Day 5: Running Backs looking for depth

Getting quality depth at running back early appears to be the priority for Oregon State’s football team during fall camp practices. Running backs coach Telly Lockette wants everyone on the depth chart, especially some of the younger players, to get some touches.

Although Ryan Nall is projected as the starter after a breakout game against Oregon last November when he rushed for 174 yards on 19 carries in a 52-42 Civil War loss, it’s adding experience that tops Lockette’s list of priorities. Along with Nall (6-foot-2, 235, SO, Sandy, Ore.), the Beavers are stocked with depth in the backfield with Tim Cook (6-1, 233, SR, Pine Bluff, Ark.), Art Pierce (5-11, 201, FR, Lake Alfred, Fla.), Kyle White (6-0, 207, JR, Montgomery, Ala.) and Jaylynn Bailey (5-9, 223, JR, Salem, Ore.).

“We’re just trying to make sure everybody’s competing right now,” Lockette said. “At the end of the day you’re going to go with the best guy, and then you go from there. In this conference you gotta have four backs. You gotta have four horses. To just say you got one guy is an understatement because you’re an injury away from playing a freshman. There are some things that we have to do on our end to get better.”

Although many of the young players have strength, experience and speed, it’s the ability to do the little things such as blocking and receiving that will help them earn playing time.

“We gotta make sure we can catch the ball,” Lockette said. “One thing about our offense is we've gotta release five guys, so we've gotta be able to catch the ball out of the backfield. That’s one of the positives; we have kids who can catch the ball out of the backfield.

“Just running the ball isn’t good enough in this league. You gotta be able to pass protect too,” he added.

Sophomore wide receiver Paul Lucas, who has spent some time at running back, believes the position is well rounded.

“We have a big group of backs who can do different things,” Lucas (5-11, 188, Phoenix, Ariz.), said. “We’re really versatile.”

So far in camp it’s Pierce who seems to be making the longest strides.

“He’s doing some good things for us. He’s stepping up,” Lockette said. “We’re giving him a load a little bit and see how much mental capacity he can hold as a true freshman.”

“He can move,” Lucas said of Pierce.

The Beavers, in Bend due to ongoing construction at Reser Stadium, will hold their final practice at Summit High School on Wednesday before returning to Corvallis.

“We had a couple of good plays today, a couple of kids showed off today, so we’re pretty pleased,” Lockette said. “We’re still a work in progress right now.”