Transfer Spotlight – Oklahoma State OL Josh Sills

At CFB Saturdays we recognize that the landscape is always changing in College Football and the undeniable impact transfers have had on our beloved sport in recent history.  Transfers have gone on to make College Football Playoff runs, win the Heisman, the National Championship, and become top NFL Draft Picks (Joe Burrow recently accomplished all of the above).  Over the next few days, we will take a look at the potential impact of top Transfers in 2020 in our Transfer Spotlight Series.  Today we take a look at Oklahoma State OL Josh Sills.

A Big Piece to a Successful Offense

Josh Sills started ten games his redshirt freshman season, playing five at right guard and five at left guard.  The Mountaineers had a strong offense that season ranking 20^th in yards per game, 25^th in yards per play, and 22^nd in points per game.  Sills was a key contributor on the offensive line for that unit and followed it up with another solid campaign.

In 2018 Sills started 12 games at guard and was named Second Team All-Big 12 (coaches).  The offense was even better that season ranking 8^th in yards per game and 10^th in scoring offense.  Sills was a strong performer up front and entered his third season as a starter in 2019 and considered one of the best linemen in the conference. 

The season did not go as planned, however.  Sills would only play in two games and have season ending shoulder surgery after his second contest.  Fortunately, he was granted a medical redshirt, giving him two years of remaining eligibility.

Joining the Cowboys

Shortly after the season Josh Sills announced he would be transferring within the conference to Oklahoma State.  Coach Mike Gundy has been the head coach of the program for several years now, and returns one of his most talented teams.  With the very athletic Spencer Sanders building off of his freshman season, playmaking Tylan Wallace at receiver, and Heisman candidate Chubba Hubbard returning at running back, the pieces are in place for a big run in 2020.

The offensive line returns three starters from an offensive line that helped lead the way for an offense that ranked 21^st in yards per game, 20^th in yards per play, and 35^th in points per game.  One of those departures up front will be replaced with an all-conference level performer in Josh Sills.  With plenty of pieces in place the decision to add Sills only made sense for both sides.

A Look at Josh Sills’ Game

Listed at 6’6” 338, Josh Sills, provides a massive presence on the interior of the offensive line.  He has a very powerful punch that knocks defenders off balance consistently.  Sills shows the athleticism to be an effective player when asked to pull and has good footwork for a guard.  He consistently moves defenders in the run game and can truly be characterized as a road grader.  In pass protection, Sills displays excellent awareness of pass rush schemes and delayed blitzes.  He understands how to help out with a player on the inside and shift his focus to a delayed blitzer, buying the quarterback some precious time in the pocket.  As long as Sills recovers fully from his surgery and is healthy, he will be one of the best interior linemen in the Big 12.

A Key Cog to an Explosive Offense

Oklahoma State returns three starters on the offensive line, including RT Teven Jenkins, LT Dylan Galloway, and versatile lineman Bryce Bray.  Each of the three have experience playing left tackle but we expect Bray to play on the inside to start the season.  This line needs to be better this season, however, as it struggled to open up running lanes in key losses. The offense failed to rush for more than 153 yards in games against Iowa State, West Virginia (a win), Oklahoma, and Texas A&M. The rushing attack did not break 4.50 yards per carry against Texas, Texas Tech, West Virginia, and Oklahoma. Improvement is needed and adding a powerful and experienced player like Josh Sills bolsters the offensive line significantly.  The Cowboys had a run first attack and Sills has the ability to make an impact with his impressive run blocking.  The only question in the starting lineup is at the final spot but there are players with experience on the roster that will compete (Ry Schneider and Hunter Anthony in particular).

As previously stated, the team returns some of the best skill players in the nation.  At quarterback, Spencer Sanders (#24 QB) is an excellent runner who could take his game to another level by improving his consistency as a passer.  Also returning is one of the most prolific pass catchers in college football, Tylan Wallace (#5 WR), who had over 900 receiving yards despite playing in only eight games and nearly 1,500 receiving yards in 2018.  The entire offense will lean on 2,000 yard rusher Chubba Hubbard (#1 RB) who is one of the most dynamic players in the country.

Mike Gundy has had some prolific offenses during his coaching career at the program, and this unit has a chance to be the best of the bunch.  The offensive line will need to be better for that potential to be reached and the impact of adding Josh Sills to the offense cannot be understated.   

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