Oregon State’s edge group enters fall camp with one clear anchor and a lot still to sort out.
That anchor is Takari Hickle, and the Beavers know exactly how much they need from him. Oregon State needs a bigger pass rush, and Hickle is the most proven piece it has in that department. The fifth-year senior stood out in spring as a disruptive force, and the expectation now is that he has to be even more of a problem for opposing offenses when camp opens on August 5.
Beyond Hickle, the biggest question is who settles in alongside him.
The competition for those edge snaps will be one of the most important things to watch in camp, with Ish Findlayter, Jarrel Comer and Adrian Onyiego all in the mix for a starting job. Findlayter arrives from Duquesne, while Comer and Onyiego are junior college transfers who need to help build out the depth chart quickly. Oregon State also needs that group to hold up not just for this season, but for the longer view as well.
The Beavers return a handful of other names in the room: senior Findlayter, junior Comer, junior Adrian Onyiego, junior Will Haverland, sophomore Niklas Fisher and sophomore Logan Knapp. Departed from the group are Andy Alfieri, Nikko Taylor, Walker Harris, Bleu Dantzler, who transferred to Oregon, Shamar Meikle, who transferred to USF, Zakaih Saez, who transferred to UConn, and Kai Wallin, who transferred to San Diego State.
The production still has to climb. Even after more than doubling their output from 2024, the Beavers need more sacks, plain and simple. Hickle had two last season, and that total accounted for one third of Oregon State’s returning production.
If a younger player ends up making the jump, Logan Knapp is the one to watch.
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, Hickle is the headliner of the group. Findlayter checks in at 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, while Comer is listed as an outside linebacker at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds.
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Oregon States Strongest Defensive Unit Still Has One Camp Tension
Oregon States linebacker room enters fall camp as the clearest strength on the defense, and it comes with the kind of depth and experience that usually gives a staff some early comfort. Raesjon Davis and Dylan Lane are back in the mix, and the group has the look of one that can set the tone for the rest of the unit while a few other returners and a transfer push for roles.
Aiden Sullivan is the name that could shape the whole picture once camp gets rolling, because his presence is expected to give the Beavers a critical defensive voice after time away. Even with the top end of the room settled, there is still real competition underneath it, including a battle for one of the spots on the two-deep that will keep the group from getting too comfortable before the season arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon States Fall Camp Is Already Reshaping The Beavers Roster
Fall camp opened with Oregon State in a much better spot health-wise than it had been for much of the spring, and that mattered as the Beavers got their first real look at a roster that has already been tweaked in a few places. Most of the players who were unavailable for the spring game were back on the field, giving coach JaMarcus Shephard a fuller picture of the group as preparations ramp up and the staff begins sorting out who fits where.
Along with the injury updates, Shephard also noted noticeable weight changes across several players, the kind of offseason shifts that usually tell you a team spent the summer with a plan. Add in the jersey number changes for both returners and newcomers, and it was clear this camp is doing more than just getting Oregon State back into football shape, it is quietly redrawing parts of the roster before the real competition even starts. [Read more 🡒]