BeaversEdge Top 25 for 2019: No. 15 Isaac Hodgins
In the months of June and July, BeaversEdge.com will be counting down the top 25 Oregon State football players on the 2019 roster.
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No. 90 Isaac Hodgins
Bio
6-foot, 269 pounds
Defensive Lineman
Sophomore
Oakley, Calif.
Berean Christian HS
2018 stats
- Played in all 12 games, making 11 starts
- Registered 30 tackles, including 2.5 TFLs and 2.5 sacks, with two quarterback hurries
- Tallied sacks against Colorado and Oregon and half a sack versus USC
- Added a tackle for loss at Nevada; Posted a season-best six tackles against Southern Utah; finished with four against Oregon in the season finale
- Opened his collegiate career with two tackles at Ohio State
2018 Recap
Like many other new faces who experienced immediate and substantial playing time right away in 2018, the youngest Hodgins became a contributor and starter on Legi Suiaunoa's defensive line from nearly the word go as he played in all 12 games, starting in 11.
It's rare for a true-freshman defensive lineman to make the type of impact and spend the amount of time on the field as Hodgins did as a true-freshman. Despite being just a year removed from high school, the Oregon State coaching staff placed a high amount of trust in Hodgins early, as they knew that they wanted him on the field as much as possible for development.
While the Beavers struggled on the field as a collective defensive unit, Hodgins quietly and steadily improved each and every week, ultimately logging 65 percent of the teams' total defensive snaps per Pro Football Focus.
The thing that was perhaps most impressive about Hodgins last season is that he was able to showcase growth and improvement on the field on a weekly basis. He tallied a sack and half against Oregon and USC late in the season and was able to put on display just how quickly the game was starting to slow down for him.
Between Hodgins' budding talent on the field, and his on-the-rise leadership and winning mentality, the Beavers are in really good shape knowing they've got a guy who's acting like a seasoned, upperclassmen presence as a true-sophomore.
“It’s going to be a big jump from last season to this season, especially for the defensive line,” Isaac Hodgins said in spring. “Last spring, we had like eight guys on the defensive line, and now we’re going in with at least 15. Having that depth is huge for us. We all know the defense in year two and we’re ready for a huge jump.”
2019 Outlook
If all goes according to plan for Jonathan Smith and Co., Hodgins will be one of the many up and coming Oregon State youngsters who are primed to make a huge leap in 2019.
After taking his lumps and playing extensively as a true-freshman a season ago, there's little reason to doubt that Hodgins is going to be one of the anchors of a much-improved OSU defensive line this season.
While it's too early to tell exactly where Hodgins is going to fit on this years' line as there's still a lot of moving pieces and new faces, he's going to be one of Oregon State's go-to lineman regardless of where he plays. His size, strength, and quick first move make him one of the Beavers' best lineman on the roster.
He's likely more suited to be a defensive end exclusively this season rather than a tackle with his 6-foot, 269 pound frame, but showed this past season that he can wear a lot of hats and do a lot of effective things at a young age.
Look for Hodgins to anchor one of the defensive line spots early in fall camp as he's proven he's a high-ceiling guy with a motor and a work ethic that perfectly embodies Smith's low ego, high output mantra.