Tag: Akili Arnold

Lincoln Riley sees USC’s two transfers from Oregon State as team leaders

Lincoln Riley praised the new players on USC’s defense who transferred in after Jonathan Smith left Oregon State.

Lincoln Riley said on Monday evening that two new USC football players who transferred in from Oregon State in the offseason are showing great leadership qualities.

“We’ve brought in some guys from a couple of other schools that I think have shown the capability to be outstanding leaders because they have been at their old places,” Riley said. “You think about Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and Akili Arnold, guys that were leaders at their old programs.”

It is notable that Riley talked about the leadership qualities of outsiders, not players who were on the 2023 roster. This could be seen as a simple compliment of the Arnolds. The stepbrothers came from Corvallis for a chance to play at USC after Beaver coach Jonathan Smith left for Michigan State. However, it might also be a subtle hint that players on the 2023 USC defense who are still in the program did not display or earn elevated leadership status. At any rate, USC hopes the Arnolds live up to the billing and lead a defensive revolution for the Trojans in 2024.

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USC grabs yet another elite Oregon State defensive player in the portal

USC continues to pull in quality defensive players from Oregon State.

The diminished position and status of Oregon State football in conference realignment has created an opportunity for other schools. With Oregon State being homeless in 2024 — no longer part of a Power Five conference due to the death of the Pac-12 and OSU’s inability to land a spot in the Big 12, Big Ten, or ACC — the Beavers have a downgraded program with a less attractive schedule. Some high-profile Oregon State players are naturally thinking about jumping ship, especially since former coach Jonathan Smith did precisely that by going to Michigan State.

Oregon State players are searching for new landing spots. USC has now grabbed a second Oregon State defensive star in a 12-hour span. Saturday night, the Trojans claimed linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold. Sunday morning, Akili Arnold — Easton’s brother — committed to USC.

The Trojans are building quality and depth on defense. What’s especially exciting here is that the Arnold brothers are seasoned, proven defensive players, not projects who will need a lot of teaching and development. With a strong defensive coaching staff being assembled at USC, the recipe for a strong season in 2024 is becoming apparent.

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Former Oregon State DB Akili Arnold receives USC offer

This would help USC a lot.

USC has offered former Oregon State defensive back Akili Arnold.

Arnold is coming off a season in which he finished fourth on the team in tackles with 60, while also adding two tackles for loss and half a sack.

He also had 6 pass deflections, 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery. The fifth-year senior will have just one season of eligibility remaining.

According to Pro Football Focus, Arnold was Oregon State’s third-highest-graded defensive player for the 2023 regular season at 79.9 as a safety. His best quality was coverage, in which he graded at 85.7. Opposing receivers caught 54% of passes when guarded by Arnold (19-of-35) for 177 yards. He also missed just six tackles in 664 snaps.

USC can really use a player of Arnold’s quality in 2024, when the Trojans move to the Big Ten. Crucially, the fact that Arnold has played at Oregon State will make him aware of what Oregon, Washington and UCLA can do. USC would have a Pac-12 player who would already have ample knowledge of the other Pac-12 schools which will join USC in the Big Ten next year.

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Texas A&M is set to host multiple former Oregon State defenders next weekend

It has been announced that Texas A&M will host several Oregon State transfers next weekend.

Oregon State has become a popular transfer portal destination for new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko, as three former Beavers, including cornerback Jermod McCoy, safety Akili Arnold, and linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold will all visit College Station next weekend, as Elko is determined to add more depth and experience to the Aggies defense ahead of the 2024 season.

In less than a month on the job, Elko has already landed his first commitment in the form of former Kansas State cornerback Will Lee III. Still, more additions are needed to solidify the secondary, as five starters in the backfield are slated to depart, including senior safety Demani Richardson.

If the Aggies were to secure both McCoy and Arnold, the cornerback room would be set heading into the off-season. At linebacker, star junior LB Edgerrin Cooper will likely enter the 2024 NFL Draft barring a change of heart, meaning that freshman All-American LB Taurean York will take over as one of the proven defensive leaders, but outside of York and incoming junior Martrell Harris, more starting level depth is needed.

On the season, Akili Arnold recorded 62 tackles and two interceptions. In comparison, Mascarenas-Arnold accumulated 106 tackles, two sacks, and two interceptions, and both served as team captains for Oregon State during the 2023 season.

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Auburn offers two Oregon State defensive backs

Former Oregon State defensive backs Akili Arnold and Jermond McCoy are the latest members of the transfer portal to earn offers from Auburn.

To this point in the transfer portal window, Auburn’s offers have been headlined by wide receivers. As the week continues, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and his staff are working on defensive additions.

[autotag]Akili Arnold[/autotag] and [autotag]Jermond McCoy[/autotag], two former members of Oregon State’s secondary, have received offers from Auburn according to their respective X (formerly Twitter) accounts.

Both players were among Oregon State’s leading tacklers this season. Arnold was the fourth-highest tackler with 60 stops. McCoy made 31 stops, which was the 10th-highest on the team. Both recorded two interceptions for the Beavers’ defense this season.

According to Pro Football Focus, Arnold was Oregon State’s third-highest-graded defensive player for the 2023 regular season at 79.9 as a safety. His best quality was coverage, which he graded at 85.7. Opposing receivers caught 54% of passes when guarded by Arnold (19-of-35) for 177 yards. He also missed six tackles in 664 snaps.

McCoy, a cornerback, played 410 snaps in 11 games this season. When being covered by McCoy, opposing receivers caught 27-of-47 passes for 420 yards.

Auburn is looking to replace three key members of its secondary: [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag], [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], and [autotag]DJ James[/autotag]. All three have accepted invitations to compete in the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile on Saturday, Feb. 3.

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