7/18/2023 football Edit

12 Beavers Recognized In Preseason Poll; Five Named First Team

Damien Martinez (6) celebreates with Joshua Gray (67) and Ben Gulbranson (17) (AP)

Brenden Slaughter • BeaversEdge

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CORVALLIS, Ore. – Twelve Oregon State football players have been named to the Pac-12 Conference’s Preseason All-Conference Team. Five Beavers have been selected to the first team, tied for second most in the conference.

Oregon State’s five first-team selections include running back Damien Martinez, offensive linemen Joshua Gray and Taliese Fuaga, defensive back Kitan Oladapo and return specialist Anthony Gould.

OSU’s second-team selections include offensive lineman Jake Levengood and return specialist Silas Bolden. Five Beavers have been named honorable mention, including offensive lineman Heneli Bloomfield, defensive lineman James Rawls, linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, defensive back Ryan Cooper Jr. and all-purpose/specials teams player Jesiah Irish.

Voting is done by selected members of the Pac-12’s media.

Martinez, who was a Freshman All-American in 2022, ran for 982 yards and seven touchdowns en route to being named the Pac-12’s Offensive Player of the Year. He tied the Oregon State single-season record with six consecutive 100-yard efforts from Oct. 15 through Nov. 26.

Gould was recognized by four All-American publications last season after leading the nation with an average of 18.3 yards per punt return. He returned two of his 14 for touchdowns.

Oladapo, meanwhile, was an Associated Press Pac-12 First-Teamer last season after finishing second on the team with 80 tackles. He added 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and six pass breakups.

Gray, Fuaga, Levengood and Bloomfield comprise returners from an offensive line considered one of the best in the conference last season. Gray was an all-second team selection by the league’s coaches a year ago, with Levengood an honorable mention honoree. Fuaga was chosen as an Honorable Mention All-American by Pro Football Focus and a second-team All-Pac-12 selection by the conference’s coaches. Bloomfield played in 11 games for the Beavers last season, starting in seven.

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Bolden was an all-Pac-12 selection by Phil Steele last season, and a second-teamer by the conference’s coaches as a return specialist. He averaged 27.2 yards per return last season, including a season-long 80-yarder against Montana State in Portland.

Rawls was an All-Pac-12 Honorable mention selection last season, a year in which he led OSU with 10 tackles for loss. He totaled 1 ½ sacks with one forced fumble and four quarterback hurries while also recording 30 overall tackles.

Mascarenas-Arnold recorded 37 tackles a year ago, which stand as the third-most among returners this season. He added 5.5 tackles for loss with two sacks, one interception and one pass breakup.

Cooper Jr. earned Pac-12 honorable mention status last season. He made 10 starts in his first season in Corvallis, making 45 tackles with three tackles for a loss with three interceptions and 11 pass breakups. His 14 passes defended ranked second in the Pac-12.

Irish had two tackles of his own to go along with three receptions for 46 yards and eight carries for 45 yards. He returned four punts for 41 yards and two kickoffs for 19 yards.

Gould and Oladapo are set to represent Oregon State at the 2023 Pac-12 Media Days this week in Las Vegas.

Oregon State opens its 2023 season when visiting San Jose State on Sept. 3. The game kicks off at 12:30 p.m. PT and airs on CBS.