Oklahoma State Long Snapper Named to Mannelly Award Watch List

Oklahoma State continues to get recognized in the preseason.

On Tuesday, OSU long snapper Shea Freibaum was named to the Mannelly Award Watch List. As one of 30 players selected to the watch list, the Patrick Mannelly Award is handed out to the nation’s best long snapper each season, and Freibaum could have a solid chance at bringing home the hardware next season.

Now entering his junior season, Freibaum has never had an incident on a long snap, successfully long snapping 173 times across his time in Stillwater. Considering he is already on the radar for the Mannelly Award entering the season, Freibaum could have a legitimate chance to bring home the hardware.

How Freibaum can win the Mannelly

To win the Mannelly, the criteria is pretty simple. Have a lot of successful long snaps on a lot of attempts. Considering Freibaum’s expertise in the long snapping game, he should have no problem being among the top in the country when it comes to success rate.

The place where Freibaum could be pushed over the top is his attempts. With Doug Meacham taking over as OSU’s offensive coordinator and the Cowboys having an abundance of new players on offense, there should be plenty of opportunities for Freibaum next season.

Of course, OSU would love to avoid punting too much, but that will be the reality for the Pokes as they go through some early growing pains. Add in the importance of points, especially in Big 12 play, and Freibaum’s long snaps on field goals and extra points will be critical to the Cowboys’ success next season.

Another reason Freibaum could be in the mix when the season ends is OSU’s success. If special teams is key in OSU’s turnaround, Freibaum will ultimately be one of the faces of the Cowboys’ unit and could earn some recognition for his abilities.

Special teams will be huge

Next season, special teams should play a significant role in the Cowboys’ ability to have a bounce-back year. With special teams coach Sean Snyder back for his second year in Stillwater, OSU is looking to truly make special teams an advantage in every contest. 

While last season was far from the fault of the special teams units, the Cowboys still left a bit to be desired in that category. Of course, with a steady long snapper like Freibaum ready to ensure things go smoothly in that department, there is one less thing for Snyder and the rest of the special teams group to worry about.