Story originally appeared in the December 1st edition of the Clinton Daily News
 
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – Year one was officially in the books for SWOSU head football coach Chet Pobolish on Nov. 20, and he's pleased with the program's trajectory through the first 365 days.
 
The Bulldogs finished the year at 3-8 overall and 3-8 in the Great American Conference, but wins and losses are far from the best way to measure success right now. Program rebuilds don't happen in a year.
 
A huge plus in SWOSU's rebuild is that most of last year's deep recruiting class was able to take redshirt seasons in 2018, getting to acclimate to college life and the rigors of college football. This means multiple players were able to build strength in the weight room, learn the playbook and still have four years remaining on the field.
 
In an interview Wednesday, Pobolish said that's just one of the reasons he believes the ship is on the right path.
 
"Just the direction things are going," he answered on what has him excited about the state of the program. "I'm excited about some of the young kids we have and some of the redshirts.
 
"I'm excited about the offseason, and we ended up bringing in close to 70 kids last year. We only played probably a handful of them. I'm excited about that and the young kids getting more experience this spring is going to be real important, getting practice and learning the system."
 
Clinton's own Logan Dodd figures to be a key cog on the offensive line next year as a redshirt freshman. Pobolish made it clear that he plans on Dodd being a big contributor going into next fall and added that he didn't just say that because he was speaking to the Clinton Daily News. Dodd was a part of the 2016 Reds' team that went to the semifinals.
 
Dodd will work into an offensive line that returns senior All-GAC Honorable Mention left tackle Corey Ganz. SWOSU brings back another all-conference performer in wide receiver Jared Rayburn. Those two will be huge returners in Pobolish's second year. Rayburn provides third-year quarterback Casey Freeman a productive target. Rayburn has caught 92 passes for 1,002 yards and nine touchdowns in his career.
 
Relating to this year's recruiting trail, Pobolish is focused on bringing in another homegrown class. One of his major goals for the offseason is to get the Bulldogs two straight quality recruiting classes, continuing a culture change.
 
"Right now, we're focused on our mid-year signees," he said. "The mid-year signing date is Dec. 19, so we're trying to bring in a few guys to gain some more depth in some spots. Then, (the goal) is just to go out and pack another great year of Oklahoma kids and stack back-to-back recruiting classes and that's how you get a program turned around."