Oregon State Football: Most Valuable Player Countdown - #38 Nous Keobounnam

We continue our most valuable players list at #38, now just 40 days away from the Beavers season opener against Oklahoma State at Reser. With fall camp right around the corner, it’s starting to feel like football season.

#39 Nous Keobounnam - Offensive Line

Big 6’ 2”, 290-pounder Nous Keobounnam may have a difficult name to spell and pronounce, but it’s probably one that’s worth keeping in your mind when it comes to the Oregon State depth chart. A super-athletic talent who also played basketball and competed in the shot-put at Portland’s Centennial High School, Keobounnam took a strong amount of reps throughout spring practice and looked to be a potential starter if no replacement was found.

And then Arizona graduate transfer Nathan Eldridge came to town.

While the news of Eldridge’s arrival in Corvallis was good for the program, who desperately needed an experienced snapper to help control a roller coaster offensive line, the former Wildcats stand-out is also following his old position coach in Jim Michalczik to campus, who is now the Beavers run game coordinator and offensive line coach. Eldridge however may have to focus more on health throughout the preseason, as he missed all of the 2018 campaign with a knee injury, leaving Keobounnam in a position to always remain ready to go.

While versatility isn’t Keobounnam’s natural strength, he also can play a bit of guard, where he’ll be asked to provide depth and he’ll likely remain on the team’s special teams unit as well, where he’s seen action in 23 games in his career. As a third year guy in the program (not even counting his 2016 redshirt campaign), expect Keobounnam to find some time in moments here and there, maybe in some of the team’s projected one-sided contests.

Projected Statistics

12 Games Played. 1 Start. 1 Pancake. 1 Tackle.