HOLLYWOOD -- There are a lot of things that need to happen for Oregon State to turn into a contender.

The Beavers went winless a year ago, with their offense ranking last in the Pac-12 and their defense ranking second to last.

The Beavers have a new defensive coordinator, they have a new offensive coordinator, a new starting quarterback and their old starting quarterback - Seth Collins - will have to find productivity in his new versatile role.

But one of the most important things for Oregon State is the progression of Victor Bolden.

In short, head coach Gary Andersen said, his senior receiver needs to become a star.

"He needs to be a difference maker in this league," Andersen said during his opening remarks Friday at the Pac-12 Media Days. "I believe he will be a difference maker in this league. He holds himself at a high regard of being a tremendous player within our league, and hopefully elite within the country, and that's his expectation. If we can get him the ball the right way, he should do some fantastic things."

There have certainly been flashes in Bolden's three years at Oregon State. In 2014, with Sean Mannion as his quarterback, Bolden flourished. He caught 72 passes for 798 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He looked like a player who was ready to take the leap from good to great during his junior year.

Like the rest of the Beavers, however, Bolden had a down season in 2015. With Oregon State struggling to find consistency at quarterback, Bolden caught just 46 balls for 461 yards. It was nearly half the production from a year prior.

"It was disappointing, the way the season went," Bolden said. "We didn't execute the way we wanted to."

That's hopefully changing, Bolden said. The California-native noted the mentality the team has going into the second year of the Andersen-era. From the top down, the team is ready to work hard, Bolden said. And for Bolden, that means more actual work on the football field.

After returning 60 kickoffs his freshman year, Bolden has returned just 23 over the last two seasons. His one punt return a year ago was short of the four he fielded as a sophomore. Andersen said Bolden will be more involved in the return game this season, putting him in a place where his play-making ability can shine.

"That's something that Victor definitely wants," Andersen said. "He'll be involved in the punt returns, kickoff returns. He's shown what he can do in that setting."

Bolden is just one piece of the puzzle, though. The Beavers will need to get better across the board, and much of his offensive production may come down to how well Utah State transfer Darell Garretson adjusts to the offense.

"We're just going to continue to work hard," Bolden said. "Coach tells us to live in the hard. And that's what we've been doing. We've been living in the hard and grinding."

-- Tyson Alger

talger@oregonian.com

@tysonalger