Oregon State 2012 Recruiting

Oregon State Beavers 2012 ... Head Coach: Mike Riley

Oregon State Beavers

2011 Record: 3-9

Sep. 3 Sacramento St L 29-28 OT
Sep. 10 at Wisconsin L 35-0
Sep. 17 OPEN DATE
Sep. 24 UCLA L 27-19
Oct. 1 at Arizona State L 35-20
Oct. 8 Arizona W 37-27
Oct. 15 BYU L 38-28
Oct. 22 Wash St (Seattle) W 44-21
Oct. 29 at Utah L 27-8
Nov. 5 Stanford L 38-13
Nov. 12 at California L 23-6
Nov. 19 Washington W 38-21
Nov. 26 at Oregon L 49-21

2010 CFN Prediction: 7-5
2010 Record: 5-7

Sept. 4 TCU L 30-21 (in Arl.)
Sept. 11 OPEN DATE
Sept. 18 Louisville W 35-28
Sept. 25 at Boise St L 37-24
Oct. 2 Arizona State W 31-28
Oct. 9 at Arizona W 29-27
Oct. 16 at Wash. L 35-34 2OT
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 California W 35-7
Nov. 6 at UCLA L 17-14
Nov. 13 Washington St L 31-14
Nov. 20 USC W 36-7
Nov. 27 at Stanford L 38-0
Dec. 4 Oregon L 37-20
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 The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. OG Isaac Seumalo
6-3, 275, Scout.com 1st ranked, five-star guard. Seumalo has quick hands and a good first step with excellent flexibility but needs to work on his pad level when engaging a defender. He's strong enough to overpower players, but he tends to get a little too high in his drive blocks. Seumalo is a well conditioned big man who goes plays every snap of offense and defense. He plays every snap on both sides of the ball without seeming to lose a step through the 4th quarter.

2. RB Chris Brown
6-0, 195, Scout.com 33rd ranked, three-star running back. As a 2010 junior at Fresno (Calif.) San Joaquin Memorial, rushed for 1,884 yards and 21 touchdowns in 10 games. Ran for 1,186 yards and 16 touchdowns during his 2009 sophomore season.

3. C Grant Bays
6-3, 290, Scout.com 10th ranked, three-star center. An All-League selection in 2010 as a junior at Oceanside (Calif.). Helped Pirates to the CIF San Diego Section D-II title in 2010.

4. QB Brent Vanderveen
6-5, 203, Scout.com 48th ranked, three-star quarterback. Vanderveen has a good frame in the 6'5 range. He is a long strider who has good speed once he gets unwound but is not overly mobile within the pocket. His mobility will improve as he gets stronger in a college weight program. He shows nice touch on short passes and has enough arm even if he doesn't have a huge arm. Good accuracy on intermediate routes but suffers on the longer throws.

5. WR Malik Gilmore
6-3, 195, Scout.com 49th ranked, three-star receiver. Gilmore finished his junior season with 26 receptions for over 400 yards and six touchdowns. He says he can bench 275-pounds and squat 385.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... The defensive back seven. The Beavers have done a great job on the defensive line over the last few recruiting classes, and now it’s time to work on the backfield, especially the secondary, with safety the key to the season and a few nice-looking corner prospects ready to sign on. The offensive line was worked on mostly in the 2009 class, and now come the reinforcements for three years from now led by Isaac Seumalo, Scout.com’s No. 1 ranked guard.

Team Concerns For 2012: More offensive production. Sean Mannion appears settled in at quarterback, but the running game that was so miserable has to start getting a push from the line. Two starters are gone up front, while the passing game needs retooling with WR James Rodgers and H-Back Joe Halahuni both gone. Defensively, replacing safety Lance Mitchell will be the biggest job.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: Was 2011 a hiccup or was it a sign that things are slipping under head coach Mike Riley? The running game that was 118th in the nation gets back Malcolm Agnew and leading rusher Jovan Stevenson, but the line has to be far better with three starters returning. Sean Mannion is the quarterback Riley is building around, and he needs WR Markus Wheaton to do even more with James Rodgers finally out of eligibility. The defense that struggled so much against the run welcomes back five starters on the front seven, and while safety Lance Mitchell was good, the secondary will be solid with three starters returning. MLB Feti Unga is back after leading the team in tackles, while top pass rusher Scott Crichton has the potential to do far more.

The 2011 Class Was Heavy On … Defensive ends. Oregon State can’t get the players that Oregon and other Pac 12 programs can get, so it has to go bulky in numbers when it has to fill a hole. This year, the goal was to improve the defensive front, and with ten linemen brought in including JUCO transfers Rusty Fernando, Rudolf Fifta, and Blake Harrah, the Beavers are hoping for instant depth. Dylan Wynn is the star of the class and could end up being the team’s next great pass rusher. The strength of the offensive class is at receiver with Richard Mullaney a big target and Brandin Cooks and Tyrequek Zimmerman field stretching speedsters.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 60. That Class Was Heavy On ... Defensive tackles. The Beavers loaded up on offensive linemen last year, and this year Mike Riley concentrated on the defensive front. QB Sean Mannion is the crown jewel of the class and LB Shaydon Akuna is a nice get, but 280-pound Thomas Molesi, 290-pound Fred Thompson, and 290-pound Mana Tuivailala will be the key to the class. Throw in pass rushers in Dominic Glover, who'd be an ideal end in a 3-4, and Scott Crichton and OSU is loaded on the line for the next few years.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 48. That Class Was Heavy On ... offensive linemen. With so much turnover going on here, it was time for Mike Riley to replenish in the trenches, a key to the program’s success in recent years. A half-dozen new linemen are set to hit Corvallis, hoping to open holes for Jacquizz Rodgers as soon as possible. The name to remember in the short term is Michael Philipp, a can’t-miss guard, who had offers from everyone in the Pac-10 and is physically ready to play right now.

Nov. 26 at Oregon 49 … Oregon State 21
CFN Analysis: COMING

(AP) EUGENE, Ore. -- LaMichael James ran for 142 yards before leaving with what appeared to be a left elbow injury, and Oregon (No. 10 BCS, No. 9 AP) beat Oregon State 49-21 Saturday to clinch the Pac-12 North and a spot in the conference's first championship game.

The Ducks (10-2, 8-1 Pac-12) will host UCLA on Friday night with a chance to win their third straight conference title and a spot in the Rose Bowl.

The Beavers (3-9, 3-6) aren't going to a bowl game for the second straight season.

James, who went into the 115th Civil War as the nation's top rusher with an average of 142.78 yards per game, was hurt midway through the third when he was hit by Oregon State linebacker Tony Wilson.

The junior running back was already wearing a brace on his right elbow, which he dislocated on Oct. 6 against California. He missed two games because of that injury.

Not long after he left the field on Saturday, James' elbow was wrapped in ice by a trainer. The injury did not appear to be serious because he danced a bit on the sideline with teammate Kenjon Barner during the timeout before the fourth quarter.

Oregon looked as if it was making a strong bid for a spot in the BCS championship game until last weekend, when the Ducks fell to Southern Cal 38-35. But Oregon State didn't give them any trouble.

Darron Thomas threw for 305 yards and four touchdowns.

Versatile freshman De'Anthony Thomas rushed for 71 yards and had 10 caches for 86 yards and a score. Barner ran for 64 yards and a touchdown, and also caught a scoring pass.

Redshirt freshman Sean Mannion threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns for the Beavers. But Oregon State struggled on the ground with just 16 yards rushing, compared to Oregon's 366.

James scored early on a 1-yard run, becoming Oregon's all-time leading scorer with 324 points.

The Beavers tied it at 7 when Jovan Stevenson grabbed a swing pass from Mannion and weaved his way downfield for a touchdown early in the second quarter.

But before the half Oregon scored on Darron Thomas' 16-yard pass to David Paulson and his 8-yard pass to De'Anthony Thomas.

Darron hit Kenjon Barner with another 16-yard TD just before halftime to make it 28-7. Barner ran a yard for another score in the third quarter, and Darron Thomas connected with freshman Colt Lyerla for a 39-yard touchdown early in the fourth.

Mannion threw two TDs in the fourth quarter to Kevin Cummings (19 yards) and Brandin Cooks (23 yards).

Oregon State flanker James Rodgers did not suit up because of a left ankle injury. The Civil War was to be the final game of a college career with some great moments and a severe injury.

In 2007, Rodgers scored on a fly sweep in overtime to give the Beavers a 38-31 victory in the Civil War. Oregon State has not defeated their in-state rival since then.

Rodgers was a fifth-year senior this season coming off a pair of knee surgeries.

Oregon linebacker Dewitt Stuckey (shoulder) and end Dion Jordan (ankle) both played against Oregon State after leaving with injuries against USC.

The Ducks have won four straight Civil Wars. Oregon's winning streak in the series is its longest since 1994-97.

Last weekend's loss to USC at Autzen Stadium snapped a 21-game winning streak at home and a 19-game win streak in conference games. The Ducks haven't lost two straight at home since 2002.

Nov. 19 at Oregon State 38 … Washington 21
CFN Analysis: Just when it seems like the season is a complete and total lost cause, with 23 points in three games, the offense explodes out of the blue. Sean Mannion showed he’s a passer to build the offense around next year with 339 yards and two scores, while the combination of Markus Wheaton, Jovan Stevenson, and Terron Ward added a nice balance on the ground. … The defense helped spark the offense to put the game away. The pressure from the line made a difference. For one of the rare times all year, there were several big plays behind the line. … The season might have been a major disappointment, but a win over Oregon to keep the Ducks from playing for the Pac-12 title would make the year. Closing out with two straight wins would mean everything to a young team in desperate need of positive momentum. 

Nov. 12 at California 23 … Oregon State 6
CFN Analysis: It’s not like Oregon State has any bad losses. UCLA is the team’s worst defeat, but it’s not like things are improving. The offense continues to be dead flat, scoring a total of 27 points in the last three games since hanging 44 on Washington State. … Turnover margin continues to be a big problem for a team that can’t afford to make any mistakes. The Beavers gave it away three times and were -2. … Sean Mannion is a positive, though, to build around. He’s not leading the way to points and he threw two picks, but he threw for 247 yards. … There’s still time to come up with something positive. Can OSU come up with a good performance in the home finale against Washington, or better yet, stun Oregon in the Civil War? The defensive front has to do a better job of generating pressure into the backfield to have a shot in either game. 

Nov. 5 Stanford 38 … at Oregon State 13
CFN Analysis: Oregon State had its chances. It got beaten up on the defensive line, and the ground attack wasn’t working, but Sean Mannion hung in there and kept pressing, making it interesting for just over three quarters. The running game that’s not able to find any footing got just 33 yards, led by 15 yards and a score on eight carries from Malcolm Agnew. Lance Mitchell made ten tackles and broke up two passes, but the line didn’t get into the backfield and got steamrolled over all game long. Against Cal and Isi Sofele next week, the Beaver front line – last in the Pac-12 and 116th in the nation in tackles for loss – has to be more disruptive. 

Oct. 29 at Utah 27 … Oregon State 8
CFN Analysis: After the 44 point explosion last week against Washington State, the offense fell painfully flat against a jacked up Ute defense. The offensive line had one of its worst games of the year, having problems keeping QB Sean Mannion upright, and the running game didn’t go anywhere. The run defense couldn’t stop John White and got shoved around way too much. That’s a big problem with Stanford and its physical line coming up next, but worse yet, the secondary that has so many problems with efficient quarterbacks has to deal with Andrew Luck. Utah didn’t throw well, but that wasn’t a problem with the ground game and the defense playing so well. This was a disappointment for OSU in a winnable game, and now the tough part of the schedule kicks in with Stanford, at Cal, Washington, and at Oregon to finish things up. 

Oct. 22 Oregon State 44 … at Washington State 21
CFN Analysis: With two wins in the last three games, Oregon State is starting to salvage its season and is showing a little bit of life. The passing game rolled against Wazzu with Sean Mannion playing like a quarterback to build around, throwing for 376 yards and four scores, while Malcolm Agnew looked back to his Week One form running for 103 yards and a score. The offense exploded and the defense was terrific up front, helped by a big day from Taylor Henry, who made two sacks. The secondary is still a problem, but if the pass rush can play like it did against the Cougars, the Beavers will have a shot at making it three wins in four going to Utah next week.  

Oct. 15 BYU 38 … at Oregon State 28
CFN Analysis: Oregon State has to stop making so many mistakes. Sean Mannion threw well, but he gave up two picks and he was good enough in the fourth quarter to keep up the pace. It didn’t help that the running game continues to be non-existent, gaining just 59 yards and two touchdowns with Malcolm Agnew not able to find much room taking off for 49 yards on ten carries. James Rodgers is trying to get back to form, but he only caught four passes for 47 yards while Markus Wheaton did the most work with eight grabs for 104 yards. Rashaad Reynolds made 14 tackles and Anthony Watkins got in on 11 stops, but the D couldn’t get off the field when Riley Nelson and the BYU offense got rolling. The Beavers go on the road for three of the next four games with the lone home game against Stanford. 

Oct. 8 at Oregon State 37 … Arizona 27
CFN Analysis: Finally, Oregon State’s offense looked like it’s supposed to with Sean Mannion throwing for 267 yards and two scores, completing 32-of-41 passes, and Jovan Stevenson and the running game came up with a decent day to provide a little balance. There were two picks, but the defense made up for it with four takeaways against the mistake-prone Wildcats led by a huge day from Jordan Boyer who made eight tackles with four broken up passes. There are still a slew of problems, and the pass rush isn’t getting the job done, but finally the team has a W with winnable games against BYU, Washington State, and Utah up next. The Beavers won’t win all three games, but the season could turn around off of this.

Oct. 1 at Arizona State 35 … Oregon State 20
CFN Analysis: This is a lost year for a bad team that can’t score and can’t run the ball a lick, so it’s all about improving by the week and finding positives to build off of. Sean Mannion wasn’t efficient and the four interceptions were disastrous, but he threw 66 times for 341 yards and kept pressing. The pass rush was solid and the defense did a decent job of keeping the high-powered ASU offense under wraps, but it was still a double-digit loss. With Arizona and BYU at home over the next two weeks, it’s now or never for wins with most of the Pac-12 big boys still to play and four road games in the final six. Cutting down the turnovers is a must and finding some semblance of a running game that works would be nice. 

Sept. 24 UCLA 27 … at Oregon State 19
CFN Analysis: Oregon State is a mess. James Rodgers might be back from his knee injury, catching five passes for 76 yards, and the coaching staff might have settled on Sean Mannion at quarterback and without any more of a rotation system, but the Beavers don’t have a ground game, the secondary isn’t making any plays, and the 0-3 season now has to try to turn around with a road trip to Arizona State. The offense put up some passing yards on UCLA, but points have been too hard to come by. Considering it’ll take at least 30 points to hand around with the Sun Devils, it’s going to take a mistake-free game to have any sort of a chance.

Sept. 10 at Wisconsin 35 ... Oregon State 0
CFN Analysis: Oregon State doesn’t have the firepower. The injury issues are one thing, but for a second straight week, the passing game failed to click and has absolutely nothing happening down the field. Not having Malcolm Agnew, who ran for 223 yards against Sacramento State but was out with a hamstring injury, didn’t help take the pressure off the quarterbacks. Ryan Katz got his chances, but he was quickly replaced by Sean Mannion who completed 25-of-38 passes for 244 yards, but failed to come up with any big plays to change the game around. The Beavers were outclassed, but the ugliness of the first two weeks could go away with a win over UCLA next week. 

Sept. 3 Sacramento State 29 … at Oregon State 28
CFN Analysis: Oh great, and at trip to Wisconsin is up next. Oregon State had no problems moving the ball on Sacramento State with 230 yards passing and 266 on the ground, but there’s a major quarterback problems after Ryan Katz struggled a bit and Sean Mannion came up with the better day through the air completing 8-of 12 passes for 143 yards. Malcolm Agnew was fantastic with 223 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries, but he couldn’t help out a defense that couldn’t come up with the key stops needed against Jeff Fleming and the Sacramento State passing game. Was this just a case of the Beavers not waking up for the opener, or are they really that bad? We’ll find out next week in Camp Randall. 

The 2011 Class Is Heavy On … Defensive ends. Oregon State can’t get the players that Oregon and other Pac 12 programs can get, so it has to go bulky in numbers when it has to fill a hole. This year, the goal was to improve the defensive front, and with ten linemen brought in including JUCO transfers Rusty Fernando, Rudolf Fifta, and Blake Harrah, the Beavers are hoping for instant depth. Dylan Wynn is the star of the class and could end up being the team’s next great pass rusher. The strength of the offensive class is at receiver with Richard Mullaney a big target and Brandin Cooks and Tyrequek Zimmerman field stretching speedsters.

Five Oregon State Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. DE Dylan Wynn
6-2, 235, Scout.com’s 20th ranked defensive end. High motored player who’s best strength is his quickness off the line of scrimmage and ability to run. Can chase down a running back or a quick quarterback. Could end up playing strongside linebacker in college. High football I.Q.

2. WR Richard Mullaney
6-3, 185, Scout.com’s 59th ranked receiver. As a 2010 senior at Thousand Oaks (Calif.), had 121 receptions for 1,679 yards and scored 20 touchdowns. In the CIF-SS quarterfinals, had 19 catches for 303 yards and three touchdowns against Oaks Christian.

3. LB Lavonte Barnett
6-2, 228, Scout.com’s 51st ranked outside linebacker. A pass-rushing defensive end, some schools like him as an H-Back or an outside linebacker. Relentless in pass rushing. Shown that he’s decent in pass coverage, but at his best when after the quarterback.

4. WR Brandin Cooks
5-10, 165, Scout.com’s 67th ranked receiver. On the smallish side, Cooks makes up for his lack in sheer size with outstanding speed and willingness to make the tough catches. He plays corner as well, but looks more natural on the offensive side of the ball. He has pull away from anyone type of speed in the open field and does a good job of catching the ball in traffic.

5. OT Akeem Gonzales
6-4, 250, Scout.com’s 63rd ranked offensive tackle.

2011 Entire Recruiting Class
Justin Addie OL Mesa, Ariz. (Skyline HS)
Malcolm Agnew RB St. Louis, Mo. (De Smet Jesuit HS)
Elisinoa Aluesi ATH Portland, Ore. (Jefferson HS)
Peter Ashton QB Keller, Texas (Faith Christian HS)
Lavonte Barnett ATH Lancaster, Calif. (Paraclete HS)
Brandon Bennett DT Spring, Texas (Spring HS)
Kellen Clute TE Mead, Wash. (Mt. Spokane HS)
Desmond Collins DE Salt Lake City, Utah (Highland HS)
Brandin Cooks WR Stockton, Calif. (Lincoln HS)
Rusty Fernando DE Apache Junction, Ariz. (Apache Junction HS/Glendale CC)
Rudolf Fifita DE Eueless, Texas (Trinity HS/Mt San Antonio CC)
Akeem Gonzales DL Mission Hills, Calif. (Bishop Alemany HS)
Blake Harrah DE Temecula, Calif. (Temecula Valley HS/Saddleback CC)
d'Vante Henry DL Moore, Okla. (Southmoore HS)
Darryl Jackson OT Lakewood, Calif. (Mayfair HS)
Jashwa James DE Inglewood, Calif. (Inglewood HS)
Jabral Johnson LB Lawton, Okla. (Lawton HS)
Richard Mullaney WR Thousand Oaks, Calif. (Thousand Oaks)
Na'Alii Robins DT Honolulu, Hawai'i (Saint Louis HS)
Larry Scott ATH Corona, Calif. (Centennial HS)
Tyler Trosin WR Folsom, Calif. (Folsom HS)
Storm Woods RB Pflugerville, Texas (Plugerville HS)
Dylan Wynn DE Concord, Calif. (De La Salle HS)
Tyrequek Zimmerman WR Lawton, Okla. (Lawton HS)