Oregon State Practice Notebook: Avery Roberts "loves" Corvallis

With a week of spring practice in the books, BeaversEdge.com takes a look at the Oregon State defense and how they’re shaping up to be much improved in 2019 thanks to improved chemistry, depth, and internal growth.

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The Oregon State Football team continues its climb under second year head coach Jonathan Smith as the Beavers are now a week into the spring session.

After getting their feet under them in week one, week two brought more intensity and playmaking as the team looks to make necessary improvements in spring that will pay dividends come August.

The biggest area where the Beavers will be looking for improvement this offseason will be on defense as they’re looking to go nowhere but up after being the second-worst defense in the NCAA a season ago.

Defensive coordinator Tim Tibesar, who is expecting big things from his group in year two, is amped up about how much the defense has been able to been able to grow under the practice format the Beavers put together for spring.

“Spring ball is my favorite time as a coach,” Tibesar said. “You want to get a lot of teaching and learning in, and with the Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday schedule that we have, it allows us to meet with the guys, watch film, and grow.”

Added cornerback Isaiah Dunn: “We’re getting better everyday. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and so it’s going to take some time to get there, but everything should fall in place. Overall improvement every day is what I harp on.”

While the Beavers have the makings of a much improved defense this season thanks to having more depth, talent, and playmaking, Tibesar noted that it's still early to be talking about leaps and bounds for this new-look OSU defense.

“It’s too early to tell how much we’ve improved,” Tibesar said. “We’re a work in progress every single day. I have been happy with the effort the guys have brought. We’re not always doing it right, but we’re doing it with the effort we’re looking for.”

Added outside linebacker Hamilcar Rashed: “Coach Tibs always talks about correcting mistakes and learning from those mistakes so they won’t happen again,” Rashed said.

While the Beavers are still wading through improvement, growth, and growing pains on defense, there’s one thing that will no doubt make life much easier on the unit in 2019.

Another season with the playbook.

“It’s very evident that the guys are a lot more comfortable with the playbook,” Tibesar said. “They’re a lot more comfortable, they aren’t thinking as much, and are able to play much faster. That’s definitely a benefit of being in year two.”

Another benefit of being in the second year of a coaching/team rebuild is that now the Beavers have more reinforcements. After having dangerously low depth at key position groups like the defensive line and secondary a season ago, the Beavers have more flexibility and options this year.

“We were so banged up last spring that there were certain times we couldn’t do team drills because the numbers at a certain position were so low,” Tibesar said. “This year, we’re able to get 3-4 groups out there and be able to get guys reps.”

Part of the reason why the Beavers figure to be much improved defensively this season is the addition of several high-impact transfers who will bring new life to the Beaver defense. One of those players who could be a difference maker on the field is Avery Roberts.

“It’s been really fun,” Roberts said. “This is my first time getting to run plays with the first team since I was on scout team last year and it’s been really good to see how everything flows in (Tibesar’s) system.”

The 6-foot-1, 230 pound linebacker transferred from Nebraska last fall and spent the season on the scout team while redshirting and sitting out the season per NCAA transfer rules. With Roberts now eligible and in the fold moving forward, it’s been like christmas in March for Tibesar who lauded the playmaking of the redshirt-sophomore.

“(Avery) has all the physical talent,” Tibesar said. “He’s a very instinctive linebacker and does a great job of reading and reacting. When he hits a guy, he knocks them backwards.”

Roberts, who came to Oregon State via Nebraska like fellow teammates Tristan Gebbia and Tyjon Lindsey, said that his relationships with Trent Bray, Gebbia, and Lindsey have made the transition smooth and enjoyable.

“I love being here,” Roberts said. “It’s a huge improvement from the end of last season until now. Guys are flying around at all positions and it’s exciting to see everything starting to come together.”