BeaversEdge Top 25 For 2023: No. 16 Ryan Cooper Jr.

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. 16 Ryan Cooper Jr.

No. 23

6-foot, 193-pounds

Defensive Back

Senior

Wilcox HS -> College of San Mateo

San Jose, Calif.

2022 Stats: Played in all 13 games (10 starts) - Totaled 45 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions, and 11 pass breakups. Ranked second in the Pac-12 for total passes defended

2022 Recap

In his first season with Oregon State after coming from the JUCO ranks, Cooper Jr. had one of the quickest JC-to-D1 transitions in recent memory as he hit the ground running and was a vital piece of the Beavers' defensive resurgence.

The College of San Mateo has been quite kind to the Beavers in recent seasons and Cooper was the most recent example of how well that coaching staff prepares it's players for the next level of college football.

The 6-foot, 193-pounder was nearly a full-time starter for the Beavers in 2022 (10 starts) and saw the majority of his action at cornerback and nickelback. The immediate trust the coaching staff had in him was evident as he played the sixth-most snaps on defense, trailing veterans Kitan Oladapo, Jaydon Grant, Rejzohn Wright, Alex Austin, and Omar Speights...

Cooper finished with the sixth-most tackles on defense and was tied with Grant for the team lead in interceptions with three on the year.

Perhaps most impressively, Cooper was second in the Pac-12 in total passes defended with 11 on the year. Those 11 were only bested by the 12 of USC's Mekhi Blackmon...

For his efforts, Cooper was named All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention & Phil Steele All-Pac-12 Third Team...

Oftentimes, with JUCO guys, there's an adjustment period that can take up to a year before a guy feels comfortable and in sync with the system, yet Cooper was smooth as silk in the transition and quickly became a key piece to Oregon State's defense...

2023 Outlook

Heading into the 2023 campaign, Cooper will be tasked with being one of the go-to leaders of the secondary after the offseason saw Grant and Wright exhaust their eligibility and Austin seek the NFL Draft as an early entrant.

Cooper is versatile enough to be utilized in numerous spots across the defensive backfield, but entering this season, I see him being the favorite to play most of his snaps at nickel.

At this point in the preseason, I expect Oladapo and Alton Julian to be the safety starters, with Jaden Robinson and Tyrice Ivy as the corners on both sides, and Cooper at nickelback or cornerback depending on matchups.

His specific position role could shift based on the situation, and opponent's offensive scheme, but look for Cooper to be one of the best players in the secondary for Oregon State this season. Robinson and Ivy have high expectations and Julian is expecting to return to his pre-injury form, but it's just Cooper and Oladapo returning with extensive experience from last season and I think they'll be the go-to playmakers in the back end early on...

Given that Cooper was able to accomplish all he was able to accomplish stat-wise last season with several experienced vets around him, I'm very intrigued to see how he does this season holding the leadership mantle and taking his game to the next level.

Cooper has terrific ball skills, and the athleticism and versatility to play multiple spots in the defensive backfield, look for him to have a stellar senior campaign... The Beavers have sent several DB's into the NFL, and Cooper will no doubt be looking for a big final season to get his name into that mix...