Football Outlook - Oregon State University Athletics

June 9, 2000

Corvallis, Ore. -

QUESTION: WERE YOU ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ALL OF YOUR GOALS DURING SPRING PRACTICE? "Spring ball went very well for us. It was a little different from last spring from the standpoint we had the majority of our offense and defense installed before we even started spring football. We were able to identify ourselves from the standpont of what kind of a team, offensively and defensively, that we want to be this year. We accomplished another goal of finding out who are starters will be this fall. We also were able to develop some depth, so we accomplished what we wanted to do during the spring."

QUESTION: IS YOUR DEPTH CHART PRETTY MUCH SET FOR THE FALL? "There will be some additions to the depth chart with some of the freshmen coming in this fall. We are going to give some of them an opportunity to help us this fall. Now, who they are, we really don't know, but we will see as they come in. That could cause some depth chart changes. There are some positions that are not totally etched in granite, as far as who will be starting. There could definitely be some changes on the depth chart as we go through fall camp."

QUESTION: DID YOU HAVE ANY PERSONNEL SURPRISES EMERGE IN THE SPRING? "There were a few. On defense I thought moving Ryan Atkinson to defensive tackle from defensive end really helped us. He stepped up and will be the starter going into fall camp. We moved Richard Seigler to middle linebacker from the outside when Tevita Moala got hurt, and he really emerged and showed us some good things. He will make a difference for us. Offensively, Monjero Jones had a very good spring for us and we are very happy with his improvement. Patrick McCall is going to give us a great one-two punch at running back. Other than that, the people we felt would be playing for us this fall all stepped to the front. Vincent Sandoval ended up being the starter at left tackle and he had a good spring."

QUESTION: YOU HAVE SAID EACH TEAM HAS ITS OWN IDENTITY. NOW THAT YOU HAVE COMPLETED SPRING PRACTICE, WHAT DO YOU FEEL THE IDENTITY OF THIS TEAM WILL BE ON OFFENSE AND DEFENSE? "On defense we are going to be a football team with outstanding speed. We are not real big in a lot of areas on defense, but we can run. We are going to be a football team defensively that has to move a little bit and take advantage of our speed. We need to take a look at what are strengths are on offense, and our strengths are Ken Simonton and Patrick McCall at running back. I thought our offensive front came together pretty well during the spring. We are an offensive football team that has to establish the run and then mix the pass in, so we might be a little different offensive football team than we were a year ago."

QUESTION: AS YOU SEE IT, WHAT IS THE STRENGTH OR STRENGTHS OF THIS TEAM? "As I look at our team, our strengths on defense are at outside linebacker, defensive end and the secondary. We have a lot of people returning in those areas. At defensive end, we have DeLawrence Grant, LaDairis Jackson, Kyle Rosselle and Sefa O'Reilly returning. Those are all guys who played and played very well for us last year. At outside linebacker you are looking at Darnell Robinson and James Allen, a pair of starters coming back. Our entire starting secondary returns from last year. That is a real strength for us. Our strengths on offense start at running back and quarterback with the experience coming back. The inside of our line will be strong with Robert Sykes, Chris Gibson and Keith DiDominico returning. Mitch White also returns at right tackle and he was solid last year. Our receiving corps has T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Robert Prescott returning, and they played a lot last year. Our tight end situation is definitely a strength on this football team. Marty Maurer and Bennie Johnson are both returning at tight end. Those are areas we have a lot of starters returning. I think we have some depth on offense, and that is a stgrength."

QUESTION: DO YOU HAVE ANY OFFENSIVE CONCERNS HEADING INTO THE FALL? "We have some concerns in areas where people haven't played. Our offensive line needs to continue to improve. We are going to have a new left tackle in Vincent Sandoval who hasn't played there. It is an area of concern right now. We need to continue to develop at wide receiver. We are not consistent enough catching the ball."

QUESTION: HOW WILL THIS YEAR'S OFFENSIVE UNIT COMPARE TO LAST YEAR'S UNIT? "It is hard to compare. We are better than we were a year ago just because we have been in spring football and have the offensive system in place for a year now. We have experience coming back, but we still need to improve. I wasn't happy with our consistency on offense during the spring. We are definitely better on offense than we were a year ago at this time."

QUESTION: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR RUNNING GAME? "Our running game has got to be a strength for us. Any time you have a guy like Ken Simonton returning, plus some depth, you have to say that is a strength. Patrick McCall is a talent who will give us great depth at running back. Antonio Battle played a lot last year at running back. We have four of our five starters back on the offense line, and run blocking was a strength for us last year. With that combination you have to say our running game is going to be very good."

QUESTION: YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE PASSING GAME? "I Jonathan Smith had a tremendous spring. He has improved a great deal from last year as far as throwing the football. We have to become more consistent catching and throwing and doing all those things that involve the passing game. Our pass protection must get better. It is an area that I feel we are ahead of where we were a year ago, but we must continue to improve."

QUESTION: WHAT DOES THE QUARTERBACK POSITION LOOK LIKE FOLLOWING SPRING PRACTICE? "Heading into the fall, Jonathan Smith is No. 1. I thought Shayne House had a good spring, but he must continue to improve. Shayne is No. 2. Our No. 3 quarterback is kind of up in the air right now between Tyler Thomas and Nick Stremick."

QUESTION: TALK ABOUT YOUR TAILBACK POSITION. HOW STRONG IS IT. HOW DOES IT COMPARE WITH OUR TEAMS YOU HAVE HAD? "It is hard to compare. Every team is a little bit different. The productivity that Ken Simonton has gotten is second to none. Again, we need a one-two punch and finally we have some depth. The thing that hurt us a year ago was not having any depth as Ken had to take the brunt of everything that happened in the running game. At other places we have been, we have had more depth at running back. Hopefully, with the depth we have right now, it will make us a better running team.

QUESTION: TALK ABOUT YOUR WIDE RECEIVERS AND WHAT YOU EXPECT FROM THEM HIS FALL? "Our wide receivers must develop some consistency. I thought James Newson, who was hurt last year, showed some promise in the spring, as did Seth Trimmer. It is a good group, but it is a group that must continue to improve."

QUESTION: YOUR THOUGHTS ON YOUR OFFENSIVE LINE? "We still start at tight end. Tight end is a strength for us so you might see us in more two tight end formations than we were in a year ago. Marty Maurer, Bennie Johnson and Mark Walsh all played pretty good for us in the spring. Tight end is a strength as far as catching and running the football. We lost some good players on the offensive line, such as Aaron Koch and Jason White. We made some moves on the offensive line that appear to have helped us. Moving Keith DiDomenico to right guard has been a very good move for us. Robert Sykes returns at left guard and Jared Cornell, who was hurt a year ago, is returning and he gives us some very good depth at guard. The question mark now is what will happen at tackle tackle. Mitch White had a good spring at right tackle and is a returning starter. Left tackle is a real key to our offensive line. Vincent Sandoval emerged as the starter, but he is going to be pushed by Mike Kuykendall, who played on the right side in the spring, but he can also play the left side. We also have a young junior college player, Lee Davis, who will be coming in this fall and will have an opportunity to play at left tackle. Chris Gibson had a solid spring at center and Dustin Janz stepped up his play and should give us some help as a backup."

QUESTION: WERE YOU ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO THIS SPRING ON DEFENSE? "Basically we accomplished what we wanted to do this spring. We made some small changes with a change at coordinator, but not many. The biggest thing with our defense is we have experience and we have people who can run. I like where we are at on defense. I do think we need to become more consistent as far as carrying out our assignments. We have experience and we have guys who can run, and that will be the key for us on defense.

QUESTION: WHAT ARE YOUR DEFENSIVE CONCERNS AS YOU LOOK AT YOUR TEAM? "Our concerns going into the fall on defense are all inside. Our concerns are at the defensive tackles and at middle linebacker, which is exactly what it was going into spring practice."

QUESTION: ANALYZE YOUR DEFENSIVE LINE? "As I look at our defensive front, our strength is at our defensive ends. We have four who can play. Eric Manning had a good spring, as did Ryan Atkinson. Brian Tulkihihifo also played very well during the spring. Charles O'Neal needs to help us at tackle. A pleasant surprise for us is a young freshman redshirt Dwan Edwards who has a chance to be a good player for us. The defensive tackles are a concern for us right now."

QUESTION: ANALYZE YOUR LINEBACKERS? "The key to us is the experience we have coming back at outside linebacker with Nick Barnett also had a good spring at outside linebacker. We hope Tevita Moala will be back and healthy in the middle. (Moala had ACL surgery in April). The development of Richard Seigler in the middle really helped us. Greg Brown-Davis also had a very good spring for us at middle linebacker."

QUESTION: ANALYZE YOUR SECONDARY? "It is a strength for us because we have everyone returning. Shamon Jamerson is coming along strong at corner, so we feel this gives us four corners who can really help us. We definitely have some depth at cornerback. Our safeties, with Terrence Carroll and Calvin Carlyle returning as starters are solid. Jack Cookus had a very good spring for us, as did a young sophomore, Terrell Roberts. Eric Mobley, a player we moved to the secondary after playing running back the past two years, did a good job this spring. Our secondary is definitely a strong point for us on defense."

QUESTION: HOW GOOD IS THIS SECONDARY, AND WHERE DOES IT COMPARE IF OTHERS THAT YOU HAVE HAD? "It is hard to say how this group compares nationally. We thought they played very well for Oregon State last year and they are all returning. Hopefully they can accomplish the same thing this year. Comparing them to other secondary's is hard for me to do because I haven't seen all the other secondary's in the country."

QUESTION: COMPARE THIS YEAR'S DEFENSIVE UNIT TO LAST YEAR'S? "Overall we have more speed. We don't have the experience in the defensive front that we had a year ago. We don't have the experience at middle linebacker that we had a year ago. It is a defense that has a chance, if our players continue to improve, that can be as good, or even better, than a year ago."

QUESTION: YOUR THOUGHTS ON YOUR KICKERS AND SPECIAL TEAMS IN GENERAL? "Special teams is all about guys on offense and defense that are going to go down the field an make plays. We have a lot of athletes on both sides of the football who can go down and plays. That is what coverage teams are all about. I am excited about our place kicker Ryan Cesca. He has a year under his belt and now has the experience to do some good things this year. I thought Ryan had a decent year as a freshman and he will get better. Mike Fessler is an outstanding punter. It is hard to say at this point about our return people. Robert Prescott is coming back as a kickoff returning from a year ago. We are thinking of using Terrell Roberts on kickoff returns. T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Monjero Jones returned punts last year and are back. We want to look at Ricky Walker returning kicks as well. Based on experience, this should be an area of strength for us."

QUESTION: HOW DOES THIS TEAM COMPARE TO LAST YEAR'S TEAM? "This football team has a chance to be as good as we were a year ago, it just depends on how we develop. There is a lot more to it than just players. Team chemistry is important. Staying healthy is important. Right now, coming out of spring practice, we have a chance to be a very good football team and very competitive. If we can stay healthy we have a chance to win as many games as we did last year."

QUESTION: WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS YEAR'S TEAM? "Our goal every year is to be competitive, win more games than we lose and go to a bowl game."

QUESTION: WHAT CONTRIBUTION DO YOU EXPECT FROM THIS YEAR'S GROUP OF NEWCOMERS? "It is hard to tell at this point. Hopefully we can get some help from our newcomers. We have three linebackers we are bringing in that have a tremendous chance to contribute, but we will just have to wait see how it plays out. We have a junior college offensive lineman in Lee Davis that has a chance to come in and play. We have two young receivers coming in that might have a chance to play in Ron Monteilh and George Gillett. We will just have to wait and see how they develop in fall camp. I expect we will have some young players come in an help us, and it may even be a quarterback."

ERICKSON'S COMMENTS ON BEAVER STANDOUTS

KEN SIMONTON, TB: "When you talk about Ken Simonton you have to talk about productivity and what he has done in the two years that he has been here. He is a tremendous competitor. He has great feet and makes people miss him. Productivity is the key. He is productive every time he carries the football. He is one of the better backs in the country."

TERRENCE CARROLL, SS: "Terrence has been a leader on this football team for a long time. He is a great run force guy. We are trying to involve him more in run force this fall than we did last year. He is a guy who has experience and has been a real key to our success on defense."

KEITH DiDOMENICO, OG: "We moved Keith from center to guard and he is very physical. He is really the leader of our offensive front and he has a chance to be as good as any offensive lineman in the Pac-10."

DENNIS WEATHERSBY, CB "Dennis continued to improve in the spring. He is a great man on man cover guy. He can bump you and has long arms. If he plays like he did as a freshman, then he has to be one of the best corners in the league."

JONATHAN SMITH, QB: "I thought Jonathan had tremendous improvement this spring. He wasn't satisfied with just being a starter and with what we accomplished last fall. He worked extremely hard in the winter and the spring. The development of his throwing, as far as touch and accuracy, improved this spring. He showed great improvement and he is the leader of this offense at quarterback. I look for him to have a great fall."

DARNELL ROBINSON, LB: "Darnell is a good leader for us on defense. He is a guy who makes a lot of plays for us. He has great speed and quickness. He plays with great emotion and is a guy who has to have a good year for us."

CALVIN CARLYLE, FS: "Calvin is a guy who makes a lot of plays for us at free safety. We wasn't in spring football because of an injury. The biggest thing about Calvin is that he is a tremendous cover safety. He can do a lot of things for us in our scheme."

MARTY MAURER, TE: "Marty is a returning starter who played very well for us last year. We expect a lot of things from Marty. He is very athletic and very competitive. I look for him to really be a big part of what we do offensively."

ROBERT PRESCOTT, WR: "Robert Prescott is a real key for us on offense. He plays in the slot and make a lot of big plays for us last year. With our offensive scheme, Robert is a real key as far as making big plays for us."

OSU POSITION ANALYSIS

Quarterbacks		HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

**Jonathan Smith 5-10 194 JR 18 15 Shayne House 6-4 204 FRR 0 0 *Nick Stremick 6-2 203 JR 1 0 Tyler Thomas 6-4 195 SO 0 0 Rory Cordial 6-0 187 FRR 0 0 Ryan Kanekeberg 6-4 200 FR 0 0 Adam Rothenfluh 6-3 200 FR 0 0

Oregon State returns its starting quarterback in Jonathan Smith, a player who established an OSU record for passing yards (3,053) and total offense (1,957) in 1999. Jonathan has started 15 straight games and has played in 18. He currently ranks second in career passing at OSU with 4,480 yards and third in career total offense with 4,446 yards. Jonathan will open the season with a string of 140 passes thrown without an interception. In fact, he has been intercepted only one time in OSU's last six games and 213 passes thrown. Nick Stremick is the only other quarterback to have ever played in a collegiate game, and that was for only one series. Redshirt freshman Shayne House and sophomore Tyler Thomas are a pair of quarterbacks with very good potential, but have not played, The Beavers will also have a pair of freshman quarterbacks in Ryan Kanekeberg and Adam Rothenfluh report for fall camp.

Tailbacks		HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

**Ken Simonton 5-7 194 JR 23 22 Patrick McCall 5-11 198 JRR 0 0 *Antonio Battle 5-11 193 SR 10 1 *Hashim Hall 5-8 177 SO 2 0 Dwight Wright 5-9 195 FR 0 0

Oregon State has a very potent combination returning at tailback. Ken Simonton returns as OSU's career scoring leader (196 points) and needing only 49 more rushing yards to break the Beavers' career record of 2,552. Ken has established an OSU and Pac-10 record two years in a row for the most yards rushing by a freshman (1,028 yards) and by a sophomore (1,486 yards). Ken is one of the top tailbacks in the nation and is a second team All-Pac-10 pick who has a chance to earn All-America honors in 2000. Ken will be joined at tailback with Patrick McCall, an exciting talent who transferred from Michigan, plus last year's backup tailbacks, Antonio Battle and Hashim Hall. Freshman Dwight Wright will join the mix when fall camp opens. OSU feels it has the best one-two punch in the Pac-10 at tailback in Ken Simonton and Patrick McCall, plus Battle had an outstanding spring.

Split Ends		HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

*Monjero Jones 6-0 165 SR 9 1 *Shawn Kintner 6-3 194 SO 12 0 *Turner Byrd 5-11 170 JR 1 0 Chad Johnson 6-3 198 JR 0 0 George Gillett 6-3 185 FR 0 0

Turner Byrd earned a letter by playing in one game and catching 1 pass for 7 yards. The three letter winners will be joined in fall camp by JC transfer Chad Johnson and freshman George Gillett, an outstanding talent.

Slot Receivers		HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

***Robert Prescott 5-11 188 SR 33 17 James Newson 6-1 196 FRR 0 0 *Junior Adams 5-9 161 SO 3 0 Deondre Alexander 5-11 170 FR 0 0

OSU is in excellent shape at the slot position with two-year starter James Newson, a starter to be in 1999 before a broken leg sidelined him for the season. Prescott was OSU's second-leading receiver in 1999 with 49 receptions and 614 yards and 2 touchdowns. Prescott also returned 24 kickoffs for 556 yards (23.2 average) and was second on the team in all-purpose yards with 1,181 yards, an average of 98.4 yards per game. Prescott ranked fifth in the Pac-10 and 23rd in the nation in kickoff returns. Prescott has caught 82 career passes for OSU. Newson has exceptional talent if he fully rebounds from his broken leg. He has the athletic ability to be a big-time receiver. Junior Adams earned a letter by playing in 3 games last year and caught 1 pass for 16 yards, giving the Beavers another receiver with experience. Freshman Deondre Alexander will join this group in fall camp.

Flankers		HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

*T.J. Houshmandzadeh 6-2 205 SR 11 4 *Seth Trimmer 6-5 201 SO 9 0 Aaron Hill 6-2 195 FRR 0 0 Nate Brentano 5-11 178 FRR 0 0 Ron Monteilh 6-1 195 FR 0 0

OSU has solid experience returning at flanker. Nate Brentano, are behind T.J. and Trimmer. An outstanding freshman, Ron Monteilh, will join this group in the fall and he is given a chance to earn playing time with his blazing speed.

Tight Ends		HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

***Martin Maurer 6-4 241 SR 32 13 *Bennie Johnson 6-2 253 SR 12 2 **Mark Walsh 6-2 252 JR 22 0 *Tyler Ross 6-3 247 SO 1 0 Tim Euhus 6-5 218 FRR 0 0 Pat Loney 6-6 235 FR 0 0

The position of tight end is a definite strength for OSU. Marty Maurer returns and has started 13 games and played in 32. He caught 17 passes for 341 yards, an average of 20.1 per catch, including a 74-yard TD pass vs. Nevada. Maurer has 37 career receptions. Bennie Johnson returns as the backup tight end with 2 starts and 12 games played. Johnson caught 4 passes for 21 yards in 1999. Mark Walsh, No. 3 on the depth chart, has played in 22 games. Tyler Ross, listed No. 4 on the depth chart, has played in one game. Tim Euhus will be added to the mix this fall after red-shirting in football last year and lettering in basketball. Euhus is an outstanding talent who is an exceptional receiver. Freshman Pat Loney will join this group in fall camp. OSU has a very experienced and strong group of athletes available at tight end.

Left Tackles		HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

**Vincent Sandoval 6-4 287 JR 10 0 Paul Davidian 6-4 291 JRS 0 0 Brian Kilkenny 6-4 267 FRR 0 0 Lee Davis 6-4 310 SO-JC 0 0

Left tackle is the least experienced position on the OSU offensive line. Vincent Sandoval is a two-year letter winner, having playing 10 games in two years. He has participated for only a few plays in those games. Sandoval was a backup right tackle in 1999. Sandoval is the only player at left tackle who has ever played in a college game. Paul Davidian is a redshirt junior who played on defense in junior college. Brian Kilkenny is a redshirt freshman and Lee Davis is a junior college transfer who will be joining the OSU program for the first time at the start of fall camp. This is a very key position for the Beavers this fall.

Left Guards  		HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

***Robert Sykes 6-5 338 SR 28 13 *Tyler McClaughry 6-4 277 JR 1 0 Colin Kealoha 6-3 276 FRR 0 0

Robert Sykes returns as last year's starter. Sykes has started 13 games and has played in 28. He had a solid year as a starter in 1999 and will be one of the mainstays on the offensive line this fall. Tyler McClaughry earned a letter by playing in one game in 1999, but for all practical purpose is inexperienced. Colin Kealoha is a walk-on redshirt freshman.


Centers			HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS
**Chris Gibson		6-3	273	JR	18	 3
**Dustin Janz		6-3	297	JR 	 6	 0
Jason Haas		6-5	273	FRR	 0	 0
Matt Brock		6-3	275	FR	 0	 0

Oregon State has a strong one-two punch at center. Chris Gibson has played in 18 games and started 3 in 1999, including the Oahu Bowl. He is a very tough competitor and is a real leader on the offensive line. Dustin Janz is a two-year letterman who will backup Gibson. Janz had an outstanding spring and his play would indicate the Beavers would not fall off at this position if Gibson was to get hurt. Jason Hass is a walk-on redshirt freshman and Matt Brock is a true freshman who will join the OSU program his fall.

Right Guards		HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

***Keith DiDomenico 6-5 320 SR 29 22 ***Jared Cornell 6-3 321 SR 16 3 Steve Frketich 6-5 314 SR 0 0 Matt Davis 6-4 302 FRR 0 0 Kanan Sanchez 6-4 305 FR 0 0

Right guard is one of the strongest positions on the club with Keith DiDomenico, a two-year starter, returning. Keith has played in 29 games and was an honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection in 1999 at center. He started at left guard in 1998. Jared Cornell is in back of DiDomenico and he is a three-year letterman with 16 games played and 3 starts under his belt. He is coming off and injury (knee surgery) in 1999. Cornell will be the backup for both guard positions and gives OSU a third guard who could very easily be a starter. In back of DiDomenico and Cornell is walk-on Steve Frketich, a senior who has not played, and redshirt freshman Matt Davis and true freshman Kanan Sanchez.

Right Tackles		HT 	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

*Mitch White 6-5 308 SR 12 12 *Mike Kuykendall 6-6 325 SO 12 0 Robbie Enghusen 6-6 290 FRR 0 0 Doug Nienhuis 6-6 260 FR 0 0

Mitch White returns as the starter, having started all 12 games in 1999. Mike Kuykendall returns as the backup and he played in all 12 games last year. OSU has two solid players at right tackle. Behind White, a senior, and Kuykendall, a junior, is redshirt freshman Robbie Enghusen and true freshman Doug Nienhuis.

Left Defensive Ends	HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

*DeLawrence Grant 6-3 261 SR 11 11 **Kyle Rosselle 6-4 249 JR 23 1 Dan Rothwell 6-7 220 FRR 0 0 Mike Havens 6-6 235 FR 0 0

OSU is in solid shape at left end. Last year's starter, DeLawrence Grant returns, along with is backup, Kyle Rosselle. Grant, who started and played in 11 games, led OSU in sacks (6) in 1999. Rosselle has played in 23 games and started one game. Grant is a strong candidate for postseason honors and is OSU's top pass rusher. He has great speed and strength. Rosselle is a solid backup. Dan Rothwell is a bright young talent who is a redshirt freshman. Mike Havens will be a true freshman this fall.

Left Defensive Tackles	HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

*Eric Manning 6-1 294 SO 12 0 Brian Tulikihihifo 6-4 275 JRR 0 0 *Daniel Torres 6-3 262 JR 4 0 Dwan Edwards 6-3 267 FRR 0 0

This position, along with right tackle, will be a very key position for OSU this fall. Eric Manning earned a letter by playing in all 12 games as a backup defensive tackle in 1999. He finished the 1999 season as the Beavers' No. 3 tackle on defense, which gave him some valuable playing time. Manning had a strong spring and was OSU's top defensive tackle during spring drills. Eric will be backed up by Brian Tulkihihifo, a junior who red-shirted in 1999 after transferring from junior college. Daniel Torres, a junior, is also available at left tackle and he has played in four games as a reserve. Redshirt freshman Dwan Edwards had a strong spring and he could make his presence felt this fall.

Right Defensive Tackles	HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

***Ryan Atkinson 6-6 264 SR 27 1 *Charles O'Neal 6-2 288 SR 8 0 David Lose 6-2 296 FRR 0 0 Paul Soto 6-2 260 FR 0 0

OSU has two letter winners, Ryan Atkinson and Charles O'Neal, playing at right tackle. Atkinson, a senior, has played in 28 games for OSU and has had one start. He has basically been a backup defensive line for three years. O'Neal was the backup at this position last year and played in 8 games. Atkinson had a strong spring and appears ready for a good season. David Lose, a redshirt freshman, is No. 3 on the depth chart and is another player with a good future. Paul Soto is a true freshman reporting this fall.

Right Defensive Ends	HT 	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

*LaDairis Jackson 6-3 254 SR 12 4 ***Sefa O'Reilly 6-2 228 SR 22 0 Peter Gregg 6-0 238 SO 0 0

LaDairis Jackson played in 12 games in 1999 and started 4. He is a solid pass rusher and had 4 sacks and 6 tackles for loss in 1999. He is bigger and stronger this year and has outstanding speed and combines with DeLawrence Grant to give OSU to very strong pass rushers at defensive end. Jackson is backed up by three-year letterman Sefa O'Reilly who has played in 22 games as a reserve. Most of O'Reilly's playing time has been at linebacker previously. Peter Gregg, a walk-on sophomore, is the only other player available at right end.

Strong Linebackers	HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

***Darnell Robinson 5-11 227 SR 34 12 Noah Happe 6-5 216 FRR 0 0 *Erik Tuma 6-0 219 SO 12 0 Seth Lacey 6-2 215 FR 0 0

Darnell Robinson returns as the starter. He started all 12 games in 1999 and has played in 34 games in three years. Darnell earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors in 1999 after a sensational season. He was OSU's No. 2 defensive point producer in 1999 with 286 points, including 66 tackles, 4 sacks and 7 tackles for loss. Robinson is one of the hardest hitters on the OSU team and possess great speed which enables him to cover receivers in man coverage. However, after Robinson, OSU has zero experience at the position. Noah Happe, a redshirt freshman, earned the No. 2 spot with his play in the spring. No. 3 at the position is walk-on Erik Tuma who played strictly on special teams in 1999 to earn a letter. True freshman Seth Lacey could be in a position to earn playing time in 2000. He certainly will get a look in fall camp.

Middle Linebackers	HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

*Tevita Moala 5-10 213 SR 12 0 Richard Seigler 6-3 210 FRR 0 0 ***Greg Brown-Davis 6-1 222 SR 27 0 *Tim Murdick 6-1 231 SR 12 0 Jonathan Pollard 6-2 223 FR 0 0

OSU has some talented players available at middle linebacker, but no one who started there in 1999. The Beavers also have a big question mark with the health of Tevita Moala who played in all 12 games last year as a backup at all three positions. Moala was being counted on to be the starter at middle linebacker and suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during the first week of spring drills. Moala is expected to return to action at the start of fall camp, but he has to be a question mark for the start of the season. With the injury to Moala, redshirt freshman Richard Seigler moved to middle linebacker and had a sensational spring. While Seigler is an exceptional talent, he has not played in a college football game. Greg Brown-Davis is a three-year letterman who's experience to date has been primarily on special teams. He did have a strong spring and his play indicated he is ready to help at middle linebacker. Tim Murdick played in all 12 games in 1999, but strictly as a long snapper. True freshman Jonathan Pollard will join the battle at the start of fall camp. This is a very key position for OSU in 2000.

Weak Linebackers	HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

**James Allen 6-3 219 JR 23 12 *Nick Barnett 6-2 196 SO 12 0 Casey Waletich 6-3 203 SR 0 0 Harvey Whiten 6-3 216 FR 0 0

Nick Barnett, who played in 12 games in 1999 as a strong safety. Most of Barnett's playing time was on special teams in 1999. Barnett is a little undersized for the position. Like Allen, Barnett has great speed for the position. Casey Waletich a senior non-letterman also is available at the position. A very talented freshman, Harvey Whiten, will join the position battle in the fall.

Left Cornerbacks 	HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

*Dennis Weathersby 6-1 201 SO 12 12 *Shamon Jamerson 5-11 182 SO 11 0 **Samuel Gage 5-10 190 SR 23 0 Todd Grussmeyer 5-10 164 FRR 0 0 Aric Williams 6-0 165 FR 0 0 Luke Scott 5-10 175 SOR 0 0

This is another very strong position for OSU. Shamon Jamerson, who has played in 11 games, and Samuel Gage, who has played in 23 games. Jamerson enjoyed a very good spring and he gives the Beavers' a great one-two punch at left cornerback. Walk-on redshirt freshman Todd Grussmeyer is also available. Freshman Aric Williams will join the group at left corner when fall camp opens.

Free Safeties		HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

**Calvin Carlyle 6-0 194 JR 22 13 **Jake Cookus 5-10 186 JR 23 0 **Eric Mobley 5-10 193 JR 17 0 ***Robert Marthaller 6-0 177 SR 20 0

Oregon State has four lettermen with 82 games of experience available at free safety, led by last year's starter, Calvin Carlyle who was an honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection. Calvin was fifth on the team in defensive points in 1999 with 180, despite playing with a shoulder that required surgery to repair a dislocation problem in the off season. Cal is one of the top hitters on the team. Robert Marthaller has lettered three years in a row as a solid contributor on special teams and with some occasional backup play at safety.

Strong Safeties		HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

***Terrence Carroll 6-0 219 SR 32 32 *Terrell Roberts 5-9 196 SO 10 0 ***Aaron Wright 5-11 199 SR 20 1 Jason Jacobs 6-1 197 FRR 0 0 Mitch Meeuwsen 6-3 190 FR 0 0

Another very strong position for OSU. Terrence Carroll has been a three-year starter and an honorable mention All-Pac-10 pick last year. He was fourth on the squad with defensive points in 1999 with 232, including 72 tackles. He is one of the best safeties in the nation. A very talented player and a feared tackler. He has been hampered with injuries in the past, but there are none better at his position when he is healthy. Terrell Roberts is a great talent who is backing up Carroll. He played in 10 games on special teams in 1999. He is the heir apparent to replace Carroll when he graduates. Roberts will also return kickoffs for OSU in 2000. Aaron Wright has played in 20 games, mostly on specal teams. Jason Jacobs is a redshirt freshman and Mitch Meeuwsen is a true freshman who will join the program in fall camp.

Right Cornerbacks	HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

***K. Heyward-Johnson 5-11 179 SR 34 23 ***Ricky Walker 5-11 185 SR 30 5 *Terrance Gray 5-8 167 SR 4 0 Johan Thomas 5-10 175 FR 0 0 Brad Gerry 5-8 175 JRR 0 0

OSU has a solid one-two punch at right corner. Keith Heyward-Johnson has played in 34 games and started 23 and Ricky Walker has played in 30 games and started 5. No. 3 on the depth chart is Terrance Gray who played in 4 games in 1999. Heyward-Johnson has been a very consistent player for OSU for three years. Walker can be a big play guy and is a former tailback for OSU as a freshman. Walker might also return kickoffs in 2000. Both are excellent cover players. Freshman Johan Thomas joins this group in fall camp.

Place Kickers		HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

*Ryan Cesca 5-8 167 SO 12 12 *Matt Stanwood 5-10 184 SR 1 0 Mike White 6-1 181 FRR 0 0 Kirk Yliniemi 6-0 185 FRR 0 0

Ryan Cesca returns as OSU's place kicker. He booted a perfect 37 of 37 PATs in 1999 for an OSU record. He kicked 7 of 15 field goals and scored 58 points. He ranked seventh in the Pac-10 in field goal kicking and 14th in scoring. His longest field goal was 43 yards. He improved his accuracy and range during the spring. With a year under his belt, he should be a solid kicker for OSU this fall. He will be backed up by senior Matt Stanwood, who has booted 1 of 2 PATs in his OSU career, and redshirt freshmen Mike White and Kirk Yliniemi.

Punters			HT	WT	YR	GAMES	STARTS

***Mike Fessler		5-11	213	SR	34	33
Carl Tobey		6-1	223	FRR      0	 0

Mike Fessler has been OSU's punter the past three years and he returns for his senior year. He averaged 40.0 yards per kick in 1999 and ranked seventh in the Pac-10. Mike has gotten more consistent each season. OSU needs Fessler to have a solid senior season and be a consistent kicker the entire year. He missed most of spring drills with low back pain, which could be a concern. He is backed up by redshirt freshman Carl Tobey. Tobey got a chance to do a lot of punting as a result of Fessler's injury and he improved a great deal.