3 Burning Questions heading into the offseason

Following the conclusion of Jonathan Smith's second spring at the helm of the Oregon State program, BeaversEdge.com gives three burning questions surrounding the team as they head into the offseason in advance of fall camp.

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With spring now behind them, one of, if not the most important question facing the Oregon State football team heading into the offseason is who's going to seize the starting quarterback role.

After having numerous players with up and down play since the departure of Sean Mannion back in 2014, this looks like the season where the Beavers will have a top-tier quarterback that can lead them back to success.

If the Beavers hope to return to the winning ways of old, improvement and consistency will have to come from whomever is chosen to run the offense as OSU has had seven different quarterbacks start games since the start of the 2015 season.

We now arrive at the question at hand... Will it be sixth year senior Jake Luton? Will it be former four-star recruit Tristan Gebbia?

That's the question on the minds of Oregon State followers heading into the summer as the decision on who to give the keys to could weigh large on the outcome of the Beavers' season and could either escalate or slow down head coach Jonathan Smith's rebuild.

Think of it this way... If Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren make the right choice, the ceiling could be an improvement to four, five, perhaps even six wins if everything breaks right and the Beavers steadily get better. On the flip side, if they make the wrong choice, it could mean a slow start out the gate, a potential change at the position and a less than ideal start to the season.

While Smith said after the spring game that he feels that he has two quarterbacks that can win games, this year feels like a year where the old adage if you have two quarterbacks, you have none.

It would be a strong statement for Smith and Co. to name a starter sometime in fall camp and it's my opinion that the team would rally behind the guy and come out firing heading into Oklahoma State. That's not to say that they wouldn't come out fired up with two QB's, but for this team, Smith and Lindgren need to have a guy set in stone right out the gate.

Another burning question heading into the offseason is will Arizona graduate-transfer Nathan Eldridge arrive in June and be ready to join the Beavers' offseason program in advance of fall camp.

While there's been no reason to think there will be any issues with Eldridge's arrival, the Oregon State coaching staff and school haven't been able to officially announce the transfer as Eldridge is still wrapping up classes at UA.

Given his potential impact as a linchpin to the Beavers' line this season, seeing him arrive with no issues will be a sigh of relief for Beaver fans.

As a redshirt freshman in 2016, Eldridge started all 12 games for Arizona, and in 2017, he started all 13 games and was an honorable mention for the All Pac-12 team. Eldridge was one the Rimington Trophy Preseason Watch List coming into the 2018 season, but missed the entire season with what is believed to have been a knee injury.

With Eldridge expected to anchor the center of the line, OSU's offensive line looks pretty promising with seasoned veterans Blake Brandel and Gus Lavaka returning to LT and LG respectively, as well as Brandon Kipper and Clay Cordasco, who are the frontrunners to nab the two open spots at RG and RT.

"To Beaver Nation: You will get 100 percent effort each and every Saturday," said Eldridge in his tweet. "I look forward to earning your respect and excited to become part of Beaver Nation!"

Smith wasted little time following the spring game to announce that this was the most important summer of each of his players' lives, and now a big question facing the team heading into the offseason, and ultimately fall camp is what will that summer of intense training and work look like in fall camp?

Oregon State certainly showcased improvement in all areas in spring following a disappointing 2-10 season in Smith's first campaign, and now it will be up to the players to take that progress in spring, build on it individually with strength and fitness, and become better acclimated to the nuances of the playbook heading into fall camp.

The month of August is perhaps the most grueling time of the season as they train for the trials and tribulations that the season will bring, and for an OSU team that will be looking to start its second season of the Smith era with a bang against Oklahoma State, there's no doubt this is the most important summer of the players' lives.

Another positive bi-product of summer that's often on display in fall camp is who worked with who in the offseason. Usually, you'll hear stories of QB's, receivers, and running backs working out together in the offseason throwing routes and such, and often times, it's those players who make the biggest impact on the field in fall camp, and ultimately on game days.