7/20/2024 football Edit

BeaversEdge Top 25 For 2024: No. 8 ILB Melvin Jordan

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. 8 ILB Melvin Jordan

Bio

5-foot-11

226-pounds

Rs-So.

St. Petersburg, Fla.

Clearwater Central Catholic

- Rated four stars by Rivals & the No. 9 inside linebacker nationally

- Transferred to Clearwater Central Catholic from Calvary Christian after his junior year

- Posted 51 tackles and 3.5 sacks as a junior. Helped lead the team to a 7-2 mark and 3A state playoff appearance

- Made 29 tackles with two interceptions at IMG Academy as a sophomore

- Played at Clearwater Central Catholic as a freshman and made 74 tackles with three sacks and two forced fumbles. Also ran for 142 yards on offense

2023 Recap

After playing in three games and taking a redshirt his first season, Jordan broke into the Beavers' rotation in his second campaign, playing in all 13 contests. He tallied 22 tackles with four tackles for loss, one sack, and two quarterback hurries.

While the Beavers did have experienced inside linebacker depth with Calvin Hart Jr., Easton Mascarenas, Makiya Tongue, and John Miller, the Beavers made a concerted effort to get the rising Jordan into the rotation.

Tongue was unfortunately lost for the season after week three, and Jordan had passed Miller by week four in the rotation and went on to be a consistent first-off-the-bench guy.

Jordan earned starts against California and Notre Dame, with the former coming as Hart played a smaller workload against the Bears, and the latter coming after Mascarenas departed and Hart didn't play. He made the most of his starting and reserve opportunities, flashing why he was so highly-touted out of high school just a few seasons ago.

On the season, Jordan saw 178 snaps at inside linebacker, the third-most at ILB behind Mascarenas' 741 and Hart's 586. Considering that the duo rarely left the field, getting Jordan that many snaps was definitely a savvy move by the defensive coaching staff.

Jordan was also a key member of the special teams unit, playing 141 snaps on the kick coverage, kick return, punt return, and punt coverage units.

His best game of the season was the Sun Bowl against Notre Dame, where when thrust into a starting role, played 35 snaps and tallied five tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack.

2024 Outlook

Entering the 2024 campaign, there are big expectations of Jordan who we expect to step into a starting and leadership role for the defense in 2024...

We have him penciled in to be one of the Beavers' starting inside linebackers this season, and from what we saw last season and what we were able to see in spring, he's more than ready.

Standing at 5-foot-11 and checking in at 226 pounds, Jordan has roughly added 11 pounds to his frame since arriving, and it's evident as he's a very strong player in the middle of the defense.

He looks like the next impact ILB for the Beavers, someone who has good athleticism moves well, and has that trademarked "stopping power" ability that Trent Bray and Co. desire in the middle of the defense. His pass coverage was a bit of a mixed bag in limited snaps a year ago, so he'll be looking to improve upon that entering the year.

The Beavers did add Gyriece Goodman and Aiden Sullivan to the ILB mix, and both were highly productive JUCO players, but I believe those moves to bolster the room overall and create good competition between the expected starters Jordan and Isaiah Chisom.

When the Beavers saw impact ILBs depart or graduate in previous seasons (Avery Roberts, Kyrei Fisher, and Omar Speights for example), there was always a veteran anchored with a first-time starter the next year.

This year, the Beavers project to start Jordan, a Rs-So. and Chisom, an Rs-Fr., and Goodman and Sullivan are new to the program as of spring, so the bulk of playmaking leadership responsibility in the middle of the defense will be on Jordan first and foremost.

As we mentioned in Chisom's preview piece, the Beavers' defensive scheme places a high value on productive inside linebackers stopping the run game and being one of the bigger communicators in the defense.

Jordan has all the qualities you look for in being a vocal leader, and he'll need to prove that along with his starting ability for the Beavers to have another impact defense this year.

Look for Jordan to be one of the standout players of fall camp, leading the middle of the defense, earning a starting job, and emerging as a leadership presence...