3 areas of strength for Oregon State Football in 2020

With the Oregon State football team in the midst of pre-preparation for the 2020 season amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, BeaversEdge.com dives into three key areas of strength for the team.

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1. Linebackers

If there's an area or position group that stands above the rest for the Oregon State football team heading into 2020, it's at linebacker. Between the outside and inside guys, the Beavers have a good problem to have heading into the season as there's perhaps not enough playing time for all the talent they've amassed.

Starting on the inside, OSU is anchored and led by Avery Roberts and Omar Speights who both have the potential to have really good seasons. Behind them, Doug Taumoelau is one of the most experienced backups in the conference and you have to figure we'll see significant playing time for Kyrei Fisher, Jack Colletto, and perhaps even Michael Erhart.

On the outside, the Beavers are blessed with guys who are tailor-made for Tim Tibesar's outside linebacker-friendly scheme. Between Hamilcar Rashed, Andrzej Hughes-Murray, Addison Gumbs, Matthew Tago, Isaac Garcia, Riley Sharp, and Ryan Franke, the Beavers have a lot of guys who need to get on the field.

Could the Beavers consider redshirting someone like McCartan or Tago as neither has claimed a redshirt year? It's possible per Jonathan Smith, but we likely won't know for sure until fall camp arrives.

Regardless of what happens depth chart-wise, there's no doubt that this is one of the best collections of linebackers in the Pac-12 and that's going to significantly help push the Beavers back to bowl eligibility.

2. Offensive Skill Positions

While the Beavers will be breaking in a new starting quarterback in Tristan Gebbia and are breaking in three new starters on the offensive line, the rest of the offensive skill position players are one of the biggest strengths of the team.

Between the talent at receiver, running back, and tight end, OSU has a ton of weapons at its disposal to be able to ease the pressure off of Gebbia.

Starting at running back, the Beavers are anchored by the return of former freshman All-American Jermar Jefferson and have ample depth behind him. Between BJ Baylor, Calvin Tyler Jr., Trey Lowe, and Ta'Ron Madison, the Beavers are locked and loaded as far as primary depth behind Jefferson goes and that's going to be a big asset as running backs often time have a hard time staying healthy for an entire season.

Moving over to the receivers and tight ends, the Beavers are also in a fortuitous position as they return a ton of talent and experience. With Isaiah Hodgins departing for the NFL, the receiving group as a whole is poised to take the reigns by committee.

Led by fifth-year senior Trevon Bradford, the talented receiving corps boasts the likes of Champ Flemings, Kolby Taylor, Tyjon Lindsey, Jesiah Irish, Anthony Gould, Tre'Shaun Harrison and I'Shawn Stewart. Plus, the Beavers have Trevor Pope, Zeriah Beason, and Silas Bolden joining the fold as freshmen.

Lastly, we arrive at the tight end position where the Beavers also boast quality talent and experience. Despite losing Noah Togiai to graduation, position coach Brian Wozniak has ample weapons as Teagan Quitoriano, Ralph Taufa'asau, and Luke Musgrave make up the returning group. Add in Jake Overman & Tommy Spencer from the 2020 recruiting class and you've got the makings of a tight end room that Stanford would be jealous of.

3. Coaching Continuity

Last but not least, given everything that's happened in the wake of COVID-19 as it pertains to the sports world, it's a huge plus that the Beavers managed to keep their entire staff in tow this offseason.

While offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren (Arizona State) was the only staffer that was publicly courted, there's no doubt that the Beavers opened some eyes around the country with their play in 2019 and in doing so, upped their coaches' stock.

Keeping an entire staff together throughout an offseason is no easy task, but credit has to be given to Smith and the athletic department for doing what they had to in terms of extending the contracts of the assistants and locking in this group for the foreseeable future.

Additionally, it's also a huge plus that the Beavers have that continuity between the staffers as they navigate the COVID-19 world. It's been well-documented that the schools that were breaking in new coaches and or schemes will be at a disadvantage. With the Beavers having a largely veteran group of guys, having that familiarity within the system and coaches will be invaluable this season.