Oregon State spring storylines: Do Beavers finally have their quarterback?
If you were to sit down and make a ranking of the toughest jobs in college football, chances are you would find Oregon State near the top of the list.
Corvallis is off the beaten path, there is little in the way of a recruiting base and the program's history is only littered with brief glimpses of success that never tend to last.
Jonathan Smith is trying to change all that at his alma mater though. After etching his name into the history books as the four-year starting quarterback who led the Beavers to the Fiesta Bowl, the 44-year-old is turning heads by elevating the team into a true contender in the increasingly deep Pac-12.
Following a resurgent 2022 campaign with a victory over Florida in Las Vegas to finish 10-3, OSU began spring practice with sights set firmly on returning to Sin City a year later for the conference title game.
The team welcomes one of the biggest name transfers on the market to create an intriguing quarterback competition, has the bulk of the roster back a year wiser, and can eye a favorable schedule that has the toughest games coming to a recently renovated Reser Stadium.
"(Spring) is an opportunity for everybody on the roster," Smith said prior to practice kicking off back in March. "We've got great momentum as a program. Did some solid things last year, this coaching staff and roster are primed for a good year."
To see if that comes to fruition, here are some storylines to watch as the Beavers take the field for their spring football game Saturday:
Integrating DJ
Even with a well-deserved reputation as a quarterback guru, Smith has struggled to find much consistency under center during his time as head coach due to a variety of factors. Double-digit wins were recorded almost in spite of the play of the signal-caller, and it would not be totally out of line to suggest that at least one of those three losses could have been avoided with just a bit better play out of the most important position on the field.
OSU went about rectifying that this offseason, dipping into the Transfer Portal to land easily the most physically talented passer to ever arrive in Corvallis in the form of former five-star and ex-Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei.
"He garners a lot of attention, which is well-earned. He's a good player, played in a lot of big games, won a lot of games doing it," Smith said. "But his approach since he's been here is kind of fitting in, going to work. I think the guys have appreciated that."
Uiagalelei went 22-6 with the Tigers and arrives out West fresh off an ACC championship. However, he never could seem to unlock the full potential that he showed in flashes (or as is suggested by his physical frame) and is dead set on changing that in a new environment with far less pressure than College Football Playoff or bust.
The newcomer will be given every opportunity to earn the starting gig this season but will be pushed by incumbent Ben Gulbranson, who went 7-1 after taking over the reins early in conference play. Redshirt freshman Travis Throckmorton and four-star early enrollee Aidan Chiles will also be involved in the race, but the Beavers' ultimate ceiling this 2023 season is likely to come down to whether Uiagalelei can pick up the offense quickly and start to round out the rest of his game.
Secondary focus
One of the other big offseason wins for the program was keeping defensive coordinator Trent Bray around with a new contract after he earned a Broyles Award nomination and saw his name connected to a handful of bigger openings. The former OSU player has been instrumental in elevating the team into a tough out and notably showcased that in limiting Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams to his worst game of last year before finishing second in the Pac-12 in yards per game allowed.
If there is one concern this spring for Bray, it's what to do in the secondary. Kitan Oladapo is back at safety and should be the nucleus of the group, but pretty much every other spot is up for grabs after the departures of all-conference selection Rejzohn Wright and the talented Alex Austin.
Corner Jaden Robinson has a chance to lock down a starting role after replacing Wright in the Las Vegas Bowl — provided he can stay healthy — while Ryan Cooper Jr. is expected to take another leap on the other side of the field following 10 starts and All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors in 2022.
Outside those three returnees, however, it's anybody's guess at how things shake out, and the staff could experiment with guys playing both inside and out. Tyrice Ivy Jr. and Skyler Thomas both could end up seeing time at safety just as easily as they could at nickel and are likely to form an interesting rotation as OSU looks to get its best four or five defensive backs on the field at the same time.
New faces in new places
Though Bray and OC Brian Lindgren are back, there are a handful of new names with the coaching staff and on the roster that Oregon State will look to put through its paces.
Perhaps the biggest name on the staff is the addition of running backs coach Keith Bhonapha, who adds an assistant head coach title and reunites with Smith after two other stops together in the Pacific Northwest. He replaces the void left behind by AJ Stewart (who left for Baylor) and will have a talented group to work with from sophomore Damien Martinez (982 yards in a Pac-12 Freshman of the Year campaign) to senior Deshaun Fenwick (4.9 YPC).
As far as players go, the roster has seen a nice infusion of new talent to integrate from both the portal and via the high school ranks. Defensive lineman Kelze Howard arrives as a four-star early enrollee, Tastean Reddicks is hoping to jump into the rotation right away at wideout, and Mason Tufaga is expected to compete for the starting role at linebacker after joining from rival Utah.
OSU does have the luxury of returning quite a bit of production, but easing in the group of newcomers so they can be full speed by fall camp is always going to be a priority for a developmental program during the spring.
Bryan Fischer is a college football writer for FOX Sports. He has been covering college athletics for nearly two decades at outlets such as NBC Sports, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and NFL.com among others. Follow him on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
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