Recruits like to feel at home during recruiting trips.
With the news of the retirements of OL Darryl Jackson (hip) and LB Tony Wilson (stingers) due to injuries, it’s time to do some scholarship counting for the Oregon State football team.
I’ve counted 65 returning scholarship players now, and that doesn’t count the rumored scholarships of DL Andrew Seumalo and P Tim McMullen.
The Beavers have 24 players signed for the fall. K Garrett Owens is already expecting to greyshirt and delay enrollment. So 65 plus 23 gives you 88 scholarships, three over the limit.
Coach Mike Riley said there’s one other unnamed potential greyshirt in the class. He talked to that player, and it could go either way depending on if anyone doesn’t show up in the fall or leaves the program for whatever reason.
Under that premise, I’m expecting three other players that Riley is not. Or, he forgot about other greyshirts. I’ll have a clarification once spring practice beings, April 3.
There were a couple players Riley didn’t mention as part of his depth chart — WR Tyler Trosin and DE Akeem Gonzales — but OSU SID Steve Fenk says they are still on the roster. A better count will be made after OSU releases a depth chart to the media in a week.
Whatever the reason for the extra two, the Beavers are close to the 85 scholarship limit after what seemed like an overabundance of players after signing day. These things always work their way out.
10 comments
floridabeav says:
Mar 24, 2012
Cliff: I know this is off topic, but I have a question about the defense. First a couple of background comments: There appears to be a plethora of athletes at DE; there were obvious problems at LB last year; even more significantly, the lack of inside talent on the interior of the D-line hurt in stopping the run. So the question: Do you believe the coaching staff would consider moving Dylan Wynn to ML. It seems a natural position for him given his speed, size and motor. It would put him in position to make more plays for the defense. I know that it would only be considered if the other candidates at DE were adequate which they appear to be.
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Mar 24, 2012
Positions are changed all the time, so anything is possible.
However, the MLB issues last year were due to injury to Unga and Wilson. There are four scholarship guy now eligible to play after redshirts, so the position is deep.
Some of the DEs moved to DT this year, so there are not as many DEs.
Tagup says:
Mar 24, 2012
My hunch is Riley and staff will soon be contacting BBB to see if they have Dylan in the right position……
bone says:
Mar 24, 2012
I think the move might not be as natural as one might think, he has played on the line since high school where he played on the interior. But then again the guy is an absolute beast and I could also see him doing very very well at linebacker.
Mdog says:
Mar 24, 2012
Wynn will bulk up another 20, but hopefully 30lbs, by the time he’s done in Corvallis, maybe 275(man would that be nice.) The other side of Wynn is that he has good vertical speed and hits super hard, but lacks the sideline to sideline lateral speed needed to play MLB. I know that Unga and Wilson were hurt last year, but they are still quicker laterally than Wynn. I can see Wynn turning into a Bill Swancutt, minus 10-15lbs by the end of his career, but faster off the edge.
What we need more than anything at MLB, or OLB for that matter, are people who can TACKLE! Big fat road blocks on the dl, Crichton and Wynn crashing on the end is great, but its the tackling inside the first 3 yards at the line if scrimage, that we’ve been missing. I don’t care if the guy looks good on paper, start recruiting the 3-star kids that can tackle. Darlin, Seigler, Barnett, LaRoque, all good tacklers despite not being the biggest or fastest players on the field. Darnell Robinson, Carlyle, Carroll, Meeuwsen, all had a nose for the ball, none of those guys would beat Cliff by more than five yards in a 40(not best example). The biggest focus in spring, fall, and recruiting next year and on, is tackling.
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Mar 24, 2012
That’s true because I’m pretty fast.
Pos0x45 says:
Mar 24, 2012
Cliff, if you went back to school, would anybody be able to tell you might be a little older than the rest of the students?
Cliff Kirkpatrick says:
Mar 24, 2012
Maybe a little.
oneoldbeav says:
Mar 25, 2012
Mdog, your conclusion regarding the need for better tackling is spot on. Seems to me there are two related questions: 1) Does the staff agree on the need for improvement, and 2) What are they willing to do about it.
Recent history indicates there is little tackling done in practice. With this springs focus on individual work maybe at least fundamentals will be better established. I’ve grown weary of arm tackles and attempts to bring down ball carriers without any effort to wrap up.
nafervaeb says:
Mar 25, 2012
Heard Wynn will check into spring ball at about 265.