The Oregon State football team has some gargantuan shoes to fill at running back.

Literally.

The Beavers lost three of their top four ball carriers — a trio that weighed over 700 pounds — off last year’s squad in Ryan Nall (6-foot-2, 237), Thomas Tyner (5-11, 232) and Trevorris Johnson (6-0, 237). The three bruisers combined to rush for 1,213 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Despite having just five running backs on the spring roster, first-year coach Jonathan Smith does not seem too concerned about the team’s depth at the position.

“I like where those guys are at,” Smith said after Friday’s practice.

“We’ve got some guys that can carry the ball, and some things change when you get the pads on,” he continued. “So I’ll be very curious to see those guys the next couple of days when we get some pads on. … That’s when we’ll know more.”

Artavis Pierce is the Beavers’ lone back with substantial experience in the Pac-12.

The rock-solid 5-11, 201-pound junior started four games last year when Nall was injured, finishing with 68 carries for 323 yards and a touchdown. Pierce also caught 15 passes for 128 yards.

Nall, who declared for the NFL draft in January, is seventh on OSU’s all-time rushing touchdowns list (24) and eighth in career rush yards (2,216). While excited to be the team’s No. 1 option, Pierce believes each back will play a role in replacing Nall’s production.

“I’m not going to get every rep, and I feel like the guys behind me are going to do a great job as well,” Pierce said. “We aren’t going to skip a beat if I’m out of the game.”

Redshirt freshman B.J. Baylor and sophomores Calvin Tyler, Christian Wallace and Hunter Mattson are all fighting for carries.

Mattson, a third-year walk-on from Corvallis High, is right in the mix.

“We’re all here competing,” Tyler said. “Hunter Mattson, he’s a walk-on but he’s good. He plays like a scholarship player. All of us are great.”

Wallace spent his first two seasons in college at defensive back before switching to offense this spring.

A four-star recruit out of Texas’ Sealy High, Wallace primarily played running back during his prep career but was recruited by Gary Andersen and staff to be a defender. He is happy to be on the other side of the ball.

“We had a lot of DBs, and I played running back in high school so I was like, ‘Let me try something new,’” said Wallace, who certainly looks the part at 6-1, 222 pounds. “The only reason why I was on defense was because I thought it would be an easier fit. With offense, I just have a lot more fun there.”

Wallace said there were no discussions with the old staff about a switch to offense. He now feels back at home.

“I just find it was easier, actually,” Wallace said. “It’s just natural to me, I guess.”

Tyler, a fellow Texan, is no stranger to regime changes.

The 5-8, 193-pound back played under three different head coaches in high school. He is learning his third offensive system in three years.

“But hopefully it’s stable now,” said Tyler, who had three carries for 11 yards as a true freshman last season. “It doesn’t take long for me to learn the playbook.”

Smith praised the soft-spoken Pierce for leading by example on and off the field.

Pierce also believes new running backs coach Michael Pitre is a stabilizing figure for the young group. Pitre was Maurice Jones-Drew’s blocking fullback at UCLA and a three-year letter winner.

“He’s a great guy,” Pierce said of Pitre. “I feel like he’s engaging to the drills and the things that we do. He’s a great leader as well, like if we need anything we can shoot him a call. If we need to go over the playbook, we can shoot him a text.”

OSU’s scheme is still being constructed by Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren.

Many of the running backs’ responsibilities have remained the same, Pierce and Tyler said. Right now, it is all about competing on every play.

“I feel like we’re still getting into the groove of it,” Pierce added. “(The coaches) don’t know what we can do because it’s a new staff, so day by day they are going to see what we can do.”