How Oregon State turned a raw athlete into a starting linebacker

CORVALLIS — Two years ago, Jarrel Comer was a freshman at Tallahassee Community College and had not played competitive football since middle school. Now he's a starting outside linebacker at Oregon State .

Comer played basketball at Eastside High School in Gainesville, Florida, but began college as a regular student. He looked for opportunities to play sports again and football became the opportunity at Citrus College in California.

He boarded a plane for the first time to take a cross-country flight to play football for the first time in more than four years.

"I was willing to take that chance to get to where I am today," Comer said.

He had 58 tackles (8.5 for loss), including six sacks at the California junior college and got on the radar of linebackers coach Cort Dennison, then at Idaho. Dennison kept pursuing Comer at OSU, where he signed in January and arrived during the spring.

At 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, Comer was dominating in junior college from his athleticism alone. He didn't know the finer points of playing football. Hand placement, setting the edge in the run game and pass coverage were not in his repertoire. Comer was there to pin his ears back and attack the quarterback, regardless of the down and distance.

"They didn't ask much of me," Comer said. "They told me just do what I do, use my athleticism, get to the quarterback."

What Comer lacks in experience, he makes up for in ability. He consistently ranks among OSU's fastest players in practice, which was invaluable to a team seeking more pass rush.

"His athleticism is off the charts," defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre said. "We see him grow leaps and bounds. Playing a lot more (against Montana), he will grow leaps and bounds going into this Saturday because now he's seen it, it slows down, he understands the different things."

Comer has 10 tackles thus far, including four in each of the past two games, and is already more than a situational pass rusher for the Beavers. He credits MacIntyre and edge coaches Joe Seumalo and George Frazier with helping him learn the game, particularly pass coverage.

Ideally, pairing Comer with Takari Hickle will allow OSU to generate more pressure as teams won't be able to focus all their offensive line on one side.

"Teams have to respect his speed," Hickle said. "If they don't, then he'll run right by them. He is definitely a threat in coverage and in the pass game."

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