5. Tre Flowers
Position: Safety
Year: Redshirt Senior
We have talked a lot about rising senior Tre Flowers this offseason. He will play a key role for the Cowboy defense in 2017 because of the loss of former safety Jordan Sterns. Flowers has gotten quite a bit of playing time over the last three seasons and has all the tools necessary to become one of the defensive leaders in 2017.
Flowers is already one of the most experienced Cowboys on the roster. He has 200 combined tackles during his career in Stillwater along with three forced fumbles and two interceptions.
Yet, much of the progression for Flowers to take that next step to join the elite safeties in the Big 12 needs to come in Spring Practice. He did make big steps last season in both run defense and pass defense. Hopefully that continues this offseason as well.
One of the bigger questions is who will start next to Flowers after the loss of Sterns. Rising junior Kenneth Edison-McGruder is the likely candidate to fill that role as he has the most experience outside of Flowers. Edison-McGruder has 53 combined tackles during his career in college.