Receiver Sammie Stroughter and guard Jeremy Perry, the two most heralded players
on that side of the ball entering the season, missed most of the year with a
lacerated kidney and broken leg, respectively. The quarterbacks had no starting
experience. Running back Yvenson Bernard became the team’s workhorse,
but one of the toughest guys Riley has ever coached even missed two of the final
five games. Bernard’s replacement was for the most part a player who was
a safety and receiver in the program prior to the season.
But, that’s not all. Injuries forced true-freshmen Darrell Catchings
and James Rodgers to play significant roles at split end and flanker. Even one
of the best kickers ever in the Pac-10, Alexis Serna, was forced into double
duty as the punter due to a late defection.
With all of that, the good news is that nine starters from the 2006 and 2007
seasons return for this year and 24 lettermen overall.
“I have to give a lot of credit to the players who made last year a success
while facing a lot of difficult challenges,” Riley said. “We put
some guys in tough situations, but in the long run that will be a benefit for
us in years to come.”
Quarterback
Juniors Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao (moy-vow) both started last season and
both figure to compete for the starting job in August, but not in the spring.
Canfield continues to rehabilitate from a shoulder injury suffered Nov. 3 at
USC that required offseason surgery. He started the first nine games of last
season and was in the midst of playing his best football before the freakish
injury to his throwing shoulder. He ended the year guiding Oregon State to a
21-14 win over Maryland in the Emerald Bowl, replacing his injured backup Moevao.
Canfield finished with 1,661 yards passing and nine touchdowns on 165 of 286
completions (15 int).
Moevao was undefeated as a starter leading OSU to wins over Washington, Washington State and then No. 18 Oregon. The 5-11 Moevao has a distinctively different
style than Canfield and has shown a gritty toughness. He will take a big load
of the spring drills after passing for 876 yards and two scores last season.
He suffered a pair
of minor injuries in the Emerald Bowl that forced him out early in the game.
“Generally, I feel better about our quarterback situation than I did
at this time last year when we had two guys competing for the job that had never
started,” Riley said. “Sean and Lyle both demonstrated they can
lead this team and be effective. It’s disappointing Sean won’t be
able to participate this spring, but I know he has been working hard rehabilitating
and looking forward to fall camp.”
True freshman Ryan Katz joins the team for spring practice, after graduating
from Santa Monica (Calif.) High School early. He will have an opportunity to
share snaps with walkons Brendan Sim and Justin Engstrom.
Running Back
The running back position is exactly what the quarterback situation looked like
at this time last year — lacking experience.
Redshirt-freshman Ryan McCants appears to be the next Beaver great running
back, following in the footsteps of Ken Simonton, Steven Jackson and Yvenson
Bernard — that trio ranks among the top 11 rushers of all-time in the
Pac-10 Conference. McCants reminds many Beaver fans of a bit smaller Jackson.
He was impressive as a true freshman last season on the scout teams.
Junior college transfer Jeremy Francis joins the team this spring and has a
definite opportunity to stake his claim as a starter. The El Camino Community
College standout could also line up as an “H” back in the Riley
system. His role is yet to be defined. Senior Patrick Fuller, who has been mainly
a special teams player, will also have an
opportunity.
This is a position that could see a true freshman make an impact. Parade All-American
Jacquizz Rodgers, the brother of sophomore flanker James Rodgers, has impressive
credentials after rushing for 2,902 yards and 43 touchdowns as a senior. True-freshmen
Keynan Parker, the son of CFL All-Star James “Quick” Parker, and
Jovan Stevenson also could be in the mix.
“We’re obviously young, but it’s a group that is deep in
talent,” Riley said. “This is going to be fun to watch how this
plays out in August. I think we have found a group of players that will be very
good for several seasons at Oregon State."
Receivers
Quite possibly the strength of the offense is at receiver. 2006 All-American
Sammie Stroughter returns after getting a Pac-10 medical hardship following
last season’s serious injury. He is joined by Catchings and Rodgers in
the starting lineup.
In addition to be an excellent receiver, Stroughter is also an ultra dangerous
punt returner. He returned three punts for touchdowns in 2006, including the
memorable 70-yard return in helping the Beavers end USC’s 27-game Pac-10
Conference win streak. As a receiver he has accounted for 1,613 yards and seven
touchdowns.
“Sammie certainly adds another dimension to our team,” Riley said.
“He will draw the attention of the opposing defenses. He is also one of
the best in the nation on special teams.”
Rodgers was used as much as a “running back” as anything else
from his flanker position last season. He accounted for 208 yards receiving
on 19 receptions, but also 586 yards rushing on 50 carries — most coming
on the “fly sweep.” The fan favorite will be even a bigger presence
this season.
Catchings is the team’s leading returning receiver after snagging 33
balls for 386 yards. He may switch from split end to slot during spring with
the return of Stroughter. Seniors Chris Johnson and Shane Morales, juniors Taylor Kavanaugh and Damola Adeniji, and sophomores Aaron Nichols and Casey Kjos also
figure to contribute.
“In just one season we went from the receivers being the thinnest group
on the team in terms of experience, to one of the deepest,” Riley said.
“This was a big area of concern for us last season, but I feel much more
comfortable about it this year.”
Tight End
Four veterans return to anchor what has become a solid group. Junior Howard Croom started all 13 games last season and accounted for a team-high three touchdown
receptions. Sophomore Gabe Miller started seven games in the Beaver two tight
end set. Junior John Reese and sophomore Brady Camp also contributed. The foursome
combined for 34 receptions.
“A very good group that I expect bigger things from this year,”
Riley said. “This is another area of the team that has gone from being
inexperienced to a veteran unit. I like the makeup of this group.”
Offensive Line
The Beavers lost two very good linemen in guard Roy Schuening, projected to
be a high NFL draft pick, and center Kyle DeVan. Between the two of them they
started 78 games. However, the Beavers do have three returning starters and
several other experienced players.
Leading the list are senior guard Jeremy Perry, who has been on the Outland
and Lombardi Watch lists the last two seasons, and senior tackle Andy Levitre.
Perry missed almost all of last season after suffering a broken leg in the first
game of the season. Levitre has quietly become one of the best at his position
in the league. The two
have each started 26 games.
Senior Adam Speer flanks Levitre at guard. Speer has started 13 games over
the last two seasons and has played center during his career. Senior Marcus Henderson is another veteran on the front and backed up DeVan last season.
Junior Gregg Peat and sophomores Alex Linnenkohl and Ryan Pohl also have considerable
experience, particularly from last season when Peat and Pohl each started two
games. Senior Tavita Thompson will return to game action Nov. 1 after having
his eligibility suspended by the NCAA last season. Senior Michael Cole also
saw spot
action last season at tackle.
“The silver lining of last season on the line is that several guys experienced
a new position and we had some guys learn what it’s like to start in this
league,” Riley explained. “No question we have two very big holes
to fill with the loss of Schuening and DeVan, but at the same time we are in
better position this year for some new guys to make
major contributions.”