With Oregon State’s preseason football camp on Aug. 1 less than a month away, we look at the Beavers’ top 19 players for 2019. A 19-for-’19, if you will. Come back each day for the newest player on this list. We continue with No. 1, quarterback Jake Luton.
NO. 1: JAKE LUTON
Physical stats: 6-7, 230
Year: Redshirt senior
Position: Quarterback
How he arrived at OSU: Signed as part of Gary Andersen’s 2017 class
2018 season: Luton had some big moments despite limitations due to ankle and head injuries. Luton played in eight games, starting five, completing 140 of 224 passes for 1,660 yards and 10 touchdowns. Luton engineered a tie for greatest comeback in OSU history, rallying the Beavers from a 31-3 second-half deficit to beat Colorado 41-34 in overtime.
Career numbers: (OSU only) 12 games, nine starts, 223 of 359 passes for 2,513 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Value to 2019 team: Call it a leap of faith, as Luton officially hasn’t nailed down the starting quarterback job. But barring injury, we expect Luton to beat out Tristan Gebbia as the starter. This is also a leap of faith, depending on the oft-injured Luton as the team’s most important player. But if he’s right, Luton can hang with the best quarterbacks in the Pac-12. While not as mobile as some, Luton has an arm that is as good as any on the West coast, and his accuracy improved last season. Unlike the past two years, Luton has had a full offseason to process the offense and work in the weight room. Luton has a terrific group of receivers to work with, and a complementary running game. If the offensive line comes together, there’s significant reason to believe Luton can take OSU’s offense to the upper half of the Pac-12.
Of interest: Oregon State is Luton’s third college. He started at Idaho in 2014, played eight games during the 2015 season before transferring to Ventura College, where he threw for 3,551 yards and 40 touchdowns in 2016.
Previous 19-for-’19
No. 19: Elu Aydon
No. 18: Tyjon Lindsey
No. 17: Isaiah Dunn
No. 16: David Morris
No. 15: Trevon Bradford
No. 14: Gus Lavaka
No. 13: Tristan Gebbia
No. 12: Artavis Pierce
No. 11: Brandon Kipper
No. 10: Blake Brandel
No. 9: Jalen Moore
No. 8: Noah Togiai
No. 7: Jesiah Irish
No. 6: Avery Roberts
No. 5: Hamilcar Rashed Jr.
No. 4: Isaiah Hodgins
No. 3: Jordan Whittley
No. 2: Jermar Jefferson
--Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel
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