7/17/2023 football Edit

BeaversEdge Top 25 For 2023: No. 13 Jam Griffin

Brenden Slaughter • BeaversEdge

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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 2023 roster.

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No. 13 Jam Griffin

No. 8

5-foot-9, 212-pounds

Running Back

Rs-Jr.

Rome, Ga

Rome HS -> Georgia Tech-> OSU

2022 Stats: Played in 12 games (one start) and ran for 488 yards and four touchdowns on 86 carries, a 5.7-yard per rush average. Also added four receptions for 25 yards

2022 RECAP

After transferring over from Georgia Tech ahead of the 2022 season, former four-star recruit Jam Griffin joined a talented Oregon State backfield that featured Deshaun Fenwick, Damien Martinez, Isaiah Newell, and Trey Lowe...

With Lowe missing a significant portion of the season following an injury after week one, the Beavers largely featured a three-man RB rotation that included Griffin, Fenwick, and Martinez while Newell was in reserve.

Griffin finished the 2022 season with 488 yards and four touchdowns on 86 carries (5.7 ypc) and showcased a different running style to that of Martinez and Fenwick. He played 177 snaps, just behind Fenwick's 209 and Martinez's 366...

You might not think there would be enough football to support the presence of three RBs, but the Beavers threaded the needle perfectly as the trio was very difficult to slow down.

Offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren and then-running backs coach AJ Steward certainly knew where their strength was last season as the Beavers made sure each of these backs was effective and involved throughout the campaign.

Speaking specifically on Griffin, there was a moment early in the 2022 campaign when there was a thought he could be OSU's lead back. Fenwick had gotten his opportunity to be the lead guy early in the season, but the run game didn't quite pop like the team wanted.

Then Griffin had his best game of the season when he took 12 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown against USC... that game stands out in a big way as his slightly different running style gave the Trojans problems. It wasn't enough to keep Martinez at bay, but Griffin showcased he can perform against the highest levels of competition and cemented his place as a valuable member of the rotation...

Once Martinez claimed his stake to the Beavers' lead RB title shortly after the Stanford, Griffin returned to a backup role and still managed to have a sizable role in the offense. His best game of the season post-USC was the Oregon game when he took eight carries for 75 yards...

Per PFF, Griffin was Oregon State's second-highest-graded offensive player in 2022, trailing only Damien Martinez with an overall offensive grade of 81.2.

Overall, it was a very solid first season for Griffin in many respects. He cemented his role in the RB rotation for the seasons to come by establishing career highs in carries, yards, and touchdowns in 2022...

2023 Outlook

Heading into the 2023 campaign, it's presumed that Griffin will once again have a massive role in Oregon State's offense as one of the three main backs behind Martinez and Fenwick.

Martinez will likely lead the group in touches again, but make no mistake, Griffin will have a massive role in the offense. He showcased the ability to be a terrific change-of-pace running back compared to the physical running styles of Martinez and Fenwick.

Fenwick and Martinez check in at just about 230 pounds, while Griffin checks in at 212 pounds, making him a nice complement to the bigger running styles of the two.

If there's an area where I could see Griffin taking a bigger jump this season, it would be as a receiver... With Lowe having medically retired after the season, the Beavers lost their most effective pass-catcher out of the backfield and I think Griffin could fill that role particularly well.

While he only had four receptions for 25 yards last year, I could see those numbers jumping up in a big way if the Beavers decide to utilize the RBs more in the passing game. Griffin is great with the ball in his hands in space, and I expect the Beavers to utilize that more this season...

In terms of the ground game, I'd expect Griffin to have a similar season to last year, finishing with roughly 500 rushing yards and a handful of touchdowns.

He'll provide great depth and insurance behind Martinez, and should be in line for another solid season behind a strong offensive line that should be able to open up holes with ease...