Steve Lutz, who was announced as the program’s 21st head coach on Monday.
“I looked him up and read about him, so I could at least know a little bit about him,” Gundy said. “I’m gonna call him tonight, visit with him and welcome him to Oklahoma State. It looks like to me (athletic director Chad Weiberg) was very diligent in the way he handled it and got what he felt we needed and would be the best fit for Oklahoma State.
“This is a different place to coach, in my opinion, based on geographical location, the history of the school, the type of people that are in this environment and the ability to have long-term success.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Gunnar Gundy, ex-Oklahoma State football QB, seeks next team in portal
