Now that OSU’s spring practice is in the books, BeaversEdge.com will be diving into each of the Beavers' position groups post spring and priming you for the fall by breaking it all down.
Today, we start with the defensive line and how they stack up post-spring headed into fall camp.
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Who's Gone?
Devin Chappell
Big hit Chappell will be dearly missed in Corvallis. His energy and tenacity on the defensive end brought the Beavers swagger, grit, and toughness in the 2016 season. From the opening game against Minnesota, the tone was set by Chappell that if you were in his sights, you were going to feel him the next day. And who could forget the hit in the Utah game on Cory Butler-Byrd where Chappell rung his bell to the point where he lost his mouthpiece. He brought a toughness to the secondary that I haven’t seen since Jordan Poyer and that isn’t a coachable trait. There are guys who are “dudes” and guys who aren’t. This guy was a stud. On top of all that, Chappell was a former walk-on transfer from Western Oregon and was a great success story. His 77 tackles ranked third on the team, and also had a team high six forced fumbles. With him gone, where will the Beavers turn?
Who's Back?
Brandon Arnold, SR
Landry Payne, SR
Jalen Moore, RS SO
Omar Hicks-Onu, RS SO
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Spring Analysis
From day one, Brandon Arnold and Jalen Moore led the way in terms of being the starters. Guys like Landry Payne, and Omar Hicks-Onu received plenty of reps when Brandon Arnold was held out of practices for precautionary reasons. Arnold has been a stud since he has arrived here, and Jalen Moore was finding his groove last season before his season ending injury. I don’t think there is much competition for starting spots here, given that Arnold is a senior leader who arguably could be a captain this season, and Moore’s play in spring. Moore really grew into a consistent player in spring ball, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it translates to fall camp and eventually the season opener. However, Hicks-Onu played some great spring ball too, and played with a physicality that reminded me of Chappell. So while I think Arnold and Moore will be the starters, Hicks-Onu will be a tremendous reserve.
