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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Bio

6-foot-2, 221-pounds

Outside Linebacker

Junior

Palmdale, Calif.

Quartz Hill HS

2019 stats: 15 tackles - 1.5 tackles for loss - 1 QB Hurry

Despite suffering a knee injury against Hawaii that limited him to just eight games in 2019, outside linebacker Matthew Tago still managed to have a productive year and further build off of his true-freshman campaign in 2019.

Over the course of the 2019 season, he played in eight games, making one start, and tallying 15 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry. Tago also posted a season-best four tackles twice (Oklahoma State and UCLA) and tallied a solo tackle for loss at Washington State.

With the Beavers now suddenly having an embarrassment of riches at outside linebacker by way of having everyone back healthy, Tago will certainly have to fight for extended playing time in 2020.

Prior to the start of the shortened spring session, head coach Jonathan Smith hinted at the possibility that either Tago or fellow outside linebacker John McCartan would be candidates for a redshirt and that notion will definitely be in play until the start of the campaign.

The 6-foot-2, 221-pound outside 'backer was thrust into action early in his college career and those dividends will begin to show fruit this season as he enters the 2020 campaign as one of the more experienced defenders on the roster. He's played in 19 contests and has career totals of 34 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

All in all, it's very much up in the air exactly what role Tago will have in the Beavers' defense this year, but make no mistake, he's one of the hardest playing guys on defense and he always has a knack for making opponents feel him with his hard-hitting prowess.

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