Fall Camp Countdown: Most Valuable Players For 2016 - #1 Darell Garretson

The #1 spot on our "Fall Camp Countdown" list goes to #10, junior quarterback Darell Garretson.

By Marcus Russell@Marcus_Russell2 Aug 5, 2016, 4:05pm PDT

Oregon State kicked off fall camp today in Bend and they’ll open up practice to the public tomorrow, which means it’s time to wrap up our ‘Fall Camp Countdown’. The #1 spot on our most valuable player rankings goes to junior quarterback, Darell Garretson.

#1 Darell Garretson - Quarterback

Darell Garretson is a 6-foot, 200-pound quarterback who seized the starting quarterback job during the spring. He’s finally eligible after transferring from Utah State and sitting out a year, per NCAA rules.

Garretson was recently named one of six team captains and was the only non-senior nominated by his teammates. All before ever taking a snap for the Beavers.

In two seasons at Utah State, Darell Garretson appeared in 13 games and threw for 2,586 yards, while completing 63% of his passes. He also notched 18 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions.

Garretson is a bit undersized for a quarterback and won’t bring the athleticism and explosiveness that Seth Collins did to the position last year. But, Garretson does bring several vital skills like experience, leadership, and accuracy.

Darrell Garretson is certainly not the most talented football player for Oregon State. He won’t appear on any mock drafts or draft boards when the NFL draft rolls around and he isn’t the type of flashy player that receives a lot of pre-season hype, but Garretson is going to be crucial to Oregon State’s rebuilding efforts.

If Oregon State is going to work its way out of the Pac-12 cellar Garretson will need to play a huge role. As we saw last season, unreliable quarterback play spoiled Oregon State’s chances at truly being competitive in the Pac-12. Nothing derails a successful football season faster than spotty play at the quarterback position

Darell Garretson earns the top spot on our player rankings because the leadership, experience, and consistency he brings to the quarterback position will have a greater impact than any other single player this upcoming season.

With the addition of Garretson and the plethora of playmakers he has to work with there is little doubt that Oregon State’s offense will be more prolific this year. And if the defense can also take a step forward then the Beavers might just shock people this year.

Here’s our completed list of the 25 most valuable players for the Beavers in 2016. Feel free to weigh in on our rankings. What did we get right/wrong?

#1: Darell Garretson (QB)

#2: Jordan Villamin (WR)

#3: Caleb Saulo (ILB)

#4: Sean Harlow (LT)

#5: Victor Bolden Jr. (WR)

#6: Dustin Stanton (RT)

#7: Ryan Nall (RB)

#8: Treston Decoud (CB)

#9: Devin Chappell (S)

#10: Gavin Andrews (RG)

#11: Titus Failauga (OLB)

#12: Paul Lucas (R-Back)