Oregon State's Next Step: Recruit Even Bigger And Better.

CORVALLIS, OR – APRIL 22: Defensive lineman Tavis Shippen #94, defensive back Joe Swen #13, and defensive back Carlos Mack Jr. #16 of the Oregon State Beavers all reach for a loose ball during the Oregon State Spring Football Game at Reser Stadium on April 22, 2023 in Corvallis, Oregon. (Photo by Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)

By STEVEN VAUGHAN, 750 THE GAME

The talent level at Oregon State hasn’t been this high since the Fiesta Bowl team back in 2000.

The addition of DJ Uiagalelei adds to that talent level. But is it good enough to compete for Pac-12 championships on an annual basis?

Tyson Alger of the I-5 Corridor joined the Bald Faced Truth with John Canzano to talk about the talent level in Corvallis and how Jonathan Smith has done a great job with what he has.

“It’s incredible that they’ve been able to build a team that is as functional and as good as they can be with how poor their recruiting classes that they’ve assembled over the last 5-6 years,” Alger said.

Alger also notes the skill positions are the position groups that are suffering the most with the lack of recruiting stars.

“Oregon State has been kind of middling in terms of regular recruiting, and that’s really where you’re seeing a lot of the talent discrepancy in those skill positions. It was crazy for them to get DJ U in the transfer portal, but that’s not the type of player that they’re still getting coming out of high school.”

Recruiting aside, Oregon State still has increased their win total year-over-year under Smith, including last season’s 10-win mark. But Alger says given the increase in talent across the board in the Pac-12, particularly at quarterback, the Beavs will have to step up their recruiting game in order to match what they did last fall.

“That’s going to be the next step for this team. You’re going to have to get top 100 guys on offense to be able to compete in this Pac-12.”

Jonathan Smith will be able to recruit more highly-touted prospects. He has passed every test thrown at him in his time in Corvallis. The acquisition of DJ Uiagalelei was a big national status increase for OSU. Now they need to capitalize on the momentum with another big season, and even bigger splashes in recruiting.

Listen to the full interview with I-5 Corridor’s Tyson Alger in the podcast below. Catch the Bald Faced Truth with John Canzano weekdays 3-6 p.m. in Portland exclusively on 750 The Game.