With fall camp starting Wednesday, BeaversEdge looks at three burning questions ahead of the start of practices!
Arguably the strength of Oregon State’s defense, the secondary group while a bit unproven is as deep and talented as we’ve seen in recent seasons.
While the Beavers did graduate senior stalwarts Kitan Oladapo and Ryan Cooper and saw starter Akili Arnold and top reserve Jermod McCoy seek the transfer portal, the Beavers did a great job of re-loading with talent in the offseason.
Not only did senior DB Jaden Robinson return, but the Beavers also added one of the top cornerback transfers on the market in Liberty’s Kobe Singleton. Those two create an impactful 1-2 punch that will certainly make opponents think twice about throwing their way.
Moving to the back of the defense, the Beavers will be tasked with replacing a pair of high-level safeties in Oladapo and Arnold. While those two were very productive a season ago, having several experienced options to step into those shoes will make the transition all that smoother.
Skyler Thomas, Alton Julian, and Jack Kane all return with extensive playing experience at the position, but Thomas is a year removed from a torn ACL, while Julian still hasn’t returned to his old self after having a similar injury in the fall of 2021. Kane seems like a lock to play a good amount of minutes, and Thomas had zero restrictions in spring, so he got the inside track for the other safety spot.
But don’t rule out Julian either, as he was playing at an All-Pac-12 level when he went down several seasons ago. Whether or not he can return to that form physically remains to be seen, but the talent is still there.
Those three have the lead for the safety spot, but keep an eye on JUCO transfer Jaheim Patterson, former Arizona transfer Jaydin Young, and transfers Amarion York and Mason White as other potential options.
