BeaversEdge Top 25 for 2019: No. 9 Jake Luton
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. 6 Jake Luton
Bio
6-foot-7, 230 pounds
Quarterback
Redshirt-Senior (sixth year)
Marysville, Wash.
Marysville-Pilchuck HS
Career Quick Hits
- Enters 2019 with 12 career games played, including nine starts. Has completed 223-of-359 passes attempted for 2,513 yards and 14 touchdowns
- Gained a sixth-year from the NCAA in January 2019
- Slated to play in the same offensive system in back-to-back systems for the first time in his collegiate career
2018 stats
- Played in eight games, making five starts
- Completed 140-of-224 (62.5 percent) of attempted passes for 1,660 yards and 10 touchdowns
- Led Oregon State to a 28-point comeback overtime win at Colorado by throwing for 310 yards and three touchdowns in just the second half and overtime period. Was 28-for-39 in the win
-Named the Pac-12 Conference’s Offensive Player of the Week after the comeback win over Colorado
- Followed that game with 301 yards passing against USC, completed 31-of-45 passes attempted
- Tallied 284 passing yards and one touchdown against Nevada, and in the season finale, was 21-for-37 for 282 yards and two scores against Oregon
2018 Recap
What a whirlwind the 2018 season was for Jake Luton.
After fully recovering from a back injury that sidelined him for the last half of the 2017 season and returning to the field in the prior spring, Luton was hoping to provide some veteran consistency to the quarterback position in year one of the Jonathan Smith regime.
Heading into the first game of the season, Luton was doing just that. Despite a push from Conor Blount, the coaching staff gave him the start against Ohio State and he was their guy at that point.
However, Luton sustained a concussion on the first drive of the game and Blount finished the contest. With Luton cleared for the next weeks' contest against Southern Utah, he played in the second half as Blount started the first.
The Nevada game was Luton's first coming out party of the year as he replaced Blount mid-game and ended up throwing for 284 yards and one touchdown. While the Beavers ended up losing the contest, the biggest loss was perhaps on the injury front as Luton suffered the worst high-ankle sprain of his career and was promptly sidelined for the next five weeks and four Pac-12 contests.
Jack Colletto got the start for the Beavers against the Buffaloes as Luton was still nursing the high-ankle sprain. However, with the Beavers trailing 31-3 in the second half, Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren decided to insert Luton.
It turned out to be one of the best decisions that the coaching staff made.
In just a half... he threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns on 28-of-39 attempts. Per Pro Football Focus, his passing grade on the day came in at 84.4, a career-high for Luton.
Luton will be the first to deflect praise, as he's one of the most humble guys you'll ever meet, but his efforts in the Colorado comeback will certainly go down as one of the greatest individual performances in school history.
Following the Colorado victory, Luton went on to have perhaps his most consistent stretch of games in his college career as he tallied 978 yards passing and six touchdowns against four interceptions in the final four contests.
2019 Outlook
Heading into his senior campaign, Luton has the potential to have a really special season before it's all said and done.
While he still has to officially win the job and fight off talented and rising sophomore Tristan Gebbia, Luton played the best football of his Oregon State career in the spring and appears poised to make a big leap this season.
Given that Oregon State was going to be thin on quarterback depth heading into the 2019 season, having Luton earn his extra year of eligibility gives Smith and Co. a much needed veteran presence to the locker room.
With Luton having all the talent and potential to be a very good and productive quarterback this season, a lot rides on his his ability to stay healthy and be on the field for all 12 games.
Oregon State hasn't had a quarterback start and remain the starter all season since the likes of Sean Mannion donned the orange and black, but if the offensive line is able to give Luton time to throw, he's got a superior crop of weapons around him.
Between Jermar Jefferson, Isaiah Hodgins, Noah Togiai, Trevon Bradford, and Tyjon Lindsey (to name only a few), Luton will have dynamic playmakers on all sides, and that should bode well for his production this season.
With 2019 being Luton's final rodeo, there's no doubt that the sixth-year senior will be looking to go out with a bang. He's already etched his name in Oregon State history for his efforts against Colorado, but knowing Luton, he's far from satisfied and will be looking to make more memorable moments this season.