Hey Edgers! Hope you're all having a great Tuesday!
Our interviews with new OL coach Kyle DeVan, RB Isaiah Newell, and OL Joshua Gray!
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Nuggets from today's practice
- It was another typical Oregon spring day on Tuesday morning as the Oregon State football team practiced through the ever-changing elements. At times the rain was coming down hard, simulating a real fall scenario, while at other times the sun was so bright you needed sunglasses!
- The rain simulating a very realistic late-fall game at Reser Stadium made for some interesting moments...
- There was a fumbled snap from QB Dom Montiel that OLB Jessaia Moala scooped and returned for a score.
- There was also some goal-line work in heavy rain that simulated a physical battle between the two sides to close out practice, with the defense getting the better of the offense and holding them out of the endzone.
- There was a good dose of 11-on-11 work today as it seems like the offense is getting more comfortable extending the new playbook and getting more live turns.
- Ben Gulbranson was the first QB to take reps today and looked the best of the QBs today. He made several nice throws, including one to David Wells that was a back-shoulder fade down the sideline that just snuck in behind Jaden Robinson who was playing tight coverage. One of Ben's better throws I've seen for sure.
- Gulbranson also showed some nice pocket presence throughout the day as well. The defenders aren't hitting the QBs, but there were several instances where he evaded defenders outside the pocket and extended the play. He completed one or two medium-length over the middle, had a few check-downs, and threw a couple away. He seems to be more and more comfortable in the pocket.
- Gevani McCoy ran with the second team today, and he didn't seem all that comfortable today. His escapability is evident as he can move well with the ball and extend plays, but wasn't very in sync with his targets today. He also had a couple of passes that were deflected at the line of scrimmage, one of which came via Olu Omotosho.
- As mentioned before, I'm curious to see how long it takes McCoy to acclimate to the D1 level because I think he's got a lot to offer the QB battle. If he takes steps and progresses, I could see him making more noise in the second half of spring.
- The wide receivers certainly were a fun watch today as the new offense really does seem to feature more quick throws that get the playmaker in space where he can make a move or two and turn upfield.
- Montrel Hatten, Wells, and Jordan Anderson all really caught my eye today with some really nice catches. Hatten was a guy I thought could have seen action last year based on his HS production, so seeing him have some nice plays was good. He's 5-foot-11, but is 216 pounds and is really physical with the ball, both fighting off defenders to make the catch and staying on his feet.
- Anderson is going to make noise sooner than later, and he's already showing off his Rivals250 and four-star status. While he's only 5-foot-11, 163 pounds, he's a lot more physical than I would have expected from watching his tape. He took several short throws that put him in space and one-on-one with a defender, and on more than one occasion he ran right through that defender. He's quite strong, has good hands, and is electric in the open field. I think we'll see more and more of him as spring continues.
- Colorado transfer RB Anthony Hankerson continues to look really good. He brings a different element to the room as a slighter smaller and more agile back, and he's really good at catching passes out the backfield. His burst of speed and physicality as a running back makes him a great receiving threat.
- The rotations on the offensive line continue to shuffle quite a bit, as we're seeing what new coach Kyle DeVan is tinkering with as far as first and second-teamers. Jacob Strand has been a guy who's caught my eye, and DeVan name-dropped him in his post-practice interview today. The Beavers will likely have one tackle position open on the OL if everything goes chalk, I could see Strand being that guy.
- In terms of a specific sequence that was fun to watch today, during one of the rain downpour periods, the Beavers ran a 4th and short (two-ish yards or less) several times and ultimately it was a defensive stop that closed practice.
- Watching it live, it felt almost like a real game scenario with the elements and the defense got the upper hand with great pressure on the quarterbacks. During that sequence where they ran perhaps 4-5 of those plays, Gulbranson and the offense had a QB rollout to the far side called, and the defense had a perfect counter with a backside blitz that forced Gulbranson to throw it away.
- Another play in that sequence was a great battle between Kobe Singleton and Wells. Singleton played great physical defense in denying Wells any open room during the play and Singleton let Wells know afterward that it was his endzone. Some good friendly competition between the two as Singleton has several years of experience on the sophomore...
- Defensive Back Carlos Mack had an interception of Montiel during the late stages of practices. He's another guy in the DB room who's made some plays these past couple of days and caught my eye. He hasn't seen a ton of reps, but has a good feel for the position and could push for more time.
- JoJo Johnson was one of the DLs who stood out to me today, he seemed to have a motor that just didn't stop on plays. The DL has been rotating in and out a lot of guys with a whole starting unit to replace, but Johnson created some good backfield pressure, and showed his nimble footwork in chasing after the QBs once they escaped the pocket.
- With OSU's QBs seemingly "on the move more" in OC Ryan Gunderson's offense, I think that's going to pay dividends for the defense, who will have to defend more of that RPO-style of offense routinely in practice. It's a great back-and-forth to see those plays where it comes down to who executes it better, as the read of the quarterback can quite literally move edge rushers crashing down.
First-team Offense:
QB - Ben Gulbranson
RB - Damien Martinez / Anthony Hankerson
WR - David Wells
WR - Jamai East
WR - Trent Walker
TE - Jermaine Terry / Bryce Caufield
LT - Jacob Strand
LG - Tyler Voltin
C - Van Wells
RG - Nathan Elu
RT - Jacob Anderson
Second-team Offense:
QB - Gevani McCoy
RB - Isaiah Newell / Hankerson / Jake Reichle
WR - Jordan Anderson
WR - Jeremiah Noga / Zach Card
WR - Montrel Hatten / Jailen Holmes
TE - Carter Neuman
LT - Thomas Schnapp
LG - Jason White
C - Dylan Lopez
RG - Grant Starck
RT - Ryan Berger
First-team defense:
DL - Thomas Collins
DL - Tygee Hill
DL - Jojo Johnson
OLB - DJ Wesolak
ILB - John Miller / Isaiah Chisom
ILB - Aiden Sullivan / Melvin Jordan
OLB - Olu Omotosho / Mathias Malaki-Donaldson
DB - Jaheim Patterson
DB - Kobe Singleton
DB - Amarion York
DB - Andre Jordan
Second-team defense:
DL - Tiger Black
DL - Quincy Wright
DL - Nick Norris
OLB - Tyree Blake
ILB - Clive Pond
ILB - Jessaia Moala
OLB - Zakaiah Saez
DB - Ian Massey
DB - Jaydin Young / Sai Vadrawale
DB - Carlos Mack
DB - Sam Mason / Harlem Howard
Notes:
WR Darrius Clemons was at practice and was dressed, but didn't participate.
Our interviews with new OL coach Kyle DeVan, RB Isaiah Newell, and OL Joshua Gray!
WATCH: Oregon State Offense Talks Spring Football Day 4 & MORE
Hear from Kyle DeVan, Isaiah Newell, and Joshua Gray...
Nuggets from today's practice
- It was another typical Oregon spring day on Tuesday morning as the Oregon State football team practiced through the ever-changing elements. At times the rain was coming down hard, simulating a real fall scenario, while at other times the sun was so bright you needed sunglasses!
- The rain simulating a very realistic late-fall game at Reser Stadium made for some interesting moments...
- There was a fumbled snap from QB Dom Montiel that OLB Jessaia Moala scooped and returned for a score.
- There was also some goal-line work in heavy rain that simulated a physical battle between the two sides to close out practice, with the defense getting the better of the offense and holding them out of the endzone.
- There was a good dose of 11-on-11 work today as it seems like the offense is getting more comfortable extending the new playbook and getting more live turns.
- Ben Gulbranson was the first QB to take reps today and looked the best of the QBs today. He made several nice throws, including one to David Wells that was a back-shoulder fade down the sideline that just snuck in behind Jaden Robinson who was playing tight coverage. One of Ben's better throws I've seen for sure.
- Gulbranson also showed some nice pocket presence throughout the day as well. The defenders aren't hitting the QBs, but there were several instances where he evaded defenders outside the pocket and extended the play. He completed one or two medium-length over the middle, had a few check-downs, and threw a couple away. He seems to be more and more comfortable in the pocket.
- Gevani McCoy ran with the second team today, and he didn't seem all that comfortable today. His escapability is evident as he can move well with the ball and extend plays, but wasn't very in sync with his targets today. He also had a couple of passes that were deflected at the line of scrimmage, one of which came via Olu Omotosho.
- As mentioned before, I'm curious to see how long it takes McCoy to acclimate to the D1 level because I think he's got a lot to offer the QB battle. If he takes steps and progresses, I could see him making more noise in the second half of spring.
- The wide receivers certainly were a fun watch today as the new offense really does seem to feature more quick throws that get the playmaker in space where he can make a move or two and turn upfield.
- Montrel Hatten, Wells, and Jordan Anderson all really caught my eye today with some really nice catches. Hatten was a guy I thought could have seen action last year based on his HS production, so seeing him have some nice plays was good. He's 5-foot-11, but is 216 pounds and is really physical with the ball, both fighting off defenders to make the catch and staying on his feet.
- Anderson is going to make noise sooner than later, and he's already showing off his Rivals250 and four-star status. While he's only 5-foot-11, 163 pounds, he's a lot more physical than I would have expected from watching his tape. He took several short throws that put him in space and one-on-one with a defender, and on more than one occasion he ran right through that defender. He's quite strong, has good hands, and is electric in the open field. I think we'll see more and more of him as spring continues.
- Colorado transfer RB Anthony Hankerson continues to look really good. He brings a different element to the room as a slighter smaller and more agile back, and he's really good at catching passes out the backfield. His burst of speed and physicality as a running back makes him a great receiving threat.
- The rotations on the offensive line continue to shuffle quite a bit, as we're seeing what new coach Kyle DeVan is tinkering with as far as first and second-teamers. Jacob Strand has been a guy who's caught my eye, and DeVan name-dropped him in his post-practice interview today. The Beavers will likely have one tackle position open on the OL if everything goes chalk, I could see Strand being that guy.
- In terms of a specific sequence that was fun to watch today, during one of the rain downpour periods, the Beavers ran a 4th and short (two-ish yards or less) several times and ultimately it was a defensive stop that closed practice.
- Watching it live, it felt almost like a real game scenario with the elements and the defense got the upper hand with great pressure on the quarterbacks. During that sequence where they ran perhaps 4-5 of those plays, Gulbranson and the offense had a QB rollout to the far side called, and the defense had a perfect counter with a backside blitz that forced Gulbranson to throw it away.
- Another play in that sequence was a great battle between Kobe Singleton and Wells. Singleton played great physical defense in denying Wells any open room during the play and Singleton let Wells know afterward that it was his endzone. Some good friendly competition between the two as Singleton has several years of experience on the sophomore...
- Defensive Back Carlos Mack had an interception of Montiel during the late stages of practices. He's another guy in the DB room who's made some plays these past couple of days and caught my eye. He hasn't seen a ton of reps, but has a good feel for the position and could push for more time.
- JoJo Johnson was one of the DLs who stood out to me today, he seemed to have a motor that just didn't stop on plays. The DL has been rotating in and out a lot of guys with a whole starting unit to replace, but Johnson created some good backfield pressure, and showed his nimble footwork in chasing after the QBs once they escaped the pocket.
- With OSU's QBs seemingly "on the move more" in OC Ryan Gunderson's offense, I think that's going to pay dividends for the defense, who will have to defend more of that RPO-style of offense routinely in practice. It's a great back-and-forth to see those plays where it comes down to who executes it better, as the read of the quarterback can quite literally move edge rushers crashing down.
First-team Offense:
QB - Ben Gulbranson
RB - Damien Martinez / Anthony Hankerson
WR - David Wells
WR - Jamai East
WR - Trent Walker
TE - Jermaine Terry / Bryce Caufield
LT - Jacob Strand
LG - Tyler Voltin
C - Van Wells
RG - Nathan Elu
RT - Jacob Anderson
Second-team Offense:
QB - Gevani McCoy
RB - Isaiah Newell / Hankerson / Jake Reichle
WR - Jordan Anderson
WR - Jeremiah Noga / Zach Card
WR - Montrel Hatten / Jailen Holmes
TE - Carter Neuman
LT - Thomas Schnapp
LG - Jason White
C - Dylan Lopez
RG - Grant Starck
RT - Ryan Berger
First-team defense:
DL - Thomas Collins
DL - Tygee Hill
DL - Jojo Johnson
OLB - DJ Wesolak
ILB - John Miller / Isaiah Chisom
ILB - Aiden Sullivan / Melvin Jordan
OLB - Olu Omotosho / Mathias Malaki-Donaldson
DB - Jaheim Patterson
DB - Kobe Singleton
DB - Amarion York
DB - Andre Jordan
Second-team defense:
DL - Tiger Black
DL - Quincy Wright
DL - Nick Norris
OLB - Tyree Blake
ILB - Clive Pond
ILB - Jessaia Moala
OLB - Zakaiah Saez
DB - Ian Massey
DB - Jaydin Young / Sai Vadrawale
DB - Carlos Mack
DB - Sam Mason / Harlem Howard
Notes:
WR Darrius Clemons was at practice and was dressed, but didn't participate.
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