So 247 has a list of our all time recruits and it just happens Chiles and Howard are both in the top 10. They are the second combo of players from the same class in our top 10 ever. Note that some of the rankings like Anderson and Jackson are retroactive and probably not that accurate to the time. Looking back at the full list I have to say I prefer how Smith builds the program over Riley. Smith insists on personality for for the program over chasing talent. Riley had quite a few big recruits that never made it to campus or left the team for one reason or another. Knock on wood but so far Tago (2018), Madison (2019), Nolan (2020), and Colin's/Vidlak (2021) are the only top 3 recruits from a class to transfer and all of them were positive transfers for playing time.
1) Isaac Seumalo (2012). 4 year starter at OSU and arguably our best all around lineman ever. 3rd round pick with 60 starts and 81 games played. Despite some injuries he got a super bowl ring as a starter and has a good chance of gaining another this year. Ranking was solid!
2) Derek Anderson (2001). Had most of the records at OSU until the Mannion throw 50 a game offense with cooks. Most gifted pure passer we have seen to this point. 6th round pick. In his 14 year career he had a prowbowl, 49 starts 78 games played.
3) Steven Jackson (2001). Best athlete we have had and probably our best RB even if it doesn't show in the stats because he left early. First round pick was well worth the investment givibg the rams 12 seasons with 3 pro bowls and 2 all pro seasons. He will likely be a hall of famer. He currently works with one of the NIL collectives at OSU.
4) Simi Kuli (2008). Some say he is still wandering the woods of the PNW hunting sasquatch...or was he sasquatch the whole time?
5) Michael Philipp (2009). One of our better offensive linemen but was also injury plagued. 48 starts in 4 seasons he was a warrior for us. He coaches OLine at Idaho State.
6) Aiden Chiles (2023). Future looks very bright.
7) Brandon Lockheart (2002). Got booted from the team for fighting and spent time in prison. He played for the Portland Thunder in the AFL in 2014. No idea what he's up to today but definitely a massive missed potential.
8) Ruben Jackson (2005) - Speedster who played for us in 2005 and 2006. I can't remember if he was buried in the depth chart, injured or left the team. He played in the AFL for a few seasons. Sadly he died of an undiagnosed medical condition in 2019 after years of chronic seizures. 9) Kelzie Howard (2023) - highest rated defensive player to set foot on campus. Huge position of need and he looks like a beast.
10) Dashing Hunt (2013) - has a promising 2 years as a depth player then had to medically retire due to spinal Stenosis.
I am going to say what I believe happened and someone can correct me, if I am wrong.
Ruben "Action" Jackson was a JUCO transfer. He hurt his shoulder in fall camp in 2005 and missed a couple of weeks and could have redshirted. But Jackson was available week one and played. I believe that Jackson backed up Josh Hawkins. Jackson also started returning kicks. Jackson caught the very first pass in the Boise State game (which makes me question if he or Hawkins actually got the start) and got hurt. Jackson missed the rest of the Boise game and the Louisville game. He returned one kickoff return against Arizona State and got hurt again. Riley never had him return another kick at Oregon State. Jackson missed the next two weekends (only missed the Wazzu game) to return to play California.
Jackson had three solid games, after getting back to 100%. Jackson had three touches for 49 yards against UCLA in the Rose Bowl, which was the third-most total yards behind Bernard and Hass. Jackson caught three passes for 56 yards against Arizona, the final one setting up Alexis Serna's final field goal to pull back within nine. However, the Wildcats still beat the Beavers 29-27. Jackson caught two passes for 29 yards in Husky Stadium. The first was a 24-yarder to set up Alexis Serna's first field goal to put the Beavers up 3-0, a lead that Oregon State would never lose in a beautifully ugly 18-10 win. Jackson's 29 yards was the second-most yards by Beaver receivers behind Hass' 48. And Hass and Jackson together caught more than half of Moore's yards in the game.
Jackson returned in 2006, healthier than the year before. However, he had some academic issues, which ate up most of Spring Camp and some of Fall Camp. As a result, he started 2006, backing up both Sammy Stroughter and Anthony Wheat-Brown. Riley was more pessimistic about Jackson qualifying than Marcel Love, but Love ended up not qualifying academically, while Jackson did.
Jackson actually created a rap in 2006, which 14Beav set highlights to:
Still entertaining.
Jackson caught Sean Canfield's first ever completion, a three-yarder. Two plays later, Wheat-Brown caught a 35-yard touchdown pass to go up 35-0 over Eastern Washington. On Canfield's next drive, Canfield was picked off, and Jackson made the tackle to save a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Jackson caught a 67-yard touchdown pass to put Oregon State up 56-10. Eastern Washington scored a final touchdown against scrubs to pull back within 56-17, the final score.
Jackson came on on the second play of the Boise game and lost two yards on a reverse. He was horse-collared (which was still legal back then) for a loss of two yards. Jackson did not log another touch or target.
Jackson had the second rush against Idaho for four yards down to the Idaho 25. Bernard ran 25 yards on his next to carries for a touchdown and 7-0 lead. Jackson did not log another touch or target.
Jackson played the next two games. Jackson had a target in the California game but did not log any statistic in the Wazzu game.
Jackson caught a 51-yarder against Washington on the second drive of the second half. Moore then hit Stroughter for 24 yards down to the 12. But Oregon State could only get three yards on the next three plays, so Alexis Serna, The Husky Killer, came in and kicked a 26-yard field goal to pull within 17-13. Jackson had two catches for 60 yards, second to Strougher's 223 yards. Bernard's 25 yards were the only other Beaver receiving yards in the game.
In Tucson, Jackson ran for 11 yards down to the Arizona 34 in the first quarter. Jackson suffered a high ankle injury and was walking around on crutches, missing the rest of the Arizona game and the following three games.
Anthony Wheat-Brown was suspended for the final three games of the regular season, which coincided with Jackson getting healthy. Jackson wound up starting the rest of the year. Jackson caught a nine-yard pass and ran for 23 yards down to the Stanford 23. Three plays later, Moore hit Brandon Powers for a 15-yard touchdown to put Oregon State up 14-7. Jackson also caught an 18-yard pass to get the Beavers out of a hole. Oregon State drove down to set up Alexis Serna's third field goal to put the Beavers up 23-7. Jackson wound up the second-leading rusher, behind Bernard, and third-leaving receiver, behind Stroughter and Powers, in the game.
Oregon fumbled on the first drive in the Civil War. Jackson notched the Beavers' first reception, a 14-yarder down to the Duck 11 to set up Jason Vandiver running over Jairus Byrd for an 11-yard touchdown two plays later. Jackson had a 16-yard reception at the end of the first quarter and a 14-yard run at the beginning of the second quarter to set Oregon State up with a 1st & 10 at the 22. But Jackson lost five yards on a second run and Matt Moore was sacked, setting up Serna's first field goal. 10-7 Oregon State. Jackson had 25 of Oregon State's 30 yards on the drive. On the second drive of the second half, Jackson beat Walter Thurmond III for a 48-yard gain down to the Oregon nine. Two plays later, Bernard ran in from six for a 27-14 lead. Jackson finished with 99 yards receiving, a career best, and 17 yards rushing. Jackson's 116 total yards led all Beavers.
In the first quarter in Oahu, Jackson caught a 15-yard pass down to the Hawai'i 21. The next play, Moore hit Newton for a 21-yard touchdown to put Oregon State up 7-0 to end the first quarter. Hawai'i responded by driving for a touchdown. Gerard Lawson had his 100-yard kickoff return to go back up 14-7, but Hawai'i responded by driving for a second touchdown to tie the game back up at 14. Jackson caught an eight-yard pass to start off the drive. Oregon State drove down to the 30, where Moore hit Jackson for a 30-yard touchdown pass, Jackson's second and final touchdown reception. Jackson had beaten the corner so bad that the safety had to come over and the two ran into each other for a spectacular touchdown reception. Jackson finished second in receiving yards, behind Stroughter, with 53 yards and second in rushing yards, behind Bernard, with 8 yards.
The 2006 Sun Bowl was a game of wind. The team with the wind outscored the other 56-21. In the 2006 Sun Bowl, despite the wind in their face, the Tigers scored first to go up 7-0. On Oregon State's first drive, Jackson ran for 16 yards on 2nd & 10 for a first down at the Beaver 46. Eight plays later, Moore hit Stroughter for a 13-yard touchdown pass to tie it up at seven. Stroughter returned the next punt down to the 40. After a first down, Moore hit Jackson for 15 yards down to he Missouri 14. Five plays later, Moore snuck it in for a touchdown. 14-7. In the third quarter, the Tigers took a 24-21 lead. Moore's first pass afterwards into the wind was intercepted, but Jackson forced a fumble, which Vandiver recovered at the Beaver 47. The teams traded punts a couple of times, and Missouri took a 31-21 lead on a 65-yard touchdown run. But Jackson's forced fumble ate up clock, so that the deficit did not grow any deeper. On third down in the fourth quarter, Jackson caught a pass down to the 12, which set up Serna's 29-yard field goal to pull within 31-24. Jackson finished with the second-most rushing yards but only 19 yards receiving. Wheat-Brown, having finished his three game suspension, came in to block on Bernard's two-point conversion. 39-38.
Jackson was arguably the heart and soul of that 2006 team, his 116 yards were each important in the 2006 Civil War, and his touchdown against Hawai'i was decisive. Jackson was a big part of a win or two in 2005 and a huge part of some of the massive wins in 2006.
Since I do not remember anyone mentioning it in 2019, RIP Jackson!
