CORVALLIS – Matt Sieverson isn’t the biggest, strongest, fastest or most athletic football player at Oregon State.

But he may be the most honest.

Beaver players and coaches huddling with media members Sunday evening at OSU’s Truax Center all talked about how they were itching to get fall camp started.

Sieverson sounded a little less eager and a lot more candid.

”Let’s just say,” he said, grinning, ”that I’m super-excited for the SEASON to start.”

Of course, while he confesses that he’s not exactly thrilled about the practices-and-meetings grind that for college football players is the month of August, Sieverson recognizes that it’s the workouts leading up to the Sept. 3 opener against Portland State that provide the best opportunity to upgrade his status.

Sieverson is a 2004 graduate of Bend High School, where as a senior running back he rushed for more than 2,700 yards and was named Oregon Class 4A offensive player of the year. But it appears that the Beavers like him better on defense: Currently, he is listed No. 3 on the depth chart at free safety.

He also expects to see considerable action on the OSU special teams.

Last season, as a true freshman, Sieverson was surprised to be called into action almost right from the start.

”I was 99 percent sure I was going to redshirt,” Sieverson said. ”But (head coach Mike Riley) thought I was ready to play.”

So when the Beavers kicked off their 2004 season against the defending national co-champion LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, La., there was Sieverson – eyes wide and mouth agape – running out of the tunnel with his new OSU teammates at jam-packed Tiger Stadium, aka ”Death Valley.”

”Here I am, 18 years old, going down to play the national champions before about 100,000 people (91,828, to be exact), and – wow – it kinda blew my mind,” he recalled. ”I definitely knew I wasn’t playing high school ball anymore.

”I know it’s something I’ll never forget.”

Nor will Beaver fans soon forget the heartbreaking 22-21 overtime loss to the Tigers, who at the time were ranked No. 4 in the country. Sieverson didn’t get into that game, but before long he had worked his way to the top of the depth chart on OSU’s kickoff- and punt-return teams. He had even risen to No. 2 at free safety – before he became ill.

Diagnosed with mononucleosis, Sieverson missed out on the Beavers’ strong finish, which included a 50-21 drubbing of rival Oregon in the Civil War game and an equally convincing victory over Notre Dame in the Insight Bowl.

”Missing all that,” he said, ”was pretty disappointing.”

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Oregon State graduated some high-profile players from last year’s 7-5 team, including quarterback Derek Anderson and defensive end Bill Swancutt, both drafted into the NFL in April. Gone, too, is Mitch Meeuwsen, who in his career as the Beavers’ free safety became OSU’s all-time leader in interceptions with 20.

Meeuwsen’s departure opens the door for a handful of younger players to compete for his old job – among them, Matt Sieverson.

As fall camp opened this week, Sieverson was listed third at free safety behind Lamar Herron, a sophomore, and Al Afalava, a true freshman.

Though he earned a varsity letter last season and said he ”learned a lot,” Sieverson noted that in some ways he feels like a freshman all over.

”Like I’m starting over,” he said, ”and having to prove myself again.”

But he knows that even the limited experience he gained in 2004 was valuable.

”At first last year, I didn’t really feel like I was ready to play at this level,” Sieverson admitted. ”Everyone out there, they’re all really good athletes, all big, strong, quick guys.

”But I’ve put on about 10 pounds (up to about 215 on his 6-foot-2-inch frame), and with that added size and strength, I think I’ll be more confident out there this year,” he said.

”As opposed to last year,” he continued, ”when I was just trying to keep from getting my head knocked off, to tell you the truth.”

There’s that honesty again.