7/18/2020 football Edit

BeaversEdge Top 25 for 2020: No. 16 Nous Keobounnam

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.

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No. 69 Nous Keobounnnam

6-foot-2, 283-pounds

Offensive Line

Redshirt-Senior

Portland, Ore.

Centennial HS

2019 stats: N/A

2019 Recap

After primarily working on special teams during the 2017 and 2018 campaigns, Keobounnam became a staple on the Beavers' offensive line during the 2019 season as he played in all 12 games and made 11 starts.

Keobounnam - a walk-on - exceeded all expectations in his first year starting as he was one of the Beavers' most consistent offensive lineman. Armed with veterans Blake Brandel, Gus Lavaka, and Clay Cordasco around him, Keobounnam was able to learn on the fly and perform quite well.

With Lavaka, Brandel, and Cordasco all graduating, that leaves just Keobounnam and Brandon Kipper as the lone returners with extensive starting experience outside of Eldridge.

With the Beavers shifting to a new-look offensive line this season, having guys like Keobounnam is crucial as he'll be one of the veterans that are leaned on during this transition period.

2020 Outlook

Heading into the 2020 season, there's no doubt that Keobounnam will likely find himself in the starting lineup once again as the redshirt-senior has paid his dues and earned the right from Jim Michalczik to begin the season as a starter.

Exactly where Keobounnam will play is very much the question. With Nathan Eldridge finally healthy heading into the season, will Keobounnam or Eldridge (both centers by definition) shift to another position on the line?

Both are likely versatile enough to play different positions on the line, but it'll be interesting to see how Michalczik handles the rotation. He was notorious in spring for saying that nobody has locked up a starting spot, but when you look at how well Keobounnam played when thrust into action last season, there's no doubt he belongs a starter one day one.