Notes & Quotes From Oregon State Head Coach Jonathan Smith

With Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith meeting the media on Monday afternoon to preview spring football, BeaversEdge.com recaps all the info in this edition of notes and quotes!

Notes

- Jonathan Smith said that the team had a great January and February in the strength and conditioning program with Mike McDonald. Said a lot of guys got bigger, faster, and stronger in the offseason and that's always what you're looking for. He's excited to take that progress to the field...

- In terms of the guys who won't be seeing much action or any action this spring, Smith confirmed that Alton Julian (DB), Ryan Franke (LB), John McCartan (LB), and Jack Velling (TE) are out for the spring. He also said Josh Green (P) and Anthony Gould (WR) would be limited as well... He also added that everyone on the list will be healthy by August camp...

- Smith said that they're potentially looking at tweaking the spring game, but said there are a lot of factors such as health that will likely determine if it is more ramped up. He said trying some new things isn't out of the question, but he's not certain yet.

- Smith said he's very excited to have Avery Roberts back in the program as a graduate assistant kicking off his coaching career. He feels he'll bring something unique not being that far off from playing.

- Smith confirmed the position changes of Makiya Tongue to linebacker and Riley Sharp moving over to tight end. He said there aren't any other position changes at this time. He did say that with those two guys it's an open conversation and they're going to see how the spring looks in their new spots. He feels they'll evaluate after spring and determine if it's the right fit...

- Smith highlighted freshman receiver Zach Card for the offseason he had and is excited to see him in action on Tuesday...

- Smith said he really likes what Nikko Taylor and Oluwaseyi Omotosho are going to bring as pass rushers. He also really likes the addition of Grant Starck on the offensive line, saying he's going to be a big help with his experience. He also really likes the high upside of Jermaine Terry in the TE room...

Quotes

Jonathan Smith on the program momentum

"Every year is different, but I feel that we have great momentum as a program coming off some solid things last year. This coaching staff and roster are prime for another good year, but there's a lot of work that goes into that. I know there's excitement around the program with spring ball starting... Momentum and ticket sales are as high as they've been in a long time and we're excited for this fall in Reser Stadium."

Smith on DJ Uiagalelei and the quarterback room

"He came here in early January with the approach of wanting to fit in and go to work. He obviously garners a lot of attention which is well-earned, he played in a lot of big-time games. But his approach since he's been here has been trying to fit in and go to work and I think the guys have appreciated that. We're definitely excited to take the field with him tomorrow and see how he operates the offense. He's taken every opportunity these first couple of months to learn by getting with our coaches and learning the installs as the terminology is a bit different. He's had some benefit from the other quarterbacks in the room... Aidan Chiles is in the same boat, getting here in January and Ben (Gulbranson) and Travis (Throckmorton) have been very accepting of meeting, throwing, and getting those guys up to speed as much as possible. Looking forward to DJ, but really the quarterback room in general for all those guys to take a step in their game."

On how the 2022 season finish is carrying over

"It definitely impacts the confidence, and understanding that we can accomplish some things. On the flip side though, and this team knows it, each year is new. This roster is new and there are new players here. We want to learn from and gain confidence from last year but we know it doesn't help us at all starting with our first game in September. A lot of guys returning on this roster know how to compete at a high level and what it looks like is putting real work in. We started with the weight room in January, February, and now we have to take another step in spring ball. Everyone improved in spring ball last year, we gotta do it again."

What stood out with Uiagalelei

"He's competitive... He's definitely skilled as a passer, runner, hangs in the pocket, goes through progressions, all of that showed up on tape. Learning about him during the recruiting process, we learned just how great of a person and teammate he is. We talked to so many people over at Clemson, even going back to his high school days, it was a reoccurring theme talking about the type of player he is, the teammate he is, and the work ethic he has, and that's shown up during his first two months...

On transitioning from AJ Steward to Keith Bhonapha

"I'm really excited about Keith... I've known him for a long time and worked with him for six years at Boise and at Washington. Coach Steward did an amazing job here and we're happy he was able to get closer to his family for his wife going to a good program. Very thankful for what he did for our place for a couple of years. Keith brings an added dimension from the special teams' side, leadership wise, he's going to be an assistant head coach around here because I've got a background with him that I know. I know what he's all about when it comes to culture, development, and coaching players. I feel really good about him, the recruiting ties he has, and he's fit in great already. He's walking into a position room that has talent and we needed to match that with a certain type of coach and I feel we have that with Keith...

On losing key depth at cornerback and inside linebacker

"We definitely had two good corners that started the majority of the year and guys we're rooting for with the NFL Draft in Alex Austin and Rejzohn Wright. In college football each year you've got to be ready to replace some good players and I think the way Jaden Robinson played toward the end of the year and in the bowl game was big, we're counting on him in a big way. Then we've got some other options of guys who have been in the program, Noble Thomas and Joe Swen have been here for a year and so spring is big for them... Ryan Cooper Jr. has the ability to play corner, but we'd love to be able to keep him at nickel. At inside 'backer, we're counting on Easton Mascarenas to take a big step, played a lot of football, and he's a really good player with a chance to solidify himself. (Mason Tufaga) transferring over will get an opportunity, Tongue, Michael Erhart, and John Miller. We want to be a place where guys do develop over time and its time for some of these guys to grab hold and get a starting spot or be in the rotation."

On replacing key leadership from 2022

"There's no question we had great leadership, I think of Brandon Kipper and Jaydon Grant and those two corners, Austin & Wright, and Simon Sandberg. We had a lot of great leaders, so each year you're wanting to continue to develop that. I do think we have some returning leadership with Jake Levengood, Joshua Gray, Kitan Oladapo, and those guys have been around knowing what success looks like. Each year you plug away and guys rise to the occasion. I'm very confident we'll have great leadership on this team."