Mason Rudolph should be ready to go heading into the 2016 season, according to Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy.
The junior quarterback has suffered a foot fracture against Baylor back on Nov. 21. But he was back on the field to play again in about a month and started against Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.
Answering questions at the Big 12 Media Days, Gundy said that when the team had finished spring ball he thought Rudolph was very close to being pain-free.
“He’s a tough football player. And in the bowl game, he wasn’t 100 percent.
“At this point, I have not talked to him about it, but I would guess that he feels like he did prior to the injury.
“And he’s had a really good summer. He’s continued to develop mentally. He’s been very humble. He understands the team concept. And he looks really good. His strength levels are at the highest they’ve ever been.
“I’m excited about watching him play this fall.”
But this year could have a different feel about it anyway. Often J.W. Walsh would come in to the game for Rudolph in short yardage scenarios.
However, Walsh has graduated and a clear backup has not yet been determined.
“If we have somebody on our team that can help contribute on game day, whether it would be in a package similar to what J.W. executed for us, some short yardage and goal line packages, then we’ll certainly take advantage of their efforts,:Gundy said.
“If not, then we’ll develop a scheme for Mason that fits those categories.
“Our goal will be to establish a backup quarterback s quickly as possible. That’s not something that happens overnight. It takes some time, but we’ll do the best we can to get a young man prepared, in case we need him.”