Your 2010 Beavers: Defensive Backs

Merton Hanks…errrr…James Dockery will likely get the starting nod at one of the cornerback spots for the Beavers in 2010.

The fourth post on the 2010 Oregon State Beaver football team.  We will provide a depth chart breakdown by position.  By we I mean me.  

• Right Side Cornerback – The weakside cornerback is usually where teams place their weaker cornerback due to a (usually) right-handed quarterback having his back to that side of the field during his drop back.  For Oregon State in 2010, while this should hold true, we shouldn’t think of the right side CB as “weak”.  Junior Brandon Hardin is an absolute freak athletically and hits like a truck.  If only Sabby Piscitelli would’ve had Hardin’s stones.  Hardin has been a special teams standout for the past two years and, after spending his first year at safety, played pretty well at corner in 2009.  Hardin even got a couple starts for the Beavers as Tim Clark struggled with injuries and Mike Riley looked for a more physical presence on the outside.  Of course, not all is rosy for Hardin.  He has experienced his own share of injuries ranging from minor bumps and bruises to broken bones.  If healthy, Hardin is they type of player who can be special because of all his athletic gifts.  Fortunately for the Beavers, even if Hardin does get dinged up along the way, coaches Mark Banker (defense/secondary) and Keith Heyward (cornerbacks) have a lot of young depth to work with.  The problem with that? They’re young.
• Left Side Cornerback – On the strong side, Oregon State has returning starter James Dockery.  An upcoming senior, Dockery excelled in 2009 after not playing very extensively earlier in his career while Brandon Hughes, Keenan Lewis, and Tim Clark got the bulk of the work.  He ended up splitting time with now-graduated Patrick Henderson but by mid-season (probably sooner) it was clear that Dockery was Oregon States best cover corner.  He finished as one of two Beavers with multiple interceptions and led the team in pass breakups.  Durability also proved to be one of Dockery’s strengths in 2009.  He was returning from a torn up knee that he suffered prior to the 2008 season which forced him to miss a year recovering and rehabbing.  It was a good sign for the Beavers that Dockery was able to start all 13 games in 2009 after the injury and hopefully it will prove to be a fluke rather than a recurrence.  The hope in 2010 is that Dockery can take the next step forward and become a true man-to-man shut down corner.
• Reserve Cornerbacks – As stated before, the Beavers have a stable of young talented cornerbacks returning in 2010.  The question still remains as to which one(s) will step up and fill the valuable nickel and dime CB roles.  Coming into spring practice it looks like speedsters Keynan Parker (sophomore) and Rashaad Reynolds (redshirt freshman) will get some initial looks as well as redshirt freshman Sean Martin.  Sophomore Brian Watkins may also see some time deeper in the rotation.  The real key to this group may end up being true sophomore Jordan Poyer.  Poyer reminds me of Brandon Hardin in a lot of ways and now, like Hardin, he will get the opportunity to move from safety to corner.  Hardin used an outstanding year on special teams in 2008 to springboard himself into a role at cornerback and into an eventual starting position.  Poyer looks to follow suit this year.  I would expect to see Poyer (a terrific three-sport athlete in high school) get heavy minutes this fall.  The Beavers also added a couple defensive backs to the fold in the 2010 recruiting class.  However, both project to be safeties at this point with one, Will Storey most likely greyshirting this upcoming season.  There was one late addition to the mix as well.  Ryan Handford, a 5’11″ 195 lb JC recruit out of Santa Ana College.  He has been told he will get playing time right way which will add a little experience to the young reserves.
• Safety – Fortunately for Oregon State with all the trouble they have had with losses to the front seven, they do have a couple (three, really) of experienced safeties in the defensive backfield.  Junior Lance Mitchell was a mainstay for Oregon State all year long.  He finished the year third on the team in tackles, second in pass breakups, and led the team in interceptions with three.  While those numbers were exceptional for a sophomore, Mitchell’s consistent play throughout the season was the real bonus as he helped steady the defensive backfield that was breaking in all new starters.  While Mitchell was a leader in the secondary in 2009, another junior, Cameron Collins is expected by many to be the defensive star for the 2010 Beavers.  Collins, you may remember, was Beaver that came up and delivered the shot that sent Jahvid Best tumbling through the air resulting in his scary concussion.  The safety has NFL-type athleticism but still needs to put it together making the right decisions and taking better angles in support.  That athleticism is what allowed him to mask some of those mistakes.  Also having Mitchell to direct traffic helped Collins focus on making plays.  Much will be expected of the juniors in 2010.
• Reserve Safeties – The third player that will likely get the bulk of the snaps at safety for Oregon State will be senior Suaesi Tuimaunei.  Tuimaunei started alongside Mitchell at the beginning of the 2009 season but struggled through the early part of the season, getting beat deep (the cardinal sin for a safety, letting receivers behind him) a few times.  Collins took Tuimaunei’s starting position a few games into the season and didn’t look back.  Tuimaunei went a few games barely seeing the field on defense but after making some plays on special teams he really came on towards the end of the season as a key reserve.  With the other key reserve from this past season, Poyer, changing positions to cornerback, Oregon State will turn to a slew of inexperienced underclassmen (sound familiar) to fill in the depth chart.  Sophomore Josh LaGrone was expected to see plenty of action as a backup in 2009 but a knee injury derailed his season before it began.  LaGrone is now back healthy and will be battling with the man who took his spot last season, sophomore Anthony Watkins (brother of the aforementioned Brian Watkins).  A couple of redshirt freshmen, Dax Dilbeck (Edmond, OK) and Zeke Sanders (Santa Cruz, CA), will battle for playing time at the back end of the safety rotation.  The Beavers also have a couple safety recruits in the 2010 class.  Ryan Murphy (6’2″ 190 lbs) is a great athlete out of Oakland, CA, that comes to Corvallis with fellow recruit Fred Thompson (DT).  Expect Murphy to redshirt in 2010 as there appears to be plenty of young depth in front of him on the depth chart.  The previously mentioned Will Storey (6’2″ 212 lbs) out of Lake Oswego, OR, will grey shirt in 2010 and officially join the program in January of 2011.

Oregon States secondary is lining up to be a strength with all four starters back from the end of last season.  While depth may be a concern (especially at corner) Mike Riley and Mark Banker do have plenty of young talent to develop some players fully capable of getting reserve time.

Up Next:  Offensive Line

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