Cliff: Midweek notes

The Oregon State football team has one more bye week practice today. The players have three days off while the coaches head out on the recruiting trail.

“That allows guys to travel home early after practice and come out Sunday,” coach Mike Riley said. “Coaches go recruiting and players have a break.”

Here’s the list of the 12 known verbal commitments so far. I’m surprised that there are four WRs, another TE and QB. The Beavers are loaded at those positions now. I’m sure they are thinking depth, but how about some DL.

Player, Pos., Ht/Wt, Hometown (School)
o Justin Addie, OL, 6-3, 285, Mesa, Ariz. (Skyline High)
o Peter Ashton, QB, 6-3, 185, Keller, Texas (Faith Christian High)
o Brandon Bennett, DE, 6-3, 250, Spring, Texas (Spring High)
o Kellen Clute, TE, 6-5, 226, Mead, Wash. (Mt. Spokane High)
o Kenzel Doe, WR, 5-8, 171, Oak Ridge, N.C. (Oak Ridge Academy)
o Chris Lampkins, WR, 6-2, 172, Oak Ridge, N.C. (Oak Ridge Academy)
o Richard Mullaney, WR, 6-2, 172, Thousand Oaks, Calif. (Thousand Oaks High)
o Jeremy Reynolds, CB, 5-9, 163, Oak Ridge, N.C. (Oak Ridge Academy)
o Connor Thomas, OL, 6-4, 260, Kalispell, Mont. (Flathead High)
o Storm Woods, RB, 5-11, 205, Pflugerville, Texas (Pflugerville High)
o Dylan Wynn, DE, 6-2, 234, Concord, Calif. (De La Salle High)
o Tyrequek Zimmerman, WR, 6-0, 186, Lawton, Okla. (Lawton High)

Expect at least 15 recruits, but probably around 20 since the Beavers usually over recruit. There are 18 seniors leaving with three greyshirts coming in the winter.

Here’s a link to my main story in Thursday’s GT. It’s the beginning of a season-long weekly series that looks at each position on the field and breaks down everyone’s role with the scheme, and answers what it’s like to be in that player’s shoes. This one starts with defensive tackle through the eyes of Stephen Paea.

Senior CB James Dockery will serve as a correspondent on Jim Rome is Burning this Friday at 1:30p m. on ESPN. On Dockery, here’s a link to the weekly oddball Q&A featuring him. As a preview, here’s his celebrity dream date.

USA Today ranked Corvallis the No. 7 college town in the nation.