OSU Player to Watch, Day 12: Caleb Lavey

Oklahoma Sports brings you the 12th day of a 15-part series detailing the players to keep an eye on next season.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 11:31 am

By: News On 6

OSU Player to Watch, Day 12: Caleb Lavey

Originally Published: Feb 26, 2010 4:45 PM CDT

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- OU Players to Watch, Day 12: Donald Stephenson
- TU Player to Watch, Day 12: Curnelius Arnick

Gerald Goodridge
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

LB Caleb Lavey

Background:

Caleb Lavey was one of the big names that Oklahoma State brought in at linebacker in its 2010 recruiting class. Ranked the No. 10 inside linebacker by Rivals.com, Lavey received offers from several Big 12 and Big 10 schools before signing with the Cowboys. He graduated early from Celina High in Celina, Texas, to take part in spring practices and looks to contribute early for the Cowboys.

Why He’s on the List:

When Andre Sexton graduated OSU lost 319 career tackles at middle linebacker – ninth all time – and four years of starting experience. Lavey comes in at 6-foot-1-inch and 210-pounds while running a 4.58 40-yard-dash, he has the skills to be a quick answer for the Cowboys at middle linebacker. He is already on campus participating in spring drills and practice, which will give him extra time to get acclimated to the defensive scheme and the speed of the college game.

Best Case Scenario:

Sexton notched 100 tackles his first season starting at middle linebacker for the Cowboys, granted he had played two years at safety, but it was still an impressive performance. If Lavey can come in and put up 75 percent of what Sexton did in his first season at middle linebacker, the rest of the talented group of linebackers can make up the rest. Early maturity will also be key for Lavey; the middle linebacker position is generally responsible for calling plays on defense, so even the illusion of stability is key at the position.

Worst Case Scenario:

If Lavey comes in and has difficulty diagnosing plays and reading offenses it can handicap the whole defense. The step up from high school to college is also tough for a lot of skill players, and if Lavey can’t make the adjustment quick enough Oklahoma State may be forced to go in a different direction. It’s tough for some players to move from being the most talented player on the field to being just another player on the squad.

My Take:

There’s a reason that Lavey got scholarship offers from some of the top programs in the nation, and he should be able to prove it on the field early. The extra time in the program should help him not only adjust to the system at OSU, but the speed of the game at the college level as well. Lavey will have backup at linebacker from Orie Lemon, who coming back from injury, and Shaun Lewis, another highly-touted recruit.

Other OSU players to watch (click the names below to read the full stories)

- Day 1: LB Orie Lemon
- Day 2: S Markelle Martin
- Day 3: RB Jeremy Smith
- Day 4: TE Wilson Youman
- Day 5: S/KR/PR Johnny Thomas
- Day 6: QB Johnny Deaton
- Day 7: OL Lane Taylor
- Day 8: LB Shaun Lewis
- Day 9: CB Andrew McGee
- Day 10: WR Justin Blackmon
- Day 11: Dexter Pratt