BeaversEdge Top 25 for 2024: Honorable Mentions + Just Missed

The rankings will be controversial, and no two people will agree on every single ranking, but that will be the fun of the rankings! Want to give your two cents on the rankings? Make sure you subscribe to BeaversEdge.com to join The Dam Board and weigh in on the conversation.

Ranking Criteria

This is obviously an inexact science as you're comparing quarterbacks to defensive linemen and linebackers to offensive linemen. But our team, which consisted of Publisher Brenden Slaughter, and writers Ryan Harlan & T.J. Mathewson gave it a shot.

The main criteria were assessing our expectations for the player's performance in 2024, and to evaluate that, you have to look at what the player did in 2023. Stats were considered, but it was more of an overall impact on the team from an analysis perspective.

Again, we want to reiterate how difficult it was to create this top 25. Keeping some of the guys below out of the top 25 was tough...

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

Kicker Everett Hayes

-> After suffering a groin injury in fall camp last season, Hayes lost his starting spot to Atticus Sappington who went on to to keep the job after he returned to full health. Hayes returned to action in the Colorado matchup, seeing action in four other games as he rotated 10 touchbacks as the primary kickoff kicker, but didn't attempt a field goal. With Sappington having transferred in the offseason and Hayes having another season of eligibility to use, he opted to return for the 2024 season and is in line to return as the starting kicker. Hayes has hit 25-of-41 field goals in his OSU career (60%) and is 127-of-129 for extra points. If Hayes can return to the consistency we saw early in his career, he could be a real weapon for the Beavers this season, if it's closer to his more up-and-down 2022 season, it could be a year of inconsistency.

Punter Josh Green

-> Taking over the starting punter duties last season for Luke Loecher, Green is back in the fold for his final campaign in 2024. The Adelaide, Australia native is coming off a season where he didn't punt enough to qualify for conference stats, which is always a good thing from an overall offensive standpoint. He averaged 42 yards per punt on 32 attempts and would have been tied for 8th in the conference in yards per punt if he had qualified.

Outside Linebacker Olu Omotosho

-> Transfering in from Wyoming before the start of last season, Omotosho saw action primarily on special teams, playing in seven games, totaling four tackles with one sack. He did see action at OLB (five snaps), recording his lone sack of the season against the Cardinal. Omotosho didn't quite see the field as much as we expected after he put up really solid numbers for the Cowboys, but that was simply a result of the Beavers having several experienced options at the "Edge" position in Drew Chatfield, John McCartan, Cory Stover, and on occasion, Sione Lolohea. With that ledger completely cleared, the writing is on the wall for Omotosho to step up and seize a sizable spot in the rotation.

Outside Linebacker Nikko Taylor

-> One of the top JUCO prospects in the 2023 cycle, Taylor, like Omotosho, transferred into a very deep OLB room but saw action in all 13 games. He played four games at OLB, including a season-high 19 snaps against Stanford, and saw action on ST in all 13. He's a guy who very easily could find himself outplaying his preseason ranking if he's able to carve out a starting role in the rotation.

Defensive Lineman Nick Norris

-> Coming over from Northern Colorado this past offseason, Norris joins a defensive line room in need of new production as the room lost the likes of Isaac Hodgins, Lolohea, Joe Golden, James Rawls, and Tavis Shippen. There's ample depth and talent in the room to be sure, but adding a guy like Norris who has played in 23 games with totals of 83 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a pass breakup was a very good addition from the Beavers' new defensive staff. Where he fits exactly in the rotation is why he finds himself on the honorable mentions, but he's also a guy who could carve out a starting position on the DL.

Just Missed

WR Jordan Anderson

-> A high-level player and Oregon State's prized four-star recruit from the 2024 class, Anderson could be a guy who very well outplays this preseason ranking if he carves out a defined role on the team. We saw him flash some really electric things in spring football, and he was really tough to leave out of the honorable mentions. He's got a ton of upside an could very well see the field sooner than later.

DB Alton Julian

-> Will Julian finally be healthy? That's the million-dollar question for him as he's played in just four games (2023) after suffering an ACL tear midway through the 2021 campaign. Before the injury, Julian was a near All-Conference defender, if he can overcome the injuries and return he could find himself much higher up the list.

DL Jacob Schuster

-> A Minnesota transfer who made some standout plays in spring football, Schuster plays a position of need for the Beavers and has good size at 6-foot-1, 325 pounds. Definitely a name to keep an eye on...

OL Nathan Elu

-> There were about two to three younger OLs who could have also been placed here, but we give Elu the nod as he showed some good instincts during spring football and could be one of the top backups on the line this year.

WR Zach Card

-> After being one of the lone true freshmen to see action last season, Card will be looking to build upon his five receptions for 35 yards in 2024. He's one of the fastest guys on the team, and I expect the new offensive style to really suit his skillset. Look for the Beavers to get him opportunities to do something with the ball in space...