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. 21 Artavis Pierce
Bio
5-foot-11, 211 pounds
Running Back
Senior
Lake Alfred, Fla.
Auburndale HS
Career Quick Hits
- Has played in 32 games, making five starts
- Enters the 2019 season with 846 rushing yards on 166 carries - an average of 5.1 yards per rush.
- Has scored 10 touchdowns
- 2017 and 2018 Pac-12 All-Academic honorable mention selection
2018 stats
- Played in nine games, making three starts
- Carried the ball 54 times for 408 yards, averaging 7.6 yards per rush. Tallied 15 catches for 149 yards. Scored four rushing touchdowns
- Opened the season with 168 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries at Ohio State. Finished with separate runs of 80 and 78 yards, respectively
- Rushed for 91 yards and scored a touchdown on 11 carries in the home opener versus Southern Utah
- Ran the ball three times at Stanford, finishing with 46 yards
- Pac-12 All-Academic Honorable Mention
2018 Recap
The 2018 season figured to be Pierce's season.
After being the understudy to Ryan Nall for his first two seasons in Corvallis, Pierce opened the year as Oregon State's de-facto starting running back and appeared to be in line for heavily improved stat sheet as the featured back.
In the first week of the season, he showed just how capable he was of being the guy. He carried the ball 11 times for 168 yards and two touchdowns against Ohio State, leaving little doubt that he was up to the task of leading the backfield.
However, a left-elbow injury suffered in the second game of the season opened the door for Jermar Jefferson to take the reigns, and the rest is history.
After missing three games with the hairline fracture in his left elbow, Pierce returned to the field against Washington State and slowly began the process of getting his rhythm, timing, and confidence back.
While Pierce never cracked higher than 46 yards rushing in a single game once he was back on the field, he showcased his versatility by showing he could be a reliable contributor in the pass game. His season high in receptions and yards came against Cal as he tallied 72 yards on five receptions.
While the injury certainly robbed Pierce of the season he wanted to have, he was still a terrific teammate and a strong leadership presence for Jefferson and the other young running backs.
2019 Outlook
Pierce earns the nod of No. 4 on our coveted list as he's going to be one of the key players for the Beavers on offense this season. While the injury prevented his full potential a year ago, look for Pierce to a bigger weapon in the offense in year two.
Despite being behind Jefferson on the depth chart, Pierce should have a huge season as both a runner and a pass catcher.
Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren used Pierce in a variety of ways in the nine games he played in last season. Whether it was lining him up out wide and motioning him back into the backfield, or running between the tackles, the Beavers found ways to utilize his unique ability to make plays in space.
It’s hard to believe that Pierce is already a senior as it seems like just yesterday he was a true freshman making plays well beyond his years.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Beavers rotate running backs early in the season, but look for Pierce to be one of the go to options out of the backfield as he and Jefferson will likely form one of the best 1-2 punches in the conference.
