OSU FB Top 25: Victor Bolden - 15

2013 Recap:

Victor Bolden was one of few to play as a true freshman and only had a handful of catches, as he was backing up Brandin Cooks there was very little time for him to play. Along with backing up Cooks as a receiver he also backed him up in running the fly sweep. That would deliver his greatest moment on the year when he scored in the Civil War to momentarily give Oregon State the lead.

He was also the primary kick returner, which was not stupendous although it seems fair to blame the blocking as well as him. He did run one back against UW, although the game was already broken open by then.

2014 Outlook:

Bolden looked raw last year. He was tremendous in camp, but did not leave much of an impact in games. This is the year he needs to start harnessing his talents. Many good to great receivers have come before him, just in recent history James Rodgers and Markus Wheaton came in as extremely raw athletic talents, but as they continued to play, they matured. The route running improved, the hands improved, and with those things they were able to use their speed. Cooks came in a little more polished, but even he showed massive growth across each season.

Bolden can be the next receiver in that line with his physical tools. It sounds like things have gone well for Bolden in camp, he dealt with an injury, but is back on the field and playing well. It seems fair to trust in Bolden, he did progress some last season. With the track record of this coaching staff things seem to look good for the young speedster. With another year of maturation, it could be just what he needs to take the next step.