FREE: Nuggets from Oregon State's fourth day of fall camp

BeaversEdge.com's Brenden Slaughter was live in Corvallis on Monday to take in Oregon State's fourth practice of fall camp.

During the first few days of fall camp, BeaversEdge.com is running all pieces of content as "free" items to give a taste of what kind of insight we bring on a daily basis. This article would typically be premium.

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-The biggest news of the day came post-practice when head coach Jonathan Smith announced several important nuggets of information.

-Defensive lineman Jeromy Reichner, who was going to be a key player for the Beavers on the already thin line is going to miss at least the start of the season with an injury.

-Tight end Tuli Wily-Matagi has retired from football due to personal reasons. This is a big blow for the Beavers’ depth at tight end as Matagi was expected to play a significant role for the Beavers on offense as both a run and pass blocking tight end. He was OSU’s best run-blocking tight end and not having him in the fold is certainly going to hurt the Beavers. Isaiah Smalls, Teagan Quitoriano, and Quinn Smith figure to be in line for extended playing time moving forward.

-Former safety Landry Payne will be pursuing a sixth year of eligibility, Smith announced today. While he waits to hear back from the NCAA, Payne is allowed to practice with the team and will take part in team activities. Given where OSU’s scholarship count is right now, there’s no doubt that if he’s deemed eligible he’ll secure a spot and push Jalen Moore and David Morris for playing time at the safety spot.

-Today was a bit of a different vibe from the first two days of practice as the Beavers were extremely locked in. That’s not to say that they weren’t the last couple practices, but rather guys just looked really good today and were in the zone.

-One of those players who continued his impressive start to fall camp was Conor Blount. The redshirt sophomore quarterback continues to show the leaps he’s made in the offseason, and it’s fair to say he’s looked the most accurate and comfortable running the offense albeit for just four practices.

-Smith addressed the quarterback derby after practice noting that he and his staff would like to narrow the field down within the next week or so, but maintained that he and his staff have no timetable for choosing a starting QB. At this point, it looks like it’s Blount and Jake Luton and the rest of the pack, but Aidan Willard, Jack Colletto, and Jake Dukart have had their moments in the first four days. They haven’t had the consistency to put themselves firmly into the mix yet, but it’s still early in fall camp with a lot of football and practices yet to be had.

-The defense definitely won the “battle” against the offense today as the Beaver offense didn’t score during 11-on-11 work with any of the quarterbacks running the show. The edge rush from the Beavers was scary good at several points as exemplified by Kee Whetzel. Whetzel had two would-be sacks and perhaps turnovers on Luton -- where he came off the edge virtually untouched. Given that the two plays nearly happened back-to-back, I’d say this is more a credit to Whetzel’s ability than the O-line missing an assignment.

-Kalani Vakameilalo and Isaac Hodgins really stood out on the defensive line today as they both flashed the technique and ability to shed their blocker and get to the quarterback or running back very quickly. Vakameilalo also did a nice job of tipping several passes as the line that very easily could have been interceptions.

-Isaiah Hodgins was a man amongst boys today as he made several impressive plays that showcased his ability to tightrope the sideline, leap over smaller defenders to make a catch, or burn corners with his speed. If the Beavers can get consistent play under center, Hodgins could be in for a big season.

-Continuing with the defense, it really seems like they’ve started to turn the corner. While the last few years have seen OSU defenses play with poor fundamentals and technique, defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar is doing everything in his power along with the rest of the defensive staff to make sure that’s far in the rearview mirror. The Beaver defensive line and linebackers were extremely impressive today. Andrzej Hughes-Murray made several nice plays getting to the quarterback while Hamilcar Rashed, Shemar Smith, and Kameron Carroll also made nice plays throughout the two hour practice. OSU’s linebackers look extremely comfortable on the field and Tibesar and Trent Bray are a big reason why.

-Defensively, it’s been impressive to watch OSU fly to the ball throughout the first four days. That was something the Beavers struggled with last season and it really seems like the Beavers have made massive strides in their pursuit of the ball and attacking it once they’re there.