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Aidan Willard

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There was a comment in a recent thread that a QB like Aidan Willard isn’t going to get other recruits excited about signing.

So I looked at his stats and found he has a 44% completion. Why do the Beavs keep signing (Collins) or showing interest (The kid from Oregon last year) in QBs with low completion %? Is a position change in the offing?

However, the good news is on film he looks like Jake Locker light edition, right? Locker, too, had a pretty horrendous completion rate, yet turned into a nice college player.

Maxpreps is sometimes wrong, so I’m hoping his completion percentage isn’t actually that bad. If he’s more in the Locker range of 55%, then with those wheels and large frame, he could be pretty good. Looks like a project with good potential if he can become accurate. But I agree, he’s not going to get any other recruits excited, and from the sound of things, he doesn’t even get hardcore fans excited. I’d like to see a more refined QB taken in this class.

84 COMMENTS

  1. I’ll have to look it up, but I think Willard. threw for a high school 7-on-7 squad that featured a couple of other 2017 Oregon State targets. Could be that was how he was even discovered.

    Here’s a story on that team, TMP Elite. You’ll recognize some of his teammates names.
    “TMP Elite: Trajon Cotton (Inderkum), Najee Harris (Antioch), Josh Falo (Inderkum), Aidan Willard (Justin-Siena), Damon Cole (El Cerrito), Jullen Ison (Moreau Catholic), Lorenzo Burkes (Jesuit), Isaiah Hodgins (Berean Christian), Jamarri Jackson (Christian Brothers), Kalei Aukai (Santa Rosa), Kahlef Hailassie”

    http://battleprepwest.com/2016/01/26/tmp-elite-7v7-tournament-13116/e6d-663bae82bf85.html

    Also, another article with some more stats to compare:

    http://napavalleyregister.com/sports/high-school/braves-aidan-willard-commits-to-oregon-state-for-football/article_5742a282-334e-553b-be6d-663bae82bf85.html

  2. Hey now! It was me who made that comment.

    I project him as a solid backup who could challenge for the starting job as a JR or SR. No position change for this kid. Also, he’s a rock solid verbal. Parents are both OSU grads.

    Willard doesn’t really compare to Jake Locker IMO. One of the reasons Locker was inaccurate is because he had a cannon for an arm, just couldn’t control it. Got drafted by the Angels. He played a wing T offense in high school. Wasn’t asked to pass a whole lot. Locker was built like a fullback. 6’3″ 200+ coming out of high school.

    Willard is a decent prospect but will need a few years to grow physically. His arm strength is the main thing that holds him back. Deep ball floats up there. Doesn’t really drive the ball down the field. His release could be quicker too. Certainly has the potential to be a starter but will need to grow up fast.

    He is a D1 caliber player so I don’t mind him getting an offer. My issue isn’t with him, it’s more with Andersen. To get other player’s to notice your school, landing a big time QB draws a lot of eyes.

  3. The reports I read said that at 1-2 camps Willard was the most accurate passer there. I think this surprised a lot of people as they were also looking at his high school stats. All you have know is his high school is running a veer offense to know that his passing stats are very skewed. I think he will be serviceable to have on the roster, but right now, I would probably not guess him to be the best quarterback on the roster.

  4. I don’t get how many people posting here are expecting GA to recruit a 4 star QB after a 2-10 season. The Beavs were hot garbage soaked in vomit last year. It was like watching a high school football team play an NCAA team most weeks. If you didn’t expect a 3-5 year building process after watching last year’s games you should be checking your head for a serious lump, because you likely have been brained or brainwashed. OSU has our starting QB for the next two years already ordained barring a catastrophe. That is two years that the coaching staff and team have to work towards more favorable results on the field. If the team starts bowling by year 3 or 4, then you will see higher caliber recruits take notice and GA will get acclaim for his rebuild efforts. Then you start seeing prized recruits make the jump to OSU. Let’s support the team and let the season unfold. If we go 2-10 again or we aren’t even competitive, then we have reason to raise the pitchforks and torches.

    As an aside, I hope that the community here at AB recognizes that the current recruits and potential 4 star recruits you desperately hope for are just as likely to find this page as any other Beavers website and they will likely be influenced by OSU faithful firing a constant barrage of pessimism towards the coaching staff and their ability to recruit. Don’t get me wrong, I like this site, and I don’t mind the critical views provided, but I believe that some people that post here have lost objectivity lately based on where the team is and what the coaching staff is working to establish.

      • I’ll say it. I expect him to get a top line QB. That’s the fastest way back to relevance.

        It can be done. Stanford, Cal and UW turned their programs around by recruiting top QBs.

        I honestly expected Andersen to bring in a top qb recruit in the first cycle. Disappointed he hasn’t made a splash in this cycle. Should have kept Pensyl in 2015, he was the best recruiter that year.

    • It took Leach 4 long years to get WSU competitive again and I could see OSU taking a similar path. Both small AG schools fighting an uphill recruiting battle.

  5. I believe both the 4star QBs Andersen recruited to WI have both transferred out of the program. Collins hasn’t been great either so it does make me worry a little with QB recruiting and development.

      • Kafentzis, the player that left Wisconsin for Nevada, then Nevada for a jc in Yuma?

        “Kafentzis opted to keep his commitment to Wisconsin rather than follow Andersen to Oregon State.”

        That doesn’t sound like GA issue, that sounds like the kid.

        • He wanted to come, but GA wouldn’t promise him the job.
          Which is smart…but maybe GA should have done it given the QB situation. I mean people rumored that he promised SC the job and that’s how they got him so late and why GA stuck with him so long. Who knows. But Kafentzis was a good fit.

  6. Chill guys he’s gonna have a HUGE senior year and be a high 4-star come January. Freakin stoked we beat out Toledo for this kid

  7. Ethan Thompson has OSU as his #1. Coach Thompson is proving to be one of our most valuable assistants in some time. Ethan adding to what Stevie has already done would really be great for fans, Oregon State and the Thompson family. I see multiple NCAA appearances in the next 5 years if Ethan finishes out our recruiting class with a cherry on top. Such a signing feels like it will keep very positive momentum going for the Beavs under the Tinkle era.

  8. Collins getting some good reviews….

    https://twitter.com/CSNNW/status/764273776104054785

    Seth Collins wins another jump ball. Could be a real weapon for OSU. Looking great at WR. #GoBeavs

    https://twitter.com/HamptonKevin/status/764274720279629824

    Seth Collins makes grab with Treston Decoud in his face..Collins’ second nice catch of scrimmage #gtsports #gobeavs

    https://twitter.com/CSNNW/status/764275955208564736

    Collins proving he can block, too. Just leveled a defender to the ground. Almost started a mini scuffle. #GoBeavs

    • Eggers anwers the question for me. Thanks nicebeav.
      They are still trying to gain academic eligibility through the NCAA Clearinghouse. Andersen is still hopeful both will soon join the program, though it is likely they will redshirt this season.

      • NCAA Clearinghouse and Publisher’s Clearinghouse are both equally mysterious in their rules and regulations and their inability to pay off in the end.

  9. Practice Report:

    Defence > Offense. Don’t know if thats because the D is improved or because of lack of O execution.

    Front 7 owned the OL.

    Darell looked good.

    Collins is ultra competitive and still plays cocky. I don’t have a problem with it though, you need kids who play with a swagger.

    Collins and AP both look good and will make impacts.Collins had the most impressive catches and AP broke two tackles on a swing pass out of the backfield and took it for 20.

    Back up QBs looked like garbage.

    Most of the freshman DE/OLB’s have lost their helmet stripes.

  10. OSU Training Camp show on Pac-12 Network last night was pretty well produced. They did a flythrough of new VFC and lockerroom. The rendered beaver logo on the white roof of the VFC looked awesome and is really going to pop on TV. Hope it is ready for Boise St game as cannot wait to see. Think it combined with the Terrace just below are really going to add to the gameday atmosphere and more of a “Big Time Football” feel. Still see the burnt orange roof right now though. Really hope they don’t screw this up and leave like that. The white roof with giant logo everyone in the upper level and on TV sees is great for our brand.

  11. Why is there no mention of Brayden Kearsley on the o-line?
    That’s a 4-star recruit who transferred from BYU and should be eligible this year. Haven’t seen his name once…

  12. Well crap:

    Per Kerry Eggers:

    kerry eggers ?@kerryeggers 2h2 hours ago
    OSU D-lineman LaMone Williams (knee) may be lost for season

    kerry eggers ?@kerryeggers 2h2 hours ago
    Appears @BeaverFootball senior OT Sean Harlow (foot) will wind up redshirting this season

    • The Harlow news, while disappointing, has “appeared” that way for several weeks. Neither line can afford much of this kind of news.
      Eggers still comes up with worthwhile reports even though 1) his pal Smilin’ Mike is gone and 2) he covers a lot besides Beavs FB.

  13. No doubt, we are gonna hear a lot about Seth this season. Here is what “Offensive Quality Control (Guru?)” Kevin Cummings recently said about Seth’s move to receiver:

    “We were all kind of worried about whether he could transition to receiver because of the breaks, the details of being a receiver and learning the offense … He’s handled it perfectly, he always asks us questions, and he’s a freak athlete so you put all that stuff together, his willingness to learn and his crazy athleticism it’s going to be hard to stop.”

    https://oregonstate.rivals.com/news/saturday-night-practice-re-cap

  14. GA misses on another impact recruit. So will it be no 4 star signees this year? Need 2 every year IMO. So far we got none from last year or this year until Wallace actually clears. Ready for some better recruiting news. Close the deal coaches. Gotta up our game.

    • Derpyidy derp. Signing day is 6 months away, and you’re already calling it? Please enlighten the board with your recruiting secrets to force players to sign when we were last in the pac12. I’ll be waiting……………….

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