By ROBERT CESSNAIt's hard to think that Oklahoma State junior wide receiver Justin Blackmon could have a better season. After all, how do you top 111 catches for 1,782 yards and 20 touchdowns?
Blackmon, though, positioned himself to have a possible Heisman Trophy-type season with a rigorous offseason. He said it might take 2,500 yards receiving and 30 touchdowns to become the first receiver to win the college football's biggest prize since Michigan's Desmond Howard did 1991.
So are those numbers realistic for Blackmon who had only 20 catches as a freshman?
"I'll answer for him," said OSU quarterback Brandon Weeden. "I don't think he's going to try to have 21 touchdowns and however many yards. I don't think he's worried about that. I think he's more worried about becoming a better football player. He's running better routes. He's continued to work to get faster and stronger. He's doing all the things to put himself in position to have better numbers. He's pretty special, there's no doubt about it, he's a pretty special player."
Last season, Blackmon won the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the nation's best receiver. The two-time All-American said it's about winning and playing for the fans. He's already been doing the latter along with Weeden via the social media. OSU launched Weeden2Blackmon last month on facebook and twitter and it's been a huge success with thousands able to keep up with the prolific duo as they prepare for 2011.
It's an interesting combination. Weeden, who was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2002, is 27 years old. Blackmon, who is from Ardmore, Okla., has made the Cowboys get over losing Dez Bryant a year early to the Dallas Cowboys.
"I'm not going to lie, when I first saw him, Dez Bryant was still there," Weeden said. "I said he's the closest thing to Dez Bryant as far as body type. They look completely alike in pads."
Blackmon might be better. He became the first Cowboy named Big 12 offensive player of the year since Barry Sanders and was the first receiver in the history of the league to win the award.
Maybe the most impressive thing about Blackmon's success last year was that he often didn't practice during the regular season because of a high ankle sprain. A strenuous offseason has prepared him for punishment he'll receive getting double- and triple-coverages he expects to face.
"I've tried to improve everything, my running, my catching," Blackmon said. "I did a lot of jugs machines. I did a lot of things in the weight room to help my explosiveness and things of that nature."
Blackmon's offseason work included a segment for ESPN Sport Science. Blackmon ran, jumped and changed directions while machines monitored his strength, ability and coordination.
He's such a marked man that Blackmon understands his catches actually could go down, but that might not be bad.
"I feel like the run is what opens up the pass," Blackmon said. "When they come and try to put two people over the top, why not run the ball if there's not seven people in the box? We run the spread, so we open everything up. The run is really what helps me out."
Don't expect the Cowboys to run a lot, even though OSU had to switch offensive coordinators with Todd Monken replacing Dana Holgorsen who became West Virginia's head coach. Monken,who was the Cowboys' passing-game coordinator and receivers coach in 2002-04 under former coach Les Miles, has big shoes to fill. OSU ranked third nationally in scoring (44.2 ppg) and third in total offense (520 yards per game) in Holgorsen's only year. Blackmon, though, doesn't think the Cowboys will miss a beat.
"It helps a lot when you've got your five linemen coming back and you've got three out of four receivers coming back," he said. "And you have two running backs who have both played. It really helps to have experience -- we know what to expect going into the first game."
Blackmon expects to have a fair number of footballs thrown his way, but only if he's open. Weeden refuses to throw into coverage, even knowing Blackmon might be the country's best receiver.
"I'd be a moron if I did that," Weeden said. "I've got too many other good receivers. I really do. Beggars can't be choosers. I love throwing the ball to him, but on the flip side, you have to be smart. If he's covered, I got to find someone else."
Weeden2Blackmon, though, is what will determine if OSU can match or exceed last year's 11-2 season that included a three-way tie for the Big 12 South tite and Alamo Bowl victory over Arizona.
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