Outside of the Pac-12 conference, very few people paid attention to the type of season that Brandin Cooks put together a year ago; that is, until he was announced the winner of the 2013 Biletnikoff award, awarded to the top wide receiver in the nation. He accumulated 1,670 yards and 15 touchdowns on 120 receptions last season for the Oregon State Beavers. The 120 receptions broke the Pac-12 single-season record and his 139.4 yards per game led the nation last season. After deciding to skip his senior season to enter the NFL Draft, where he was taken 20th overall by the New Orleans Saints, the Beavers will look to replace Cooks. The aerial weapons for OSU in 2014 are listed below. There is life after Brandin Cooks for OSU football fans.
Offensive Weapons Returning for the Beavers
#8 Richard Mullaney
Richard Mullaney put together a very solid campaign last year starting opposite Brandin Cooks, totaling the second-most receptions on the team with 52. He averaged 15.2 yards per reception and caught three touchdowns with 788 yards through the air. Mullaney became somewhat of a third-down specialist, as he always seemed to pick up the needed yardage on underneath passes. He will maintain his position from last year, which is a traditional split end, compared to the versatile flanker position that Cooks played. Mullaney was a very consistent receiver for quarterback Sean Mannion last year, and will look to have a bigger season in an expanded role.
#6 Victor Bolden
As a true freshman last season, Bolden primarily returned kicks (20.7 yards per return, one touchdown) and only tallied six catches for 62 yards receiving and 95 yards on 12 carries for a touchdown on the ground. Bolden will likely fill the starting flanker spot and will look to use his speed to pose a downfield threat and run the fly sweep that Cooks and James Rodgers have made famous for the Beavers. It’s hard to predict the impact that Bolden will have next season, but from the small sample size they have, the Oregon State coaches have to be excited about what he can do in 2014.
#18 Malik Gilmore
The only other returning receiver who caught a pass last year is sophomore Malik Gilmore who caught seven passes for 76 yards. He will look to expand on his freshman season and will serve as the primary backup for Mullaney. His big frame (6’3”, 210 lbs.) will provide a big underneath target for Mannion on checkdowns and in three-wide packages. The Beavers threw more than any other Pac-12 team last season except for Washington State, so Gilmore will have plenty of opportunities to become a reliable target for Mannion.
#89 Connor Hamlett
The 6’7”, 265-lb. senior tight end will look to be a key part of the Oregon State offense as he was last year. His 40 receptions for 364 yards and five touchdowns put him near the top of the receiving categories for the Beavers in 2013. He provides a big red zone target for Mannion, and the Beavers threw more often inside their opponents’ 20-yard line than any other Pac-12 team last season. Sean Mannion likes throwing to his tight ends and Hamlett is poised to have another big season.
#10 Caleb Smith
It’s no secret that Oregon State like to use their tight ends and Smith is the second of the three returning tight ends for the Beavers (Kellen Clute is the third). Smith totaled 25 catches for 343 yards and four touchdowns last season and was used often, as the Beavers like to run a pro-style offense with two tight ends. Smith will also be used in the red zone often and will rotate with Clute (19 catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns) as the second tight end in those sets.
Note: Oregon State is notorious for extending their run game to their passing game, with screens and short passes to their running backs. They return running backs Storm Woods (47 passes for 440 yards, one touchdown), Terron Ward (34 passes for 280 yards, three touchdowns), and Chris Brown (one catch for six yards). Joining Mullaney, Bolden, and Gilmore at receiver will be sophomore Blair Cavanaugh and redshirt freshmen Hunter Jarmon and Jordan Villamin.
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