Tevita Pome'e and TJ Crandall keep landing on the same idea when they talk about Oregon State’s defense this fall: attack.
For Pome'e, the Beavers’ defensive tackle, that mindset starts at the line of scrimmage and is about more than just getting off the ball. He likes the idea of creating a new line of scrimmage and winning the battle up front instead of waiting behind it.
"It kind of has that mentality of attack," said Pome'e, the Beavers' defensive tackle. "Being able to attack and create a new line of scrimmage -- that's what I really like about it."
He’s not measuring his work by what shows up in the box score, either. Pome'e said his standard is what he calls his "1/11th."
If the coaches want him to lag a technique, he’ll do it. If his assignment calls for two gaps, he’ll handle two gaps.
"Me just doing my job is enough for me," he said. "Even though I don't get the credit or anything like that ... that's all that matters for me."
Crandall, who works in the secondary, has seen the same growth from a different spot on the field. In the spring, Oregon State was still sorting through a new defense and new terminology. Now, he said, the group looks far more settled.
"We're all learning a new defense, so in the spring you got your bumps and bruises to start," he said. "But now as we're getting more comfortable with it, we're able to run the defense a lot smoother, be more efficient, and communicate."
That comfort has changed the pace of things. Crandall said players up front are processing faster, which opens up the rest of the defense to see the bigger picture instead of getting locked into one assignment.
The energy in camp has matched that progress. Pome'e described it as "the craziest energy or intention we talk about as a whole team."
Crandall pointed to the competition around the group as the biggest driver.
"Iron sharpens iron -- everyone's heard that saying, but it's real," he said. "You may talk a lot of trash on the field, but at the end of the day you come back and you love each other."
Crandall also said he arrived at fall camp about 10 pounds heavier than he was in the spring, a gain he credited to the strength staff. He said that added weight has already shown up in how he plays.
"I'm a lot stronger in my striking, my press is better," he said. "Just being able to be stronger and more confident in my ability to go hit bigger guys and play stronger is amazing."
Both players also singled out newcomers who have made an early impression. Crandall said freshman corner Kai Wheaton carries himself like more than a first-year player and already looks poised and advanced, even though he arrived in the spring. On the defensive line, Pome'e praised transfer Daniel Matagi for doing whatever is asked of him.
"Whatever is asked of him or needed of him, he does the job," Pome'e said. Listening to the coaches, he added, matters as much as the strength.
Oregon State opens its 2026 season Sept. 5 at Houston.
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