STILLWATER, Okla. -- After quarterback Mason Rudolph, there might not have been a player more crucial to Oklahoma State's late-season turnaround than right tackle Zachary Crabtree.

As a redshirt freshman, Crabtree returned from a midseason injury to help fuel Oklahoma State's offensive reversal in its final three games, which included wins over Oklahoma and Washington. In fact with Crabtree in the starting lineup, the Cowboys averaged almost 37 points and 438 yards a game. When he was injured, they averaged just 13 points and 282 yards.

Now the leader of what figures to be a deeper and more seasoned Oklahoma State offensive line, Crabtree chatted with ESPN.com about the impact of UAB left tackle transfer Victor Salako, the young players that impressed him over the spring and his favorite uniform combination.

How would you compare the offensive line right now to last year?

Crabtree: It really is night and day. We’re a completely new unit. There’s a new excitement to us. There’s a new swagger to us. You can’t even really compare it or put into words. That doesn’t mean we don’t still have a long way to go. We have a lot of room for improvement, we talk about it every day. But there’s just a new feeling in that room.

You guys gave up a Big 12-worst 40 sacks last year. Is that a motivating factor for this line?

Crabtree: It absolutely is. That was terrible. We don't want to be known as that unit. It hurt the weeks you were going through it. If you’ve gotta sense of pride, you don’t ever want to put a showing on like that. We picked it up at the end of the year a little bit. And we’re figuring it out. It took a lot of learning. But now we have a lot more experience, everybody has been in the games, everyone knows what’s going on. We’re changing. That’s the goal.

How big has the addition of Salako been, which has allowed you to stay on the right side and Michael Wilson to slide over to guard?

Crabtree: It gives you depth. It gives you the opportunity to do some different things. Adding [Salako] has been great. He’s a great teammate, great person in that locker room, just great character person, good guy.

What does he bring to the table on the field?

Crabtree: He’s athletic. He’s a little bit older. He’s been playing at [UAB]. He’s a good player. Just all-around solid player. He’s just good to have out there.

Who's a young guy that's caught your eye this spring, that maybe nobody is talking about that could make a big impact in the fall?

Crabtree: I always butcher his name, but [Lemaefe Galea'i]. “Junior” is what we call him. He’s doing good. He’s grown a lot. He’s making his plays in pass rush. He's got very good hands. Who else is out there? [Wide receiver Austin] Hays is back. He’s made his catches, made his plays. [Nickelback] Jordan Burton on the defensive side. [Redshirt freshman defensive ends] Jordan Brailford and Jarrell Owens. We have a lot of young guys that have been stepping up and making plays this spring.

So what's your favorite uniform combination?

Crabtree: Can we add the grays in? We got the gray pants, but we don’t wear the gray jerseys no more. I like the black-black-gray. Or the carbon gray helmets with white jerseys and gray pants. I like that a lot.

Your favorite place to eat in Stillwater?

Crabtree: I was at Click’s [Steakhouse] last night in Pawnee (Oklahoma) but that’s not Stillwater. Thai Cafe. The honey-crusted coconut chicken is the way to go.