NOTEBOOK: Oregon State begins spring practice

The Oregon State football team returned to the practice field for the first time in 2019 as the Beavers enter their second spring session under second year head coach Jonathan Smith. BeaversEdge.com was in Corvallis and has the latest on the Beavers as they continue to build.

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Following a 2018 campaign that saw Oregon State go 2-10 in Jonathan Smith’s first season, the Beavers are back on the grind working towards much better success in spring of 2019.

Armed with more depth in key positions, better top tier talent, and familiarity within the system, the Beavers figure to be much improved come fall.

“The energy was good,” Smith said. “You can tell these guys are a year more comfortable in our system. We feel good about the amount of guys that can rotate and the fact that there’s some real competition at several positions. We have to keep continuing to build and get better daily.

RELATED: Day 1 Practice Nuggets

Perhaps the biggest question on everyone’s minds heading into OSU’s spring session is who’s going to rise up and seize the quarterback spot. Between senior Jake Luton and redshirt sophomore Tristan Gebbia, the Beavers have versatility and options whichever way they decide to go.

Luton was the first quarterback to get reps during the 11-on-11 work and made one of the highlight plays of the day as he found Champ Flemings on a go route for about a 75 yard touchdown. In terms of practice performance, it was one of the better days that I had seen from Luton the past two years. From individual drills to team reps, Luton was sharp from the word go.

“That was a good feeling,” Luton said with a smile. “Champ ran a great route and I put it out there and let him run and get the ball in his hands.”

When Luton spoke to the media last month on National Signing Day, he mentioned that he was feeling the best he ever had in terms of his health and familiarity with Smith’s scheme.

It showed on Tuesday.

“With it being the second year, we’re really able to come out and hit the ground running,” Luton said. “I feel like I’ve kind of been the old man (amongst the QB’s) and now I’ve accepted it. Last year we had a lot of young guys and a lot of young talent and having them come back in year two with more familiarity has really helped our team grow.”

For the first time in his college career, Luton now has the benefit of being in the same system, with the same coach, and the same offensive-coordinator for a second season. That familiarity is already helping him on the field as he navigates yet another quarterback race.

“It’s super important for a quarterback,” Luton said. “I’ve really been trying to soak it in during the offseason and come out here in spring ball and put it to work.”

Gebbia, who came to Corvallis from Nebraska last fall, received a healthy dose of reps as well, showing off the poise and leadership that his teammates have lauded him for since his arrival. Whether it was on the field or in the post-practice media interviews, Gebbia carries himself with a very confident demeanour that is contagious on the field.

“You could feel the enthusiasm in the air,” Gebbia said of today’s practice. “We’re getting after it and we want to put the pads on already. We love to compete and you’ll see it come fall.”

Added Smith: “The QB’s were crisp. There’s a limited amount of reps but they were going to the right spots with the ball and it’s great to have a few guys out there that are eligible now in Tristan (Gebbia) and Nick (Moore). I feel really good about that group.”

With Luton and Gebbia battling it out for the starting job over the next few months, one might think that competition would drive a wedge between the two quarterbacks. In all reality, it couldn’t be further from the truth as the two QBs have developed a friendship, camaraderie, and healthy competition.

“It’s really good… Jake and I are friends and we know what’s going on,” Gebbia said. “We’re pushing each other and it’s a great thing to have competition that’s going to push both of us to be better players.”

Regardless of who ends up being the starting QB, and we might not find that out until fall camp, they’ll have the benefit of having a lot of weapons around them.

Between dynamic running backs like Jermar Jefferson and Artavis Pierce and high-flying receivers like Isaiah Hodgins, Trevon Bradford, and Tyjon Lindsey, there will be a bevy of talented options for the Beavers’ quarterback to call upon.

“I love it… Those guys make us look really good in the quarterback room,” Gebbia said with a smile. “They make a lot of great plays, fly around, and make really good catches.

One of the bigger position changes of the offseason is junior Kee Whetzel moving from outside linebacker to safety.

The position change came about after the end of the 2018 season when Whetzel approached Smith about finding a creative approach to get him on the field more.

“It’s been smooth so far… I feel like this will suit me better and I’m excited to see what happens,” Whetzel said. “Coach Smith and I talked about it at the end of the season and I wasn’t getting enough playing time at the outside ‘backer position because of my weight, so we figured safety would be a better position for me and I was all for it.”

The 6-foot-3, 204 pound Whetzel was a factor for the Beavers' defense at outside linebacker the past couple of season but now finds himself much more comfortable in the back end of the defense where he can use his strong, athletic frame to disrupt opposing passing attacks.

“Athletically, it feels so natural,” Whetzel said. “I like playing safety more than outside linebacker, so it’s been really fun.”