Position Preview: Special Teams
Special teams should be a strength for Beavers this season. They've got experience and proven talent, from kicker to long snapper. And with a new kickoff specialist in the fold, hopefully opponents will find it more difficult to get good field position against the Beavers on returns. Also, can Victor Bolden build on his strong return game last season, and take a few more returns to the house? Overall, this is a group that should thrive!
Key Departures
None
Returners
Garret Owens (JR.). Converted 11-of-15 fields goal in 2015, with a long of 40 yards. Was 8-of-12 between 30-49 yards. Made all 23 of his PATs.
Nick Porebski (SR.). Averaged 41.1 yards per punt, eight of which went 50+ yards. Pinned opponents inside 20 yards 26 times. Longest punt was 66 yards.
Ryan Navarro (SR.). JUCO transfer enters second season as team's primary snapper. Played in all 12 games last year.
Victor Bolden (SR.). Listed starter at kick/punt returner. Averaged 25.8 yards a KO return, including a 100-yard TD against WSU. Took lone punt return 78 yards for a TD in Civil War.
Newcomers
Jordan Choukair (RS-FR.). Expected to handle kickoff duties this season. Highly regarded kicker out of Poway High School in Poway, California. Ranked a 5-Star kicker by Chris Sailer.
Trevon Bradford (FR.). Listed as the other kickoff returner, alongside Bolden. Graduated early from Oregon City High School and participated in spring ball, where he turned heads with play
Other Notes
Should Owens struggle or get injured, Ian Crist should be more than a capable replacement. The former Portland State transfer is no slouch.
JUCO transfer Timmy Hernandez is listed as third-string PR, which is surprising considering he isn't known for being a tremendous athlete or burner. But he must have good hands and awareness, a lot like Cole Clasen.
Seeing Seth Collins as the third-string KO returner is excellent. The coaches need to find a way to get him on the field as often as they can, because he's a home run threat just about any time he has the ball in his hands.
Specialist to Watch
Owens had only 15 field goal attempts last season. It's hard to get into a groove when you are kicking so infrequently. So it will be interesting to see if Owens has more opportunities this season. A confident kicker is crucial to any team's offense, especially one that is still a work in progress. If Owens can convert more attempts, it reduces OSU's chances of leaving easy points off the board. Not having to worry about booming kickoffs could help Owens focus more this season on field goals.
Key to Success
This should be a unit that the coaching staff doesn't need to worry about too much, as this group knows what it needs to do and simply just needs to keep moving forward. A little more consistency in the kicking game, and as mentioned before, this unit will be a strength for the Beavers. Porebski and Bolden are among the best in the Pac-12 at their respective positions, while Bradford should be fun to watch on KO returns as well.