BeaversEdge Top 25 For 2024: No. 10 OL Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan

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 2024 roster.

Want to give your two cents on the rankings?

Subscribe to BeaversEdge.com to join The Dam Board and weigh in on the conversation.

No. 10 OL Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan

Bio

6-foot-10

310-pounds

Senior

Davis, Calif.

Davis HS

2023 Recap

Beginning his career at Colorado, Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan had the most productive and consistent season of his collegiate career as a junior for the Buffaloes.

While there wasn't much for CU to ride home about last season, Lichtenhan was certainly a bright spot. He played in all 12 games (11 starts) and earned Pac-12 OL of the week after his performance against Nebraska in week two.

He achieved season-highs in pass and run-blocking grades in the win over Nebraska, logging an 89.3 in pass protection, and a 75.3 in run-blocking. He also had six games with a pass-blocking rating by PFF above 70.

He's also proven to be a durable player in the trenches, as he saw the most snaps on offense of any Buffalo in '24, playing 827 while the next closest Buff was at 783.

In terms of why Lichtenhan looked to leave CU, I think it was multi-faceted. Not only was it a rough couple of seasons for the Buffs, Deion Sanders didn't pull punches throwing his OL under the bus as the season progressed.

Additionally, Lichtenhan was one of offensive line coach Kyle DeVan's OLs when the latter was spending a season with the Buffs, so the opportunity to reach a better situation with familiar people was significant in his decision.

2024 Outlook

A graduate transfer from Colorado, Lichtenhan had to finish up his degree in Boulder before arriving with Oregon State this summer.

Lichtenhan is a massive human, checking in at 6-foot-10 and weighing 315 pounds, and figures to be a great addition to the Beavers' front-line group.

A good chunk of the Beavers' starting unit is all but set as Joshua Gray will start at left guard, fellow CU transfer Van Wells at center, and Grant Starck at right guard. That leaves the two tackle spots up for grabs.

As we mentioned with our No. 11 player Jacob Strand, it's still yet to be determined which guy is more suited to play LT, and which will shift over to the right side.

Lichtenhan has multiple seasons of starting experience and should be a sure bet to lock down one of the open tackle positions. I'd expect he'll get the first crack at playing LT once fall camp begins, as he's coming off a combined 19 starts with Colorado over the past two seasons.

Considering his previous relationship with DeVan, experience, and the slightly more important position being LT, I like Lichtenhan to be the Beavers' day-one LT starter...