Oregon State’s season opener at Houston on Saturday comes with plenty of fresh faces, and a few of them are already positioned to shape the Beavers’ first big test of 2026.
At linebacker, Lake Oswego native [Layne] has earned strong reviews from the coaching staff and even been named a team captain. He arrives after posting 88 tackles and 5.5 TFLs in 2024 for Idaho, and while the middle linebacker room is described as experienced, he looks like a player squarely in the mix.
Against No. 23 Houston, he should be one of the key defensive names to track.
The offense has its own newcomer ready for the spotlight in senior transfer Newberry. Offensive coordinator Mitch Dahlen called him a "true weapon, a home-run hitter."
Newberry spent three years at the SEC level as a backup at Vanderbilt, where he rushed for 338 yards and six touchdowns, and he has said he wants to take everything he learned there into a big 2026 season with Oregon State. He’ll make his Beavers debut Saturday morning, and Newberry along with Cornell Hatcher will need to produce if Oregon State is going to have a shot at the upset.
The secondary has a player beginning to separate himself as well. Defensive coordinator Mike Macintyre said Monday that the junior from Florida has stood out in a thin safety group.
Harlem Howard, once recruited by schools including Indiana and Louisville, got his first meaningful college run last season as a redshirt sophomore and played in eleven games. He seems to have made real progress heading into 2026, and that matters for an Oregon State defensive backfield that does not have much experience.
Then there’s Atkinson, the reigning Jerry Rice award winner, who is about to take the biggest step yet. After throwing for 3,600 yards and 34 touchdowns last season at Mercer, he is set for his first FBS start.
Head coach Jamarcus Shephard has praised the sophomore quarterback’s consistency in mindset and preparation throughout week one, and he has also said Atkinson can place the football exactly where he needs it to go. Still, Oregon State will need more than just its new quarterback.
The Beavers will be counting on pass-catchers to make plays, with power four transfers Aaron Butler and Aeryn Hampton at wide receiver standing out as names to watch.
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