Counting down the days to the start of Oregon State’s 2023 preseason football camp on Aug. 3.
Here is the seventh of 10 countdown topics: Breakout offensive player
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Who is Oregon State’s breakout star on offense in 2023?
First, a guideline. Breakout implies a player who previously hasn’t held a prominent role. Players like tackles Joshua Gray and Taliese Fuaga or running back Damien Martinez are already established stars. They don’t qualify for a breakout role.
We don’t see any surprises along Oregon State’s offensive line. If Nevada transfer Grant Starck has a big season, he still doesn’t qualify as a breakout, as he had plenty of success at the previous stop. There could be a breakout player among the receivers, because of opportunity. But it’s complete speculation as to who it will be. Preseason camp should give us a few clues.
Running back? Martinez is an established star, and most of the key running backs are veterans. That leaves us with tight end, and we think Jermaine Terry II is a Beaver you’ll want to watch this fall.
Terry isn’t a complete unknown, but the move from California to Oregon State should untap his potential. Terry played in 17 games over two seasons at California, making eight catches for 52 yards.
The 6-foot-4, 251-pound Terry ought to thrive moving to a tight end-friendly program like Oregon State. Terry was rated by ESPN as the country’s No. 1 tight end prospect as prep senior in 2021. The talent is there, and OSU will find a way to see if it’s real.
Under coach Jonathan Smith, the Beavers have sent three tight ends in five years to the NFL in Noah Togiai, Teagan Quitoriano and Luke Musgrave. Two tight end sets are the norm, and the Beavers occasionally employ a 13 package (three tight ends).
Terry looks the part of a run blocker, which is the only way any Oregon State tight end can get on the field. But Terry appears to be the downfield weapon the Beavers had hoped to have a year ago before Musgrave went down with a knee injury.
Combined with a proven receiver in tight end Jack Velling and stout run blocker Jake Overman, Terry should thrive in two tight end sets. If we’re right, Terry is the missing piece to an Oregon State offense looking for receiving size.
–Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel
