STILLWATER — The first phone call was critical.
Plainview offensive lineman Eli Russ had been committed to Oklahoma State for nearly a year last February when the coach who began recruiting him when he was only a freshman, Josh Henson, left for Texas A&M.
OSU coach Mike Gundy had contacted Russ to let him know that Charlie Dickey had been hired as the Cowboys’ new offensive line coach, and Russ went to work doing his research.
“I probably read 20 articles on him, just to make sure I knew who he was,” Russ said. “I read about his career, all the things he did at Kansas State, everything I could find.