7/21/2024 football Edit

BeaversEdge Top 25 For 2024: No. 7 OL Grant Starck

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 2024 roster.

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No. 7 Grant Starck

Bio

6-foot-4

289-pounds

Sr.

Springfield, Ore.

Thurston HS -> Nevada -> OSU

Nevada

- Played in 22 games over three seasons at Nevada. Was on the roster in 2020 but did not play

- Started in all 12 games in 2022

- Rated as the No. 3 overall offensive lineman in the Mountain West Conference in 2022 by Pro Football Focus with a 76.9 rating

- Played in 10 games in 2021. Part of a Nevada offensive line that paved the way for the team’s passing attack to rank sixth in the country at 347 yards per game

2023 Recap

Coming over via the transfer portal from Nevada ahead of the 2023 campaign, it was a homecoming for the Springfield (OR) native Grant Starck as he joined the Oregon State program and became a key swiss-army-knife on the offensive line.

The 6-foot-4, 289-pounder showcased an impressive amount of versatility for the Beaver in his first campaign coming over from the Wolfpack, seeing action at left guard, right guard, and right tackle.

After starting 13 games for Nevada in 2022, Starck took on the role of de-facto sixth-man of the offensive line, being the first guy off the bench when called upon and ready to step into a starting role whenever and wherever called upon.

Versatility like Starck showed is an extremely valuable asset for new offensive line coach Kyle DeVan as there wasn't much change in efficiency when he moved across the various positions.

Whether it was LG, LG, RG, or RT, Starck graded out as one of the Beavers' more efficient linemen per PFF and that's going to bode well for him entering 2024 as the coaching staff will figure out where he best fits.

2024 Outlook

Entering the 2024 campaign, Starck is a sure-fire bet to lock down one of the starting jobs on the offensive line, likely settling in at right guard, however, he's versatile enough to play a variety of spots depending on how things shake out in fall camp.

Joshua Gray and Van Wells are locked in at left guard and center, respectively, while Colorado transfer Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan is likely to anchor one of the tackle positions. That leaves two open spots, and Starck is all but assured to land one of them, with Jacob Strand likely settling in at the final one.

However, the exact rotation is still to be decided as Christian-Lichtehnan wasn't on campus for spring practices, so we'll see how all the pieces ultimately fit, but we feel confident in that group of five ultimately starting.

Look for Starck to lock down one of the starting positions early in camp and be one of the Beavers' more consistent players on the O-Line in his final campaign. Having his experience and leadership back in the fold for another season was big for the Beavers and they'll see the benefits play out this fall...