CORVALLIS - There is a new way of looking at how the special teams will shape up during training camp for the Oregon State football team this year.

Coach Mike Riley has the benefit of a stronger recruiting class than usual, so he's already said up to eight true freshmen may not redshirt because of the significant playing time they could receive on the various coverage and returns teams.

Earlier in Riley's tenure true freshmen were used on special teams because they needed to give the regulars a break due to the lack of depth.

Now there's depth at the key positions of linebacker, defensive back and receiver, so forcing true freshmen to play isn't needed. Riley, however, may want to use them to maximize his team's potential.

"There are freshman players who can (be an) impact on special teams play," Riley said. "For me, a freshman is either a starter or a redshirt. There's no in-between. I will look at a freshman who plays on all the teams as a starter. He's on the field and impacting the team."

Riley and special teams coordinator Bruce Read will study how a select few freshman perform during the next four weeks to determine if they will play.

Those freshmen are linebacker Rueben Robinson, cornerback Rashaad Reynolds, safety Zeke Sanders, safety Jordan Poyer, safety Dax Dilbeck, cornerback Sean Martin, wide receiver Markus Wheaton and running back Ashton Jefferson.

Robinson may also be the backup middle linebacker and Jefferson the No. 3 running back, so working them into special teams gives them more responsibility than just a handful of plays during games.

The rest are candidates to be blockers and tacklers, or extra returners due to their speed. Wheaton is considered one of the fastest players on the team.

Overall, the special teams are in a comfortable situation since all the specialists are in place. It's all about fine-tuning each area.

Taylor Kavanaugh is a seasoned punt returner with a career 6.3-yard average who filled in for Sammie Stroughter when he was injured the last two years. Kavanaugh isn't known for his long runs like Stroughter, so James Rodgers will share the punt return duties.

Rodgers is back as the primary kickoff returner. He averaged 24.8 yards and scored a touchdown, and was named all-conference last season. Patrick Henderson, who had a 28.1-yard average, returns as the secondary returner.

"They all did a nice job, so that picture looks good," Riley said of his returners.

Justin Kahut enters his second season as the place-kicker, with long snapper Marcus Perry and Kavanaugh, the holder for a third year.

Kahut has a powerful leg that connected on 16 of 24 field goal attempts with a long of 47 yards.

Nagging leg injuries created inconsistency, and an offseason MRI revealed no major damage.

"And that helped him a lot," Riley said of the MRI. "There was a what if something could be wrong. So I don't anticipate anything chronic or long-term."

Johnny Hekker is back as the punter. He averaged 39.7 yards with nine punts of at least 50 yards his first year. His breakthrough game came at the Sun Bowl with a 45-yard average on 10 punts to be named the special teams player of the game.

Ryan Allen nearly took Hekker's job midseason when he struggled, so Riley plans to keep the competition between them.

"In all fairness there's competition, and at the same time I think Hekker has a ton of potential in front of him," Riley said.

And what might be considered a drastic change with a new coordinator in Read isn't. He worked with the Beavers in 1997-98 and 2004-06 with Riley.

While he was gone for two years with the Dallas Cowboys, Riley maintained what, and how, Read wants things done.

"Getting Bruce back was a good thing," Riley said. "The system, Bruce put it in and we continued that," Riley said. "So Bruce can build on what he initially put in."