Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said Monday he has not made a final decision on the playing status of junior defensive end Jamie Blatnick or junior safety Victor Johnson. Both players had brushes with the law over the summer, and it remains unclear if either player will be available for Saturday's opener against Washington State.
"We will have discussions with Jamie this week and then make the decisions about his options for Saturday," Gundy said.
Blatnick pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from his role in an Aug. 31 fight with former Cowboy Stephen Denning last Friday after the charge was reduced from a felony.
Gundy said he wants to gather more information about Johnson's situation before making a final decision. Johnson was arrested twice during the summer.
Although no final decision has been announced, Blatnick and Johnson are both listed on OSU's two-depth depth chart for the Washington State game.
Richetti Jones seizes the opportunity
Defensive end Richetti Jones seized the opportunity to become a core member of OSU's defensive line while Blatnick was on the StairMaster. Jones is slated to start against Washington State on Saturday and could make a case to be a key contributor in pass rush situations.
"He has really improved and played much, much better this fall," defensive coordinator Bill Young said of Jones. "Jamie didn't practice there forever, so we rolled Cooper Bassett and him in there for a bunch of reps with the 1s and 2s and they got better because of it."
While Jones has improved immensely, Young expects Blatnick to remain the starter when he returns.
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