Oregon State football recruiting: scouting take on running back Deltron Sands

It's a new era at Oregon State, but the Beavers might have a familiar look at running back. From Ken Simonton to Yvenson Bernard to Jacquizz Rodgers, they've had some smaller running backs that ended up being very good players for them. They are obviously hoping that trend continues with their most recent commit, Deltron Sands.

Sands comes from St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the top football programs in the state of Florida. What kind of player are the Beavers getting in Sands?

Deltron Sands - 3 star running back

Despite being listed at only 5'9" and weighing 180, Sands shows great balance. He does a nice job of staying up after contact. He also shows good feet when planting and cutting that help him not only make the right cut after he reads the hole, but also can make some tacklers miss in space.

My only concern with his size would be whether he could hold up to being an every down back, because he certainly plays a lot more physical than his size would indicate. He will come up and block in pass protection and runs with good leg drive to break tackles from much bigger players. He also flashes good hands in the passing game as well.

Other than his size, the other main critique I have about Sands is that he's not overly explosive and doesn't have great long speed. He's much more likely to be a doubles hitter than hit a homerun at the college level.

Even acknowledging that, Sands has the tools to be a third down back at the very least because of the way he catches the ball and his willingness to block. He's a good football player and a nice late pickup for the Beavers.