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Top 10 Game Changers on the Roster

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A few slow days before the next scrimmage, so let’s have a little fun with this.

Barring injuries, who do you see being game changers on either side of the ball? Limit your list to 10.

My list:

  • Nall
  • Tyner
  • I. Hodgins
  • David Morris (not yet a starter, but a potential game changer if he gets the nod…I think he should).
  • Blake Brandel
  • Togia
  • Seth Collins (Only in the slot. Great move to put him there with Noah).
  • W. Payne
  • X. Crawford (not as high on him as many, but he probably fits).
  • Aydon

These are guys who stood out to me on film or with their play last year and/or scrimmages as explosive difference makers for the upcoming season. There are guys on the roster who aren’t on my list who I do like for next year. And leaving Pierce off was a tough one. I like him. He reminds me of an SEC RB. But I’m not sure he’s a game changer. Just a nice all around back. Morris has me the most intrigued. Very bright kid who can win the S job and dominate if things fall into place. I also left most LB and DL off the list because I’m just not as familiar with that group as I should be. I hate to admit this, but I think it’s because I get confused who is who with all the Polynesian names that I can’t spell or pronounce. E.g. Vakameilalo and Taumoelau are basically the same guy to me. A big Poly defensive guy who I confuse with all the other big Poly defensive guys with long, complex names. Sorry?

You guys can fill in the game changers on that unit. And maybe give me some tips on how to keep track of those dudes in my head.

85 COMMENTS

  1. Good list.

    If Villy can be an improved Villy, as was expected, I think he’d make that list.

    The other player that came to mind was Bright Ogwoebu.

  2. I wonder how Jaydon Grant is doing? Haven’t seen his name pop up this fall, but during spring he was the main Ball Hawk picking everybody off.

    Hard to argue with the list. Hard to keep it under 10 guys. So many question marks due to injury last year, and many guys who could very well be on the cusp:

    You have to hope Luton is.

    Irvine in the secondary

    Bright
    Shemiah Unutoa-Whitson was coming on last year at times.
    Andrzej Hughes-Murray
    Jonathan Willis has shown a lot of promise at times
    Kee Whetzel seems like a guy the staff is really hyping.
    A lot of potentially exciting LB’s. Must be why we’re toying with the 5-2.

    GA set a goal of 30 sacks this year, so we probably need a game changing DE.
    Is Titus finally there?
    Lamone Williams Show up? Looked great in high school
    Thor Katoa

    Seems like there a several good players out there, but it’s difficult to predict who’s going to be great.

    That combo of Nall and Tyner is deadly though

  3. I can’t argue much about the guys on the list although it would be difficult for me to tell if Aydon or Brandel changed a game or not. Togiai would be my number 1.

    I would add the probably controversial pick of Jake Luton with the stipulation that he will change it in both directions. There will be some ridiculous throws of the 60 yard laser-on-the-run type as well as the WTF Vikings-Favre-vs-New-Orleans interceptions. I predict the average performance will be somewhat meaningless. My hope is that the consistency increases as the season progresses.

    I hope the return game is good as special teams can really turn a game around.

  4. My list:

    Offense:
    Nall
    Tyner
    Togia
    I. Hodgins
    Luton (will change it one way or another)
    Field goal kicker

    Defense:
    Ogwoebu (please stay healthy)
    Hungalu ( I hope Andrezj makes me regret this)
    Yet to be determined D lineman
    X Crawford

  5. Nall
    Tyner
    Togiai
    Collins
    Hungalu
    Ugwoegbu
    Crawford
    Hodgins
    Ah-hoy
    Luton

    Luton will be able to take the top off the defense which helps the rbs and makes the offense explosive. I expect a lot more deep td plays. Im sure it will come at the expense of some ints but i think the good will outweigh the bad.

  6. If they’re Beavs, I know who they are… except for that Choukair kid. How do you pronounce his name? Shoe care? Chow car? Chew cur? I’m pretty sure it’s not choker.

  7. Replace Payne with Hungalu, and make it Tyner/Pierce for the aggregate effect of their contributions. They’ll both be worth a win sometime during the season, maybe more.

  8. Crawford….I thought he was very good last season
    Evans if he plays
    Wallace if he plays
    Collins
    Nall
    Tyner
    Luton
    Aydon
    Bright
    Houston…..needs to set the tone

  9. Not sure why you guys are throwing Wallace out there. Doesn’t sound like he’s even close to contributing. Great athlete but new to the position.

    • He could be a game changer returning kicks or punts. I believe he played a lot of RB in HS and had great speed. I don’t think he’s a game changing CB yet.

    • The last few days Wallace has been with the 2nd team at corner and all reports have him looking beastly. He seems like the eventual nickle guy to me and he could be a complete beast there.

  10. This is all speculation anyway, so why not…..physically, hes very gifted. So I think that makes him a potential game changer.

    We could say the same thing about Villamin…..he’s been a bust……yet he’s always on the list for “potential gamechanger” cuz he’s a very gifted athlete.

  11. From the last thread, because I’d love to hear Angry’s response….

    Multiple head coaches, and multiple O-Coordinators disagree with you Angry about Mc3rdstring. Have you ever once thought maybe you’re the one wrong about him?

    • Have you ever once thought maybe you’re the one wrong about him?

      No.

      And the reason I didn’t respond is that you’re not worth responding to.

          • Angry is the one who truly believes he knows more than multiple Coaching staffs, who get to interact with Mc3rdstring in practice, in meetings, etc… he truly believes he knows better… so who’s the troll?

          • Oh, I see. You’re using Riley as evidence to show angry is off base about Andersen’s QB assessment abilities because Riley didn’t sit a 4 year starter in Mannion over a redshirt freshman, before Andersen arrived.
            Perfectly logical.

          • I didn’t say his assessment was right. In fact, I’m confused when I recall that he values moxie but then evaluates MM as he does. But it’s a really petty point. We now have a QB who can use the whole playbook. MM leaving lessens depth on a team that might need it given the rate at which QBs are broken in today’s NCAA.

            That’s about it.

          • You’re using Riley as evidence to show angry is off base about Andersen’s QB assessment abilities

            Hilarious…starting McM over Mannion.

            And what’s doubly funny is that I was actually using Andersen and his staff’s QB assessment, even pointing out that dating back to Wisconsin they have botched the QB job and picked the wrong guy 4 years in a row.

            I went through this with Riley supports, too. “You know more than Riley, huh?”. Now they’re all making podcasts about how Riley was bad. Never said it at the time, of course.

          • I’m confused when I recall that he values moxie but then evaluates MM as he does

            I do like moxie, but I’m not convinced McM lacks it. I think because he’s nerdy with a small head people have misconceptions. Plus, moxie is great in a QB, but accuracy/efficiency and decisions are most important. It’s why someone like Alex Smith can make a lucrative living despite having a poor arm and no moxie.

  12. Going the 5 and 5 route for fun:

    Offense:

    1. Nall
    2. Noah
    3. Hodgins
    4. Seth
    5. Tyner

    Honorable: Good ol Jordan Villamin. Expecting a big year from him we need it.

    Defense:

    1. Bright
    2. Crawford
    3. Manase
    4. Hughes- Murray
    5. Shemar Smith

    Honorable: Once he starts playing: Christian Wallace he seems to be moving up the depth charts. Also based on the last few practices it sounds like some of these backers will be lining up at end and rushing on obvious pass plays so Smith. Hughes Murray and even Payne ( not mentioned) could break through as a game changer with some big plays, sack/ strips etc.

    • I need to know why everyone doesn’t have Elu either 1 or 2 (behind Nall) on their lists. And why are people adding Payne? Are we looking at him as a playmaker on ST coverage?

      • A run stuffing dt is an awesome thing to have on the d line. But they are ‘t going to singlehandedly make game changing plays. There are very few Aaron Donald’s and Warren Sapps in the world. Paea was a. BEast. It rarely changed the game.

        That’s my reason for not have Elu on this list.

        • Re: Payne he is one of the guys along with Smith, Whetzel and others who it appears Clune is going to use in passing scenarios as edge rushers. The reports from practice today had all these guys with hands in the ground coming off the edge causing havoc. Might not see that in the scrimmage so we don’t give anything away, but will be interesting to see materialize once the games count.

          • I thought Payne was an ILB behind Hungalu, Taumoelau, AHM and Robinson.

            Elu will be better than Paea, probably as soon as this year.

          • They had Payne and some of the other quick backers rushing at end the last couple days per the practice reports. With all the guys they have that fit that new hybrid mold that could be a way for him to get on the field more.

            Damm Elu better than Paea!!?? Let’s go!

          • When a RB runs into a wall of his own linemen (instead of the hole that’s supposed to be there) and bounces into the waiting arms of an end or backer for TFL, I consider that the DT’s playmaking. He doesn’t get any credit on the stat sheet. But he’s the one who made the play.

      • why are people adding Payne?

        I loved his film when they signed him, and hearing reports from camp that he’s finally playing and acting like a total beast.

  13. OT: If I was a coach I would try to avoid a situation like we are going to have with MCM at all costs. Pretty much forcing a dude elsewhere who is super motivated to make me look foolish. QB transfers happen all the time but this one is much different. MCM was passed over for inferior players at QB on 3 different occasions ( Seth, DG, Blount).I pray this is not a 4th time.

    Usually when QB’s transfer you know for sure the player you picked in front of him is superior. We will find out if that is the case with Luton in due time.

    • Watching the Spring game in person (there weren’t many of us there) Luton to me passed the eyeball test, especially given how new he was to the team/system. Two of the INTs I chalked up to taking a risk in the spring game that you wouldn’t attempt in a real game. Remember, we even had Nall make a pass. It’s the spring game. Guys were messing around.
      But after the game, looking at the stat sheet, Luton was #2 or even #3.
      So, I’m hopefull a summer of practicing with the team will help iron out the wrinkles enough that we don’t see a drop off, but I still think McM would have been the safe day 1 starter, especially on the road vs a very highly rated CSU team.
      Some analysts have them going to New Year’s day bowl. That scares me.

      • I thought he looked bad in the spring game. Dumb throws/INTs. Also saw the two dumb throws in the Arnold video. Didn’t see any of the first Fall scrimmage. His stats were much better there. So, what can I deduct? Not much. But he calls himself a “gun slinger”, and this usually means a guy who forces dumb throws, and we’ve seen that in the past, so that’s what I think we get. I hope we get a smart, efficient QB, but that’s not what anyone reasonable should expect.

      • I saw him play his last 2 games down here against Cerritos and Fullerton and he looked good in both but had 2 bad picks on back to back drives against Fullerton. So the throws you wouldn’t make in a game thing is not true. Decision making will be his biggest hurdle. The arm talent is real though.

    • McM was VERY bad for most of his time at OSU……he progressed and came through at the end of last season, but he was scary before that…….it’s understandable why he was passed over on those occasions……the coaches had zero trust in him!

          • Every week it changed. Pre-season… let’s see how he does in PAC-12. Then rolling thru league play… let’s see how he does in post-season. So you pretty much made it that if he didn’t go undefeated ou could say you were right all along.

          • I think what angry has been saying all along is that he’s not going to support a third string P as he would a first string P because the coaches obviously see flaws in his game–if not his stuff, his mental acuity.

            Are you saying Jake Thirdson is a Friday night guy, even though a HoFer coach disagrees with you?

          • I think what angry has been saying all along is that he’s not going to support a third string P as he would a first string P because the coaches obviously see flaws in his game–if not his stuff, his mental acuity.

            Are you saying Jake Thirdson is a Friday night guy, even though a HoFer coach disagrees with you?

            That’s pretty much it.

            And it was a gut thing. I never had confidence in him even as his record kept improving and his ERA remained respectable. To me that’s a guy having a career year from the 3rd pitching slot, yet someone I still lacked confidence in b/c of prior meltdowns. B/c of that, I felt he’d melt down in big spots, and he did. He did pitch better in Conference play than I thought he would. That was his only impressive feat last year. But at the end of the season he was the same ol’.

  14. Aydon
    Hungalu
    Savea
    Failauga
    Wallace
    Shemar
    Hughes-Murray
    Morris
    Crawford
    Nall

    This year will come down to D-Line, LBs who don’t whiff on sacks, big play corners and Nall. I trust Klune, and I think he is going to be the best DC in the Pac12 this year. The defense will win games for the Beavs this year, Nall will finish teams off with the ground game.

    9-3 regular season, win Civil War again, go to the Holiday Bowl and roll Nebraska for a 10 win season.

    • Man, those whiffed sacks are killers. Have seen way too many of those the last couple years. Aggressive, disciplined DEs would be a sight for sore eyes.

      10 wins this year? That’s a pipe dream, but I like your enthusiasm.

  15. Haha Nemec getting raked over the coals for his headline re: Smalls commitment to OSU. Never mentions that Smalls had UO in his final group and chose Beavs over the fortune cookie.

        • Ranking high school players is like looking at a field of daisies and ranking them individually… when they’re only mid-growth.

          Good luck with all that.

          • I wouldn’t be surprised to find out the first question our staff asks recruits is, “How tall were you on your second birthday?”

            We are a lot bigger than we were three years ago.

          • “We are a lot bigger than we were three years ago.”

            We were just having that discussion at work yesterday. We do work for players occasionally, so I’ve seen a myriad of them in my business. There has been a striking change since GA arrived.

          • There’s no doubt they’re bigger, stronger, and faster. This was evident year 1 under GA.

            I view OSU a lot like TCU…we can be that level. Not elite, but TCU got there through outworking people, and GA/OSU seem to know that’s the only blueprint that will work given the unbalanced landscape of the game.

  16. That Kase Rogers film was impressive. Kid can play all over the field and make plays great feet and great hands with good burst. I’m excited about him. Smalls is a beast and should be able to play from day one. Saw him at a camp this summer my little cousin went to. Physically and athletically he’s ready right now. Interestingly he played QB for Dorsey a lot the last 2 years and that has stunted some of his shine as a recruit. Otherwise as a full time tight end he’s easily a high 4 star.

  17. OFFENSE:
    Nall, Pierce, Luton, Brandel, Noah.
    DEFENSE:
    Bright, Manasa, Crawford, Aydon, Arnold.

    Hard to leave off= Morris, Willis, Seth

  18. This Nemec guy is a piece of work. He jizzes all over himself on anything and everything duck related (in all fairness I think he went to school there) then he “appears” to be fair with his coverage of Beaver recruiting. He puts his stuff all over Facebook and Twitter and anytime he posts Beaver news like clockwork quack honks come out of the woodwork a piss all over it. Once in a while he posts about “keeping it civil” but he does zero policing of his posts and it turns into a quack piss fest. The worst part is that he is getting local main stream media attention and now as he gets more and more followers all they see when they click on Beaver news is a quack shit show with zero policing.  His bias is obvious but the local sports media see him as a serious source for everything regarding recruiting.   

    • All these guys went to hole…..theyre all homers, and believe that OSU is the little brother……the only way it changes is we best them consistently in football and men’s basketball.

  19. Did anyone catch Yam and Roths’ (Pac 12 network)podcast from Reser the other night? They both said Beavs look better than Ducks right now….they were in eugene the day before I think.

  20. Impact Players:

    Offense –
    Nall
    Viilaman
    Brandel

    Defense –
    Failauga
    Vakameilalo
    Ugwoegbu
    Hungalu
    Arnold
    Crawford

    All Riley recruits…

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