Just over a week ago, the Oregon State football team signed 15 players that the Beavers hope will help continue to rebuild the program under now second year head coach Jonathan Smith.

Combine those 15 players with three high-impact transfers who are already on campus (quarterback Tristan Gebbia, wide receiver Tyjon Lindsey, and linebacker Avery Roberts), one that’s expected in January (linebacker Addison Gumbs), and one graduate transfer (center Nathan Eldridge) and the Beavers put together a class that should make them instantly better and more improved next season.

"I'm extremely high on this class," BeaversEdge.com editor Mike Singer said. "I grade this class as an 'A' for Jonathan Smith.

"If you look at the class in a vacuum, it's ranked just No. 69 in the nation, but that doesn't take into account the five stud transfers they've added. I think all five will help make Oregon State a much better team in 2019. Not only are the transfers excellent, OSU addressed some big needs on the defensive line by adding five new recruits and got their quarterback for the next three years."

Given that defensive-coordinator Tim Tibesar’s group was second to last in all of FBS football in terms of total offense allowed in 2018, OSU certainly needed help on the defensive side of the ball, particularly in terms of depth and size along the front seven.

"Adding Gumbs at outside linebacker, Roberts at inside linebacker, and Jordan Whittley at nose tackle, the Beavers bolstered their front seven,” Singer said. “As far as the secondary, the Beavers just need to get healthy. Getting David Morris and Jay Irvine back will be big time. But all around, there are zero reasons why Tibesar's defense shouldn't greatly improve, in my mind."

Oregon State also added more developmental prospects -- prospects who may not contribute right away but can be big time players in the future.

“I'm definitely excited about Cory Stover," said Singer. "He's like a mix of John McCartan and Joah Robinett, but the Beavers plan on using Stover at defensive end, whereas those two are/were outside linebackers for the Beavers. At 6-foot-6, 225-pounds, there's no doubt that Stover is a developmental prospect, but as a homegrown kid, he's sticking around for the long haul and has incredible work ethic. Stover is a perfect example of low ego, high output."

With every recruiting class, there are always players that you feel sure about, and those who are a bit of a boom-or-bust on the field.

This year for the Beavers is no different, as Singer feels that the Beavers have the biggest lock in a high-profile tight end and several question marks about the offensive linemen coming into Corvallis this offseason.

"I think it's a lock that Luke Musgrave will have a successful career at Oregon State. He has the size and athleticism to play right away and can make for an All-Pac-12 performer down the road,” Singer said. “Oregon State also has good looking young tight ends in Isaiah Smalls and Teagan Quitoriano, so I wouldn't be surprised if Oregon State started to rely heavy on those guys as they get older and more physically imposing.

"My biggest question in this class is the offensive line. Rob Vanderlaan, who the Beavers added from the junior college ranks, has a high ceiling, as does Joshua Gray, who will be joining the team in January, but I'm still worried about OSU's long term linemen depth. Coming off of a two-year mission, Josh Bowcut is a big unknown. Adding Eldridge is big time, but it addresses an immediate need, not a long term one."

There’s always players that a particular school feels confident about, but fails to secure on signing day for whatever rhyme or reason.

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Often times a recruit has a change of heart, or simply doesn’t feel right heading to one school over the year when signing day comes around. This year, that player for the Beavers was two-way offensive/defensive line recruit Siale Liku, who was considered to be an OSU lean late in the recruiting process before choosing UCLA on signing day.

While the loss was certainly one that the Beavers will miss, they were able to temporarily put a bandaid on the position by landing graduate transfer Nathan Eldridge from Arizona. With Eldridge locking down the center position, there is a sense of optimism about the line heading into 2019.

"For the 2019 season, getting Eldridge in the fold is huge," Singer said. "And there's plenty of reason to be optimistic about that unit for next season. I've heard really good things about Brandon Kipper and Jake Levengood, and Blake Brandel, Gus Lavaka, and Eldridge are seasoned veterans,” Singer said. “But what about the guys behind them? What does the depth look like? Can upperclassmen Clay Cordasco and Keli'i Montibon step in and play well when called upon? OSU's offensive line reserves is a big question mark for me, and it will be interesting to see if the Beavers will add more offensive line recruits in February."

Near this time last season, the Beavers landed one of the biggest steals in the 2018 recruiting class as Smith and Co. landed a relatively unknown commodity in three-star recruit Jermar Jefferson, who turned out to be perhaps the best running-back in the Pac-12 as a freshman and broke multiple school records for the Beavers in the process.

The question regarding this year's recruiting class is: have the Beavers found another hidden gem that will be a household name in Reser Stadium in the coming years?

"During the recruiting process, having a big junior season is so important to start landing offers. For Ryan Franke's junior season, he was playing out of position at defensive tackle, and schools couldn't see what he could do on the outside,” Singer said. “In 2018, Franke played defensive end in a 4-3, which was more natural for him, but he doesn't translate to playing a 4-3 D-end in college and didn't land any Pac-12 offers other than Oregon State.

"You have to credit OSU for seeing how his talent projects at outside linebacker in a 3-4. I think he's going to be a freak. Franke is listed at just 6-foot-3, 220-pounds right now, but he'll bulk up and be really good for Oregon State in a couple years."

Division one football programs are currently in a dead period that lasts until January 10. The Beavers will be able to host a few official visit weekends (starting January 11) ahead of the next signing period for 2019 recruits, which begins on February 6. The Beavers should be able to sign a few more prospects to the class.

Stay tuned to BeaversEdge.com for more coverage of Oregon State athletics.

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