One of the most closely contested position battles going on this spring is at the heart of the Beaver defense.

With two-year starter Kevin Unga departed, the Oregon State football team must find a new starting middle linebacker. Sophomore Joel Skotte — a Mountain View High School graduate — is first on the list. But coach Mike Riley said last week that Skotte is in a wide-open battle with junior Josh Williams and sophomore Jaswha James.

“There’s been improvement but there needs to be more,” linebackers coach Trent Bray said of the trio. “Joel is very young and Josh hasn’t had a ton of playing experience. They are new to it. They need to get better every day. There’s a lot on their plate.”

There is no deadline to name a starter, Bray said. He’s going to let them work for the spot deep into preseason training camp. Bray, a former all-conference middle linebacker at OSU before graduating in 2005, knows what needs to be done.

“The biggest thing is day in and day out doing the right things,” Bray said. “The guy who is the most consistent and you can trust who can do his job is the guy who will take the job. With these guys, things could change. It’s always a competition to show up every day to keep your job.”

Skotte, the Oregon Class 5A defensive player of the year as a senior, impressed coaches as a true freshman last season by playing on four of the six special teams and his work on the scout team.

For the season, he registered seven tackles, three solo, and forced a fumble.

“Last year prepared me real well,” Skotte said. “I’m glad I didn’t redshirt so I could get some in-game experience, being in a game and feeling out the game speed.”

Playing middle linebacker, however, is different than covering kicks. The game is still moving fast for him, and Skotte was disappointed with his play after the first scrimmage two weeks into spring practice.

“I need to get in the film room and work on specific things in practice,” Skotte said. “I need to get my reads right and work on tackling. I need to know what to do on specific plays.”

Williams recorded four tackles as a true freshman in 2011, spent mostly on special teams with some time on defense. But the junior from Los Angeles did not play a game in 2012.

James, a redshirt sophomore from Inglewood, Calif., has even less experience, playing in just three games last season in a mop-up role.

“We are doing well so far this spring,” Skotte said. “We are working and competing with each other.”

Before playing in games, a middle linebacker must understand the entire schemes and be a leader. As the quarterback of the defense, middle linebackers must read the offense, change the defense as needed, set the front seven’s positioning and then make the play.

“It’s tough because there’s a lot going on each play,” Skotte said. “There’s a difference in knowing that in the film room and knowing it out there when the ball is snapped.”

Middle linebacker typically leads the team in tackles, but that didn’t happen last year. The Beavers pulled the position on passing downs for an extra defensive back.

However, on first down and short yardage, OSU’s middle linebacker is still expected to be the center of the defense.

“That’s the kind of guy we have to find and develop,” Bray said. “Joel is doing a good job picking it up and Josh is doing a lot better job than he has in the past. I’m confident and comfortable where they are at now, but we are nowhere near game-ready at middle linebacker. But they are moving in the right direction.”

Met, sed duipsum dunt ad doluptat lummod et ulla feum doluptat. Ut ilisim veliquam dolorem do ea feugueros at et la ad esed dolorer aesequissim ver ilit, consequis auguercidunt ad ectem zzril ullan exer se ea conse minim zzriure tem in utat, vullan vel diam verit ipsuscil dit prat. Dui eraesed digna faciniat ip ex exerciduis ex ecte mincipsustis nostrud modiam zzriure rcinci blan ulla consed ectem dionsequisl iureetum veniam, sequis nim vent nosto core feugait, si.

Agnim veleniam, quat lobor ad magna conullandrer irillandreet euissis dolore modoloborer suscipit utpatie erostin eratetue vel ullaore ectet venim zzrit praeseq uismodo loborem ipit aciduipsum il ero ectet adignit, sustrud magna commodit prat laorpero consequip eleseniamet adigna autat ut niam zzrit, vullum vendrero od tisit nim il dolortin utat ipsum velisci liquis enibh euguero con ullumsandio erciduis auguero dit in hendignibh ex eumsan exer in henibh exercilla facin eros nim dolor alisis num in ulput iure tie vel ectem venit aut il ulla feuisiscilla faccum do odolor sustion sequipit autetum dunt nos alissim iure dit lortion sequipit, quis augait aliscidunt vulputat, vel utet num delissim et volut veniatue moloborperos nullaor eetuer sumsandre te vel ulpute minis alit erci blan utat ullan ut dolor suscilla con vullums andreet alit, verostrud dunt ullandre conse volorpe rcipsusto

— Bulletin staff report

Next up

Oregon State spring game

• When: Today, 7 p.m.

• TV: Pac-12 Network