Oklahoma State has a varied tight end group, and Oscar Hammond's quickness should help him find a role in the new offense.
STILLWATER — Every stop of his career, Oscar Hammond has kept his focus on simply working hard and getting better.
He never looked at it as climbing the ladder of college football. That was just a byproduct of his effort, which landed him at Oklahoma State for his senior season.
“I was just trying to work hard every day, put that work in and see where it was gonna take me,” Hammond said.
Once a Collinsville High School star, he was a bit undersized to be a college tight end right away, so he landed at Division II Central Oklahoma. As he developed physically, he began to discover his true talent as a college football player.
Over two seasons with the Bronchos, he had 790 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 58 catches.
That led him to make the jump to Division I at North Texas, but last winter, he saw an opportunity for something even bigger. After recording 238 yards and a touchdown on 19 catches, including six games with multiple grabs, Hammond entered the transfer portal again
He was promptly approached by the OSU coaching staff, led by new tight ends coach DJ Tialavea.
“I came here because DJ was really good,” Hammond said. “I could just tell I would be learning a lot from him and he would be able to teach me and I’d be able to use my full ability.”
Now, he’s 90 miles from his hometown, making an easier journey for family and friends to come see him play.
“I’m super-excited to be able to play in front of them and doing something that I’ve been working for,” Hammond said. “It just worked out for me in the end.”
While coach Mike Gundy’s goal for his tight ends is to be versatile enough to block and catch passes effectively, the group has players with different strengths.
Hammond, at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, is among the smaller players in the group, along with 6-4, 230-pound Will Monney. They will have unique roles within the group, just like the bigger players, Josh Ford and Quinton Stewart, will be asked to do different things.
“Everyone brings their own skillset to the table, and I think it helps make the room so multifaceted,” said Stewart, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound super-senior. “We can do whatever we need to do.”
For Hammond in particular, his speed sets him apart.
“He’s a very fast tight end,” said Ford, a 6-foot-6, 265-pound sophomore. “He’s gone to a couple different schools, gotten coached by a couple different coaches. I think that’s really helped him. I think it’s an advantage to him, because he has a different input on things and the way he plays.”
With offensive coordinator Doug Meacham’s history of using multiple tight ends, the position’s versatility should contribute to the potential success of the offense — which is the ultimate goal.
“I know everyone’s really excited to get this thing turned around and ready to get it going again,” Hammond said. “We had a great program going, and we want to continue to be strong.”
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSU football's 'very fast tight end' Oscar Hammond set himself apart
Category: General Sports
