Francis glad to be back in backfield

A collective shudder hit Oregon State's campus whenever star tailback Yvenson Bernard was injured the past several seasons.

The perception was that Oregon State couldn't win without his slashing runs and sure receiving hands, and that the players behind him were to be used only in case of emergency.

That held true with the exception of senior Matt Sieverson's out-of-body experience (142 yards rushing) in the Civil War game against Oregon last season.

Now, four months after the Emerald Bowl and five spring practices into preparation for the 2008 season, Beavers coach Mike Riley shakes his head at how things have changed.

Bernard is gone after his senior season -- perhaps to the NFL -- but the Beavers have a potential stable of running backs, beginning with 6-foot-1, 236-pound redshirt freshman Ryan McCants, a bruiser with speed who will be plugged in as Bernard's replacement.

Perhaps the most versatile among them, however, will be El Camino College transfer Jeremy Francis, who looks like the probable backup but can play tailback, fullback or H-back. His receiving skills will earn him playing time as a check-off receiver on third down, and he can block, too, but still needs to show OSU coaches that he can pick up blitzing linebackers in a Pacific-10 Conference game.

Also, Patrick Fuller, a senior-to-be whose ups and downs in the program look like a Dow Jones chart, is making a surprising impression this spring. "He looks as good as he ever has," Riley said.

And in the fall, Parade All-American Jacquizz Rodgers arrives, and Rodgers didn't sign with the Beavers to redshirt. He expects to play.

So Riley has options at tailback.

A lot of them.

Francis is listed at 6-1 and 220 pounds and he looks eerily like Bernard -- right down to body size, hair style, running style, blocking ability and receiving ability.

"I've heard that," Francis said. "That's an honor, because Yvenson did some great things here. Those are big shoes to fill."

Yvenson Bernard grew up in Boca Raton, Fla., and dreamed of playing for Miami.

Francis went to high school in Winter Park, Fla., near Orlando, wanting to play for the Florida Gators. But instead he signed with Wake Forest to play safety.

Francis didn't qualify academically, and he wound up at El Camino, where many talented players come to restore their grade-point average and work their way into Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

Former OSU and current Buffalo Bills linebacker Keith Ellison came to Corvallis from El Camino. So did Beavers starting quarterback Lyle Moevao. And OSU is crossing its fingers that All-America defensive end Simi Kuli makes it from El Camino to Corvallis in the fall.

In truth, not getting into Wake Forest may turn into a blessing for Francis.

The first thing El Camino coach John Featherstone did was scrap the idea of Francis playing strong safety.

"I went back to playing running back," Francis said. "I felt more comfortable there."

The top running back at El Camino was Tavares Pressley, who signed with Florida State. El Camino had a long line of good backs. When I came into the game, I did a lot of the receiving," Francis said. "I ran the ball a little bit, too."

Riley acknowledges that, statistically, Francis didn't exactly jump off the El Camino roster, considering he had 269 yards rushing and two touchdowns to go with 180 yards receiving.

"People probably wondered about us signing him, but we think this is a pretty special guy," said Riley, who has been impressed at how seamlessly Francis has fit with his new team.

"The things we thought about him are pretty much true," Riley said. "He's a versatile guy who can catch the ball and run easily. . . . I think he brings a lot to us."

Spring standout

Corvallis suits Francis, although he might have be played for Mississippi if the Rebels hadn't fired coach Ed Orgeron in November.

"I thought about Ole Miss," Francis said, "but everything changed when they fired (Orgeron) and, really, Oregon State was always my first choice. . . . I love the coaching staff, it's a good campus, and being in a small town fits my personality. I'm a laid-back kind of person. I don't want to be in a big city."

Francis might be a Bernard look-alike, but he appears to be faster.

Francis said he ran 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard-dash while he was training in Florida, waiting to enroll at OSU.

"Honestly, I don't know how fast (Francis) is," Riley said.

Fast enough to make a splash in spring ball, and make the Beavers glad they signed him.

"I took a different route to get here, but I'm here," Francis said.

He said it doesn't bother him that he was listed behind McCants and Fuller on the pre-spring depth chart.

"I didn't want to come here thinking anything was going to be handed to me," he said. "I knew I was going to have to work for it.

"But being put in pressure situations has always brought out the best in my ability."

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