Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion will return to school for his senior season, making the announcement Monday through his Twitter account.
Mannion is a prototypical pocket passer with good arm strength and size at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds. However, he has struggled badly when faced with pressure, as indicated by his dramatic downturn in productivity over the second half of the season.
After throwing for 29 touchdowns against just three interceptions in the first seven games, Mannion had seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions as the Beavers closed the regular season with a five-game losing streak.
Mannion will also have to adjust to life without wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who will enter the 2014 NFL Draft. Cooks set new Pac-12 records by catching 128 balls for 1,730 yards, on the receiving end for 16 of Mannion's 37 touchdown passes.
But if Mannion can cut down on interceptions for an entire season, he could put himself on the same level as fellow Pac-12 standouts Marcus Mariota of Oregon and Brett Hundley of UCLA and onto the radar of NFL scouts.
Follow Dan Greenspan on Twitter @DanGreenspan.
