Bill Haisten: Brennan Presley has risen to the Malcolm Rodriguez level of greatness

Because he had at least six receptions in 22 career games before the BYU trip, it was mind-boggling that Oklahoma State wide receiver Brennan Presley had no catches through three quarters of last Fridays Big 12 clash with the Cougars.

During the fourth period of that game, Presley proved again that he is more than just a reliably productive target in the OSU passing game.

The fifth-year is an important Cowboy who has become for the offensive side of the program what Malcolm Rodriguez was for OSUs defensive culture in 2017-21.

As state Player of the Year figures in high school, Presley (Bixby) and Rodriguez (Wagoner) were undersized and mostly overlooked in recruiting.

Before signing with Oklahoma State as an athlete who had been brilliant also in wrestling and baseball, Rodriguez had only one other major-college offer (from Wyoming).

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13 BYU Oklahoma Supreme Court asked to block Ryan Walters' Bible edict Vote for the Bill Knight Automotive high school football player of the week for Week 7 The 5-foot-11 Rodriguez concluded his OSU career with a Fiesta Bowl total of 11 tackles and a clutch, fourth-quarter interception against Notre Dame.

Over the last 50 years, only four Cowboys had a career total of at least 400 tackles.

Rodriguez was one of those four.

Having been a sixth-round steal in the 2022 NFL draft, Rodriguez is a third-year linebacker for the Detroit Lions.

During a 31-29 victory at Minnesota on Sunday, he recorded four tackles and a sack.

Someday, OSU officials should seriously consider the addition of Rodriguez to the Boone Pickens Stadium Ring of Honor.

Someday, Presley should receive the same consideration.

Unstoppable offensively and unbeatable as a cornerback while at Bixby, Presley was a Tulsa County phenom who wanted to be recruited by the University of Tulsa but was not.

A few weeks before the start of his 2019 senior season, Presley received and accepted an OSU offer.

I was surprised that Brennan wasnt more heavily recruited, Bixby coach Loren Montgomery told the Tulsa World in 2019.

What a quality person.

As an individual, hes phenomenal.

There was only one catch through the first nine games of Presleys OSU freshman season, but he had a three-touchdown performance during the Cowboys 2020 Cheez-It Bowl triumph over the Miami Hurricanes.

Dynamic and durable even at 5-8 and 175 pounds, Presley now is a veteran of 40 starts and on course to become the OSU program's leader in career receptions.

By the end of the 2003 season, Rashaun Woods was the record-holder with 293 catches.

With five games remaining in the regular season, Presleys career total is 266.

Mike Gundy addressed the Rodriguez-Presley similarities: Both undersized.

Both like little rubber balls.

Competitive.

Never get tired.

Athletic.

Continue to make plays, and you're like, wow.

Both those guys do that.

I don't pay attention to the NFL draft prospects of players because it's not anything that I control.

I don't know where (Presley) stands on any of that.

But somebody will take him at some point, and he'll get into camp and then they won't be able to cut him.

They'll go into meetings, and they're like, Well, we can't cut him.

That (would) be my guess, which is the same thing that kinda happened to Rodriguez.

On the first play of the fourth period of last weeks BYU game, after collecting a lateral pass from Alan Bowman, Presley lofted a forward pass back to the Cowboy quarterback.

Bowman wound up scoring on the 16-yard play.

Presley didnt have a catch through three quarters but totaled five during the fourth.

On the BYU sideline, he was crushed by a Cougar defender.

When Presley returned to the OSU sideline, there seemed to be agonizing pain as he leaned against a team trainer.

Moments later, Presley eluded a would-be tackler and scored on a 6-yard pass play as OSU took the lead with 1:13 left to play.

BYU answered Presleys heroics with a 75-yard, game-winning TD drive.

Acknowledging the physical pounding Presley absorbed at BYU, Gundy says OSUs No.

1 playmaker will have a light workload before the Cowboys visit Baylor on Saturday.

He needs a break, Gundy said.

Bundling catches, rushing attempts, kickoff returns and punt returns, Presley has a career total of about 400 game touches.

We try to protect him a little more than we did (because of the) amount of years, the special teams and the hits, and the crucial plays in critical times that he makes, Gundy said.

And what he does in practice is crazy good.

When a player take a blow to the head-neck area, trainers take away his helmet until doctors approve of a return to the field.

In a figurative sense, thats what happening this week with Presley.

Gundy is taking away his helmet until the Cowboys are in Waco, Texas, for Saturdays 2:30 p.m.

clash with Baylor.

OSU attempts to record its first Big 12 win after an 0-4 start.

Presley as a Cowboy is lot like Rodriguez was as a Cowboy.

These undersized overachievers are made-in-Oklahoma athletes with high levels of talent and maximum levels of investment and effort..

This article has been shared from the original article on tulsaworld, here is the link to the original article.