12/6/2022 football Edit

Jonathan Smith, Damien Martinez, 19 Beavers Honored By Pac-12 Coaches

Brenden Slaughter • BeaversEdge

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SAN FRANCISCO – Jonathan Smith has been named the Pac-12’s Co-Coach of the Year and running back Damien Martinez is the Offensive Freshman of the Year to highlight Oregon State’s selections for the league’s postseason honors, which were released on Tuesday.

Oregon State has 19 student-athletes recognized as all-conference, which leads the Pac-12. Five of those 19 were named first team, which is tied with USC for most in the Pac-12.

Smith is the fourth Oregon State head coach and first since Mike Riley in 2008 to earn Coach of the Year honors. He’s led Oregon State to a 9-3 record this season and the Beavers will be going for their 10th victory for the third time in school history when OSU takes on Florida Dec. 17 in Las Vegas.

Martinez, who has rushed for 970 yards this season on the strength of six consecutive 100-yard efforts, is the first beaver to be named Offensive Freshman of the Year since Jermar Jefferson in 2018.

Martinez was also named as a First-Team selection, and is joined by Jack Colletto (all-purpose), Anthony Gould (return specialist), Omar Speights and Rejzohn Wright.

Second-team selections for the Beavers include Silas Bolden (return specialist), Taliese Fuaga, Jaydon Grant and Joshua Gray.

Oregon State’s honorable mention honorees include: Alex Austin, Ryan Cooper Jr., Kyrei Fisher-Morris, Tre’Shaun Harrison, Brandon Kipper, Jake Levengood, Luke Loecher, Sione Lolohea, Kitan Oladapo and James Rawls.

OSU First-Team Selections:

Jack Colletto – Has 23 tackles with a forced fumble, fumble recovery, 25 carries for 86 yards and six touchdowns, two passes completions for 53 yards and three receptions for 46 yards.

Anthony Gould – Has returned 14 punts for 256 yards and two touchdowns. One of just four players in the nation with two punt returns for touchdowns. Only player from the Pac-12 with at least one.

Damien Martinez – Has rushed for 970 yards and seven touchdowns on 158 carries, an average of 6.1 yards per rush.

Omar Speights – Leads Oregon State with 77 tackles and is second with six tackles for loss. Adds one pass breakup and four quarterback hurries.

Rejzohn Wright – Seventh on the Beavers with 38 tackles, adding two interceptions, nine pass breakups, one fumble recovery and half a tackle for loss.

OSU Second-Team Selections:

Silas Bolden – Leads Oregon State with 21 kickoff returns, totaling 573 yards for a 27.3-yard per average. Season-long return is 80 yards.

Taliese Fuaga – Has played in and started all 12 games for the Beavers.

Jaydon Grant – Fourth on the team with 60 tackles. Adds four tackles for loss, three interceptions, one sack and six pass breakups with one forced fumble.

Joshua Gray – Has played in and started all 12 games for the Beavers.

OSU Honorable Mention Selections:

Alex Austin – Fifth on the Beavers with 53 tackles, adding two interceptions, nine pass breakups, a forced fumble and one sack.

Ryan Cooper Jr. – Sixth on Oregon State with 40 tackles. He has three tackles for loss with one sack, three interceptions and 10 pass breakups.

Kyrei Fisher-Morris – Third on the team with 66 tackles. Adds 5.5 tackles for loss with half a sack, one interception and five pass breakups.

Tre’Shaun Harrison – Leads Oregon State with 52 catches for 604 yards. Has four touchdowns and is averaging 11.6 yards per reception.

Brandon Kipper – Has played in and started all 12 games for the Beavers. Has also started 44 career games at OSU, tied for eighth-most at Oregon State.

Jake Levengood – Has played in and started all 12 games for the Beavers.

Luke Loecher – Has punted 33 times this season, averaging 45.4 yards per. Eleven of his 33 punts have trapped opponents inside their 20 and eight have gone longer than 50 yards.

Sione Lolohea – Enters the Las Vegas Bowl with 28 tackles on the year, adding one sack and 4.5 tackles for loss. Also totals two forced fumbles.

Kitan Oladapo – Second on the team with 75 tackles. Has also broken up six passes with 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.

James Rawls – Leads Oregon State with nine tackles for loss to go along with 28 total tackles and 1.5 sacks. Has also forced one fumble.

Oregon State All-Conference Notes

- The Beavers’ five first-team selections are OSU’s most since the 2009 team totaled seven.

- The 19 selections are also the most for Oregon State. That surpassed the 2008 Beavers who had 18.

- Oregon State has now had three straight first-team running backs, which included B.J. Baylor in 2021 and Jermar Jefferson in 2020.

- Oregon State’s first-team selections all earned the honor for the first time. Colletto was also a second-teamer in 2021. Speights and Wright were both honorable mention in 2021.

- Joshua Gray is a second-team selection for the second time, following 2020. He was honorable mention in 2021.

- Jaydon Grant is a second-teamer for the first time following honorable mention honors in 2020 and 2021.

- Brandon Kipper is a three-time honorable mention selection following 2019 and 2021.

- Alex Austin and Kitan Oladapo are honorable mention for the second consecutive season.