6/27/2020 football Edit

BeaversEdge Top 25 for 2020: Honorable Mentions

Brenden Slaughter • BeaversEdge

Publisher

In the months leading up to the start of fall camp, BeaversEdge.com will be counting down the Top 25 Oregon State football players on the 2020 roster.

The rankings will be controversial and no two people will agree on every single ranking, but that will be the fun of the rankings.

Want to give your two cents on the rankings? Make sure you subscribe to BeaversEdge.com to join The Dam Board and weigh in on the conversation.

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Ranking Criteria

This is obviously an inexact science as you're comparing quarterbacks to defensive lineman and linebackers to offensive lineman. But our team, which consisted of Brenden Slaughter, Jared Halus, Mitch Monge, and Keenan Puncocher, gave it a shot.

The main criteria was assessing our expectations for the player's performance in 2020, and to assess that, you have to look at what the player did in 2019. Stats were taken into consideration, but it was more of an overall impact on the team from an analysis perspective.

Again, we want to reiterate how difficult it was to create this top 25. It was tough to keep some of the guys below out of the top 25.

John McCartan - Junior - OLB

After making four starts, appearing in all 12 games, and recording 34 tackles, 5.5 for loss, 3.5 sacks, and one interception in 2019, McCartan was one of the more difficult decisions to leave off the Top 25 for 2020.

The 6-foot-5, 227-pounder has shown flashes of being brilliant on the field, but he's going to have an uphill battle for playing time as the Beavers have too many outside linebackers that need to see the field.

Shortly before spring practices started, Jonathan Smith hinted at the notion that either McCartan or Matthew Tago would be redshirt candidates entering this season in order to balance out the depth for seasons to come. It's my opinion that McCartan is the more likely candidate, but until fall camp gets underway, it'll be tough to get a read on.

Riley Sharp - RS-Sophomore - OLB

After having a breakout season in 2019 that saw him eclipse 35 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks, leaving Sharp out of the top 25 was a very difficult decision. Sharp's numbers were inflated slightly as he was thrust into action by the devasting injuries the Beavers had at the OLB position, but make no mistake, he's going to be a really special player.

The 6-foot-5, 251-pounder played well above his years as a redshirt freshman last season and there's no doubt that the best is yet to come for the Utah native. He'll be in a battle for playing time as the Beavers return a host of bodies from injury at the position, but he'll be primed and more than ready for whatever the team asks of him.

Jesiah Irish - RS-Sophomore - WR

Could this be the year we see Jesiah Irish break out and become a regular contributor in Oregon State's receiving corps? The 5-foot-11, 165-pounder has drawn ooh's and awe's for his athleticism, speed, route-running, and hands since he's arrived and it just seems like the Beavers are going to try and get the ball in his hands more this season.

In 2019, Irish caught four passes for 85 yards and a touchdown while also returning nine punts for 53 yards. There's certainly a bit of a logjam at the position as the Beavers will potentially have a lot of mouths to feed at receiver, but Irish's experience in the system and strong knowledge of the playbook figures he'll be a big contributor for the team in 2020.

Simon Sandberg (left) celebrates with Doug Taumoelau (right) (AP)

Simon Sandberg - RS-Sophomore - DE

Despite dealing with a knee injury that sidelined him for the first three contests of the 2019 campaign, the Sweden native Sandberg made his presence felt on the defensive line throughout the remainder of the season.

The 6-foot-3, 278-pound defensive end finished the 2019 season with 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble. He provided great depth, speed, and intelligence on the defensive line and should see his numbers go up with increased playing time and more defensive talent around him.

BJ Baylor - RS-Junior - RB

After patiently biding his time and making the most of his opportunities, 2020 seems like the year of the BJ Baylor breakout. After being stuck behind Artavis Pierce for the backup role behind incumbent starter Jermar Jefferson, reps were hard to come by early in Baylor's career, but he's steadily grown and impressed the coaching staff every step of the way.

Baylor was really able to show his potential in 2019 as he played in all 12 contests and carried the ball 30 times for 177 yards and three touchdowns. The coaching staff has raved about his ability to be physical and strong in between the tackles and he no doubt showed he's in a position to assume a much bigger workload in 2020.