Q: Keith Toston looked so good two years ago. I know he suffered an injury and OSU has Spud (Kendall Hunter) and Beau Johnson. Will Toston get back in the tailback rotation? — Elliott, Moore.A: We won't know until two-a-days in August since Toston (major knee surgery) won't participate this spring. But don't write him off. His freshman year he was a good fit for the spread offense and was a quality receiver out of the backfield.
Toston fell on the depth chart because of fumble problems. Kendall Hunter seized the opportunity. Toston has talent, but it's always uncertain how quickly a player can recover from a torn ACL.
Around 40 practices this spring and August will determine who receives the most carries. Most expect Beau Johnson and Hunter to form a 1-2 combination.
If Toston is slow to recover, he might redshirt, but if he can show he is completely healthy during two-a-days he could challenge for playing time.
Q: Were there any surprises on the pre-spring depth chart?A: The biggest surprises were Terrance Anderson and Bo Bowling.
Anderson played well late last season and is listed as a starting cornerback ahead of Perrish Cox. Bowling, a walk-on from Tonkawa who played at NEO last season, enters spring as the No. 1 punt returner, backed up by Dez Bryant.
Andre Sexton, a two-year starter at safety, moved to the linebacker position Donovan Woods played last season.
Q: OSU has had a long history of good kickers. What happened to Jason Ricks? And can we be assured Quinn Sharp will progress and not slump? — Jarrod, Shawnee.
A: Ricks was hampered by a leg injury last season. A couple of field goals barely missed early in the season. After he missed from 32 yards against Texas he was replaced by Dan Bailey. Ricks has decided to not play his senior year.
Sharp has to beat out Bailey but Sharp is rated the No. 1 high school kicker nationally from the 2008 class. He's accurate, has made pressure kicks and has 50-yard-plus range. Time will tell but Sharp could be good.
