Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris called nose tackle Jerry Lawson "undersized" on Tuesday. He meant it as a compliment.
Undersized? Perhaps for his position. Lawson , a senior from Breckenridge, Texas, is 6-1 and 312 pounds. But he's made up for it with a relentless motor that has helped the Cowboys (3-1, 1-0 in Big 12) position themselves to win their fourth game of 2026 on Saturday against UCF (3-2, 1-1).
"Just the attitude, the grit he plays with," Morris said after calling him undersized. "He's been phenomenal."
Oklahoma State's Jerry Lawson. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Based on his raw numbers, he has eight tackles, including two solo, with a half-tackle for a loss and a half-sack. Nine players have more tackles than Lawson. But nose tackles don't rack up tackles. They create pathways for players like linebackers Ethan Wesloski (36 tackles) and Tate Romney (29 tackles) to get their numbers. Many times, players like Lawson are asked to occupy two blockers at a time. As jobs go, it's thankless.
Pro Football Focus doesn't love him, either. His best grade is for tackling at 62.9. His overall defensive rating is 53.8. Yet, no interior defensive lineman has more snaps (124) than Lawson. His backup, Saadiq Clements, has 92 snaps.
So what's keeping him on the field? Morris sees a well-rounded tackle with three years of experience where PFF sees something else.
"He's really a guy that's been good against the run and against the pass," Morris said. "Somebody that we've been able to count on. He's definitely a guy that has earned the starts that he's had around here."
He played at Louisville last year and he only had 16 tackles. The fact that he's already halfway to that number in four games says something - not just about Lawson but being reunited with defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity.
Yes, as is the case with many of Oklahoma State's transfers, there is a connection. In 2024 Lawson played at Abilene Christian, where Cassity was the DC. Clearly, Cassity knows how to use Lawson, who was named first team all-conference after he had 65 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 14 starts.
He's not putting up those pinball numbers. Where he might have dominated at the FCS level he's fitting in at the FBS level. But, paired with a coordinator that knows what he's capable of, Lawson has taken hold of the nose tackle job and produced week after week - even if the traditional numbers, or even the analytics, don't show it.
He has the trust of the staff and his teammates. Sometimes that's all that is necessary.
"He does it the right way," Morris said. "You know, he comes out and practices his tail off."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahomastate as How Jerry Lawson Emerged as Oklahoma State's Indispensable Nose Tackle .
