CORVALLIS -- Bright Ugwoegbu took his spot next to defensive coordinator Kevin Clune, holding a play card while his Oregon State teammates ran through another 11-on-11 session without him.
It's all Ugwoegbu can do right now, as the junior starting outside linebacker continues to recover from a leg injury that forced him to miss the stretch run of the 2016 season. Ditto for Joah Robinett and Shemar Smith, who are also sidelined with injuries.
That presents a prime opportunity for Kee Whetzel and Hamilcar Rashed, two redshirt freshmen getting a heavy dose of practice reps for a Beavers defense aiming to improve at stopping the run and rushing the passer in 2017.