Mason Rudolph has convinced Oklahoma State he's the next franchise QB

Mason Rudolph will enter the 2015 season as a true sophomore with only three games of experience at the college level to his name.

Those are facts you need to be reminded about when assessing Rudolph, who has rapidly asserted himself as a leader on Oklahoma State's football team.

"The players believe in him,” Gundy said to ESPN. “And if he continues to work hard and lead by example, they’ll follow him."

Still, Rudolph still has plenty of room for improvement as a young quarterback who has yet to experience the rigors of playing a full season.

Emotionally, however, he's right on-par with what the Cowboys need.

"He's controlling the team," offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich said. "He pushes everybody to work their butts off. So yeah, that excites us."

His leadership isn't just being noticed by Oklahoma State's coaching staff. The players are also buying into Rudolph as a leader.

"Just the way he talks to us. He’s the vocal leader now," junior receiver Austin Hays said.  "We trust in him. We believe in him."