STILLWATER — Collin Oliver made only two tackles in his first Bedlam football game.

Then a true freshman defensive end for Oklahoma State, Oliver, of course, came up with perhaps the most clutch tackle of the game, sacking OU quarterback Caleb Williams on a fourth-down play to cap the Cowboys’ 37-33 win in 2021.

Oliver had another sack earlier in the game as well, playing 34 total snaps, almost exclusively as a pass rusher. At the time, it marked the second-most snaps he had played in any game of his career.

Two years later, times have most certainly changed.

As Bedlam arrives once again, with the 22nd-ranked Cowboys hosting No. 9 OU at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium, Oliver is in a different position in a different defense, but hoping to replicate the results of 2021.

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Yet if this is going to be a successful Bedlam for the Pokes, Oliver’s stat line needs more bulk.

With the hiring of defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo last January, who brought with him the 3-3-5 scheme, Oliver moved from defensive end to outside linebacker.

He went from averaging about 30 snaps a game to playing virtually every defensive play, now averaging 64.5 snaps per game, while on pace to be on the field for more plays this season than he was in his freshman and sophomore years combined.

And the 6-foot-2, 235-pound junior’s impact is growing at a rate higher than his increase in usage.

Through eight games as a linebacker, Oliver is fourth on the team with 52 tackles, including 9.5 for loss and 4.0 sacks, plus five pass breakups, four quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

While Oliver is a masterful pass rusher, his ability to adapt to the more traditional linebacker duties has been one of the most important developments for the Cowboy defense this season.

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“He’s considerably better than he was a month ago,” OSU coach Mike Gundy said. “He’s learning to fit the right spot and move laterally, then sink under the blocks and things. He still has a ways to go. At this time next year — he needs another year of development, in my opinion, to really improve his NFL Draft stock at that particular position.”

While adapting to playing in space has been the biggest challenge for Oliver, his natural speed and instincts have helped the transition, which began last spring.

“It’s really been crazy, because he came from edge and we all worked together in the offseason, getting a feel for linebacker,” said middle linebacker Nick Martin, who leads the team with 83 tackles.

“It’s different from being on the line. Besides being five yards off, the footwork is different, all that type of stuff. I’m just really proud of him and how he’s grown and how quickly he picked it up. He’s a natural athlete and a hell of a player.”

Oliver played a bit of linebacker in high school, but not much, so the changes still feel significant.

Occasionally, Oliver’s body reminds him of his increase in action he’s seeing this year, too.

“Getting a little sore,” he said with a smile, explaining that Mondays are the toughest in his recovery from gameday. “It’s crazy, because I’ve never played this much at all. I don’t even think in high school I played this many snaps. It’s a lot. It’s a toll on your body, but taking care of my body in our athletic training room, eating right and all that stuff will take care of it.”

Oliver will play a role in multiple facets of the defense against an OU offense that presents a balanced attack. Oliver’s pass-rush capabilities provide his biggest opportunity for impact, but he’ll be needed as a run-stopper and occasionally in pass coverage with all the throws to the flat quarterback Dillon Gabriel likes to make.

And Gabriel is an effective runner, too, which isn’t lost on Oliver.

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“He got me on a good juke move last year,” Oliver said. “He’s real elusive and knows how to get around people. Preparing for that is very important for us this week.

“In terms of what we can do as a unit, our defensive scheme, we can put not only myself but other defensive players in different positions. Being versatile as a defense is gonna be a key component in trying to get this win.”

And while Oliver will do his best to maintain the “no game is more important than another” mantra, but he’s not oblivious to the magnitude of the final Bedlam for the foreseeable future.

“I always say it’s just another game, but deep down, I understand the rivalry. I understand what it means for the state of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University,” Oliver said. “It’s gonna be a huge game. It’s very important to me to come out with a win, not only for our fans, but for our team. We wanna get another one in the win column. With that comes the fans and the atmosphere surrounding Bedlam and stuff like that.

“It’s gonna be a pretty big game. I just can’t wait to go out there and ball.”

Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSU's Collin Oliver ready to add to Bedlam legacy vs. OU football