CORVALLIS - Oregon State’s special teams room enters fall camp with a very different feel than the rest of the roster. The kicking jobs are mostly spoken for, the punter is back, and the biggest uncertainty sits in the return game.
No part of 2025 was more painful for the Beavers than the punt unit, and that’s the backdrop for this group as camp opens on August 5. AJ Winsor returns as the punter, and because he’s the only punter on the roster, that role is locked in. His protection should be better, too, which gives Oregon State a clear path to at least cleaning up a unit that was rough last season.
At kicker, Caleb Ojeda is back as a fifth-year senior, Cameron Smith returns as a junior, and Syracuse transfer Jaydn Oh joins the mix to push for playing time. The Beavers will also sort out a new long snapper, with Tug Sanford and Jonathan Zarut in the mix there. Winsor will handle holding duties as well.
The most interesting competition figures to be on the edges: who handles kickoffs and punts as returners. That’s the area most up for grabs heading into camp.
Oh is the name to watch on the kicking side. He was better on kickoffs than Ojeda last season, though that came while playing in a dome at Syracuse. Ojeda and Oh both had misses in the spring game, but that’s a tiny sample and not much to build on.
Here’s how the specialist group stacks up as camp begins:
Punter
AJ Winsor: 6-foot-2, 190 pounds
Kicker
Caleb Ojeda: 5-foot-9, 185 pounds
Jaydn Oh: 6-foot, 180 pounds
Long snapper
Tug Sanford: 6-foot, 210 pounds
Jonathan Zarut: 5-foot-11, 205 pounds
Holder
AJ Winsor: 6-foot-2, 190 pounds
Punt return
Jesse Legree: 5-foot-10, 172 pounds
Kickoff return
Tre Garrison: 5-foot-10, 190 pounds
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Shephard has not rushed the process at quarterback, and the timeline alone tells you this will linger for a while as the Beavers keep evaluating the room. Maalik Murphy, Braden Atkinson and Brady Jones are in the mix, and the eventual answer will shape not just the offenses identity but how quickly Oregon State can settle into the season with any real rhythm. [Read more 🡒]