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In the weeks leading up to the start of fall camp, BeaversEdge.com will be counting down the Top 25 Oregon State football players on the 2022 roster.
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Chance Nolan
Bio
No. 10
6-foot-3, 210-pounds
Quarterback
Redshirt Junior
Paloma Valley HS -> Saddleback College
Menifee, Calif.
2021 stats: 2,677 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, & 10 INT on a 64.2 percent completion rate (204-for-318) - 70 rushes for 286 yards and 3 TD's - Passer rating of 148.3, which was second in the Pac-12
2021 Recap
After opening the season as the No. 2 quarterback behind Sam Noyer at Purdue, Nolan went on to take over the starting job at the half and wouldn't relinquish it for the remainder of the season.
He started Oregon State's final 12 games of the season and led the Beavers to a 7-5 mark including an appearance in the LA Bowl.
Knowing what we know now, it's surprising that Nolan didn't get the nod to begin the season as he seemed to have the "it" factor when in command of OSU's offense. There wasn't a ton to separate Noyer from Nolan during fall camp, but once game time arrived, it became crystal clear Nolan was the best choice.
Nolan threw for 2,677 yards and 19 touchdowns against 10 interceptions while completing 64% of his throws. He also showcased his dual-threat and zone-read ability as he tallied 286 rushing yards and three scores.
Perhaps most important, Nolan became the first quarterback since Sean Mannion to lead the Beavers back to the postseason. Obviously, football is a team game and it takes a ton of guys to elevate the program, but it all starts with quality quarterback play and that's what Nolan provided in 2021.
His best game of the season came in OSU's win over USC where Nolan showed his best self en route to four passing touchdowns and 213 yards while completing 79% of his throws. Despite having a couple of interceptions, this was Nolan's best performance of the season per PFF as he tallied an overall grade of 90.6. He was named the Rose Bowl Game Pac-12 Player Of The Week for his performance in the win over USC...
In terms of total yardage, Nolan had two of his better passing performances in the final two games as he tallied a career-high 308 yards against Oregon while totaling 263 yards against the Aggies.
For his efforts, Nolan earned several accolades including Pro Football Focus First-Team All-Pac-12, All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention, & Phil Steele Fourth-Team All-Pac-12...
2022 Outlook
Heading into 2022, all indications are that Nolan will be Oregon State's starting quarterback once again barring something unforeseen.
Technically Nolan will have to duke it out with Tristan Gebbia, Ben Gulbranson, & incoming freshman Travis Throckmorton for the starting gig, but I'd be quite surprised if Nolan doesn't ultimately earn the job.
With what Nolan showcased last season, he's your best option at the quarterback position and the Beavers would be wise to name him the starter in fall camp relatively early.
It's been quite typical for the Beavers under Jonathan Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren to hold off on naming a starting guy until quite late into fall camp, but I'm not necessarily seeing the benefit of doing that this season.
Nolan proved last season that he's capable of taking the Beavers to the postseason and he really earned the trust of his teammates and coaches with his toughness, leadership, and ability at the position.
We saw flashes of how good Nolan could be last season (see USC) and if he's able to dial in the consistency and trim down the interceptions, I could see him having a terrific year under center.
With receiving weapons like Luke Musgrave, Tre'Shaun Harrison, Tyjon Lindsey, Trey Lowe, Anthony Gould, Jesiah Irish, and others, and a strong offensive line and running game, Nolan should be in great shape to help increase OSU's pass production in 2022.
Look for Nolan to have at least 3,000 passing yards and somewhere in the ballpark of 25 touchdowns, with at least 300 rushing yards and a handful of touchdowns as he leads the Beavers to a successful campaign...
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