Former OSU cornerback Rodarius Williams was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round.
Williams was a four-year starter and the school record holder for consecutive starts at 48 games. Jarrick Bernard-Converse started at cornerback last year and is back.
“We have depth,” defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “We’ll have a lot of good competition at corner. We’re going to have someone at corner who hasn’t started. Jarrick has stepped up with all these younger guys. They look up to him and the way he carries himself.”
Bernard-Converse’s streak of 33 straight starts is now the longest on the team. Coming into college as a safety, he has made the transition to cornerback, where he started all 11 games last season, tying for the team lead with seven pass breakups as a junior.
“This is year four in the system,” Bernard-Converse said. “The guys look up to us. Coach Knowles relies on us to make sure we’re leading guys in the right way and the way he wants.”
The other projected starter is Christian Holmes.
A graduate transfer in 2020, Holmes is making the most of his extra year of eligibility. Holmes started the final two games in place of Williams last year and played in all 11 games.
“Christian struggled last season with learning the system, as a lot of new guys do,” Knowles said. “I feel like he put in some time this summer and I had some one-on-one meetings with him.
“He’s trying to take his game to the next level and he’s working hard. Time will tell, but he needs to step up and do it because we’re counting on him.”
Korie Black and Jabbar Muhammad will add depth. Both Cowboys played as freshman last season.
“Korie has all the NFL markings in terms of height, wing span and speed,” Knowles said. “Jabbar in just a couple of days of camp has been impressive. He is really smart and knows exactly where to be, what to do and he’s savvy. Those two guys are definitely going to play this year and are competing to start.”
The Cowboys’s season opener is against Missouri State on Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. in Boone Pickens Stadium.