Notes & Quotes From Jonathan Smith's Press Conference

Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith met with the media via zoom to discuss the latest from fall camp as the Beavers prepare for the upcoming season restart.

BeaversEdge.com Managing Editor Brenden Slaughter was on the call and has a complete breakdown...

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Notes

- After donning shoulder pads on Sunday, the Beavers will be moving to full pads on Wednesday per head coach Jonathan Smith. The layout of the practices won't change much as the team isn't planning on live tackling right away, but Smith said that having the extra layer of physicality will certainly help get the team up to speed.

- Smith didn't have any major injuries to report. He added that bumps and bruises are a part of a normal training camp and that it would be possible for guys to be limited or miss a day or two here or there. With the media not being at practices, we'll be limited to what the coaches tell us when it comes to injuries, and the policy isn't to disclose anything unless it's long term.

- The Beavers will be doing some situational tackling later in the week to prepare for their first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday.

- As far as freshmen that are standing out, Smith singled out linebacker John Miller, receiver Zeriah Beason, and defensive lineman Sione Lolohea as guys that had an impressive day. He also added that freshman quarterback Ben Gulbranson had several nice throws as well.

- Given that we (the media) were able to see Gulbranson and Beason's potential back in the few days of spring ball, it's not surprising to hear that they're making strides early on. The coaching staff has also spoken very highly about the potential of Miller and Veikoso as well, so hearing Smith single out several freshmen early in camp is a great sign.

- Smith said that offensive lineman Brandon Kipper has been mostly operating at right tackle in the early days of camp. He could move to left tackle if needed, but Joshua Gray has been getting the early run at left tackle and has impressed per Smith.

- The rest of the o-line rotation for the LG, C, & RG spots has been between Nathan Eldridge, Nous Keobounam, Korbin Sorenson, and Keli'i Montibon. Smith said that lineman Onesimus Clarke has not been in the mix as he hasn't been available to start fall camp.

- In terms of the JUCO guys that have caught the eye of Smith, he mentioned cornerback Alton Julian, who has picked up the defense very quickly, as a guy that stands out. Tavis Shippen is another guy that Smith singled out, saying that he's been a great addition to the defensive line.

Quotes

Jonathan Smith on impressions from today's practice

"The physicality on defense today was great. I really liked the energy we were playing with on that side of the ball. We did several inside-run drills that the defense really owned all day. Our young receivers had some good moments today.

Our buy-in on special teams has been great with guys wanting to get on the field, especially if they're not at the top of the depth chart. Concern wise, I want us to continue to grow depth because we're going to need a lot of it this year."

Smith on the quarterbacks

"It's almost a day to day thing. I think Chance Nolan had his best day since he's been here yesterday. You can tell he's getting more and more comfortable in the offense. He had a lot of time in the meetings and such over the summer and he's really taken advantage of that time. Nick Moore had a great play today on a scramble that went for about 40-yards. Each of those guys has had their moments, and we love where we're at in the QB room."

Smith on juggling outside linebacker rotation

"You've got to make your reps count. You've got to know that you're going to play on special teams too because we only play two outside 'backers. Coach Tibesar does a great job with the rotation, but you've got to know that you've got to make it count because it's going to be really competitive."

Smith on the secondary

"It's been really competitive. Rezjohn Wright has been looking really good and he's been very competitive out there. Ronald Hardage III has also brought really great competition to that room. Isaiah Dunn and Alex Austin have both had picks in the first couple of days, so it's been really good. We've got a lot of guys competing for those spots and we have a lot more depth than we've ever had here."