Jaheim Patterson and Van Wells have already spent one November thinking their Oregon State careers were over. Now they’re back in the middle of a legal fight that could send them off the field for good as soon as next week, which makes Saturday’s game against Montana look a lot like a possible farewell.
For the Beavers, though, this isn’t just about what happens in court. Patterson and Wells have both earned real trust inside the locker room, and that’s showing up on the field.
Wells is positioned to start at center for the 14th time in 15 games, giving Oregon State the most experienced presence on its roster up front. His return mattered even more because of Carter Guillaume’s left foot injury.
“(Wells is) a good teammate,” left guard Nathan Elu said. “I think he’s a good O-lineman.
He’s a good friend. Him coming back definitely helped out a lot.”
Patterson has carved out his own role on defense. His nine tackles are tied for the most among Oregon State’s safeties even though he has played fewer snaps, and outside of Texas Tech’s go-ahead touchdown pass - the one in which he was in coverage - he has been one of the Beavers’ most reliable defenders.
“We all trust him,” cornerback TJ Crandall said. “We know he’s going to do his job and he can help us do our job. Whether we have him for the foreseeable future or not, we hope we can and we hope he can contribute.”
Neither player has spoken publicly since returning to Oregon State last month, but their status is tied to a hearing that resumes Tuesday morning in Benton County Circuit Court. A ruling is expected soon.
If the NCAA gets a stay in the case, Patterson and Wells would need the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to side with the players in the federal antitrust case that first opened the door for 2022 high school graduates to return for fifth seasons of eligibility.
Another possibility would be trying to join a case in another state where players have already prevailed.
No matter how the legal process plays out, Oregon State coach JaMarcus Shephard said their place in the program is already secure.
“Regardless of the outcome, they are a part of this football team,” Shephard said. “I think these are young men that feel like they are part of a family.
That to me is what I’m most concerned about, when they walk away from here, they feel like they grew in their time with me and our staff. I don’t think that any outcome could take that away from them.
“For people who I didn’t know very well to come in and jump into our culture and not miss a beat, I applaud them.”
In Other News...
Oregon States Oregon Win Looks Even Wilder After This New Report
A recent Athletic analysis of Power Conference and Notre Dame football roster budgets added a surprising new layer to Oklahoma States win over Oregon, a result that already stood out for what happened on the field. The report estimated Oklahoma States roster budget at between $15 million and $19 million, putting it near the lower end of the Power Five and below the Big 12 average, which only makes the matchup look more lopsided in hindsight.
For Oregon State fans, the bigger takeaway is how a win over a team with that kind of financial muscle can change the way the season gets remembered. Oregon has been operating with one of the sports heftiest roster investments, yet Oklahoma State still found a way to come away with the victory, a reminder that money may shape the modern game, but it does not always decide it. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Faces A New Drew Mestemaker Test After The Oregon Shock
Drew Mestemakers breakout showing against Oregon has changed the conversation around the Cowboys quarterback room, and now the attention shifts to how he handles the next week of the schedule. The established starter looks like a player who has earned more trust after that performance, but the challenge ahead is less about what he did then and more about how he follows it up when opponents have a better feel for what he brings.
Murray State offers a different kind of test for anyone preparing to face this stretch. The Racers lean on their ground game and have spent recent weeks sorting out the quarterback spot, with Collin Shannon and Jim Ogle both seeing meaningful work. Shannon has led the reps, but his status adds another layer of uncertainty to an offense already built around the run, which means Oregon State has to be ready for a game that could look a lot different snap to snap. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Just Became Part Of A College Football Reversal Nobody Saw
Oklahoma States 39-31 upset of Oregon in Stillwater turned into one of those early-season results that can reshape the conversation around a program in a hurry. The Cowboys protected a home-opener streak that now sits at 31 games and, after a rough stretch that had included a long skid against FBS opponents, suddenly looked like a team that had found some footing under coach Eric Morris after the disappointment of the Tulsa loss.
Rece Davis was among the national voices who expected the streak to finally go away, and he later acknowledged on The Pat McAfee Show that his prediction missed the mark. For Oregon State fans watching the fallout from a game like that, the bigger point is how quickly one September result can alter the tone around a team, especially when a turnaround starts to look less like a fluke and more like a response. [Read more 🡒]