Oregon State is leaving itself room to make a move before fall term begins, and that could include a familiar name.
JaMarcus Shephard said the Beavers kept open spots on their 105-man roster, which was submitted Friday, so the team could potentially add players over the next 16 days. That includes former running back Anthony Hankerson, if that path ends up making sense for the program.
“There may be opportunities for us to try to enhance the team as we move forward over the next few weeks,” Shephard said. “That’s something that we are looking at. I specifically put that on the plate of our general manager (Eron Hodges) to see if that’s something that fits, especially with having some of these season-ending injuries.”
Oregon State’s online roster currently lists 108 players, though multiple designated student-athletes do not count against the 105-player limit and several players with season-ending injuries are also exempt. Shephard said Monday that the Beavers have several season-ending injuries.
Hankerson has been the most talked-about possibility over the last month after he tried to return to college following his release by the Seattle Seahawks. He led Oregon State in rushing the past two seasons, and last week he was among the former NFL players granted an injunction by a Louisiana judge, clearing the way for them to be eligible for fifth seasons of college football.
That legal ruling drew national attention because of LSU’s signings of Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris, both of whom had briefly been on NFL preseason rosters. LSU left Wright and Harris off its 105-man roster, while coach Lane Kiffin said he also kept spots open.
The Pac-12 remains one of only three FBS conferences that has not adopted a policy preventing schools from signing former pro athletes. Shephard said last week that Oregon State was doing its “due diligence” on the 16 players involved in the Louisiana case.
The Beavers already have depth at running back, but the season-opening loss to Houston showed they were unable to get much going on the ground. Oregon State also has thinner numbers up front after guard Carter Guillame suffered a left-foot injury and is day-to-day. The team is also dealing with injuries at receiver and in the secondary, which could make late additions more important as the roster takes shape.
In Other News...
Oregon State Could Catch Tulsa QB At The Worst Possible Time
Drew Mestemakers last outing was the kind of performance a quarterback wants to flush immediately. He called it the most embarrassing he has experienced, and the tape backed up the frustration: he completed 59% of his passes for 241 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions, while earning a career-low Pro Football Focus grade of 50.9.
Oregon State now gets the version of Mestemaker that is trying to rebound, and the timing could hardly be trickier. The concern is less about the box score than the matchup ahead, with Oregons defensive front bringing heat and forcing a quarterback who has already shown vulnerability when the pocket starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Already Has One Problem Oregon State Could Expose
Texas Tech opened the season with a comfortable 33-10 win over Abilene Christian, building a 17-0 halftime lead and giving up little beyond a late kickoff return touchdown. The Red Raiders were solid enough to control the game, but their offense still left a little on the table in the red zone, where drives kept ending with field goals instead of touchdowns.
That matters for Oregon State because the Beavers are trying to clean up the kind of issues that showed up in their own 33-20 loss at Houston, where the run game and pass protection never really found traction. JaMarcus Shephard has already pointed to the need for improvement, and if the Beavers can force Texas Tech into longer, more demanding possessions, those stalled red-zone trips could be the opening they need to hang around. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Opens Shephard Era With Doubters Already Piling On
The second week of the 2026-27 college football season already brings a harsh welcome for JaMarcus Shephard, whose home debut as Oregon State coach comes against No. 12 Texas Tech at Reser Stadium. It is the kind of early-season measuring stick that can define the opening stretch of a new era, and the outside view of the matchup has not offered the Beavers much encouragement. Texas Tech has drawn the stronger backing from sportsbooks and analysts alike, with the Red Raiders seen as the more complete team entering the game.
For Oregon State, the challenge is not just opening Shephards tenure in front of a home crowd, but doing it against a program that statistical models and preseason expectations have already placed well ahead. The Beavers will have the benefit of a fresh start and the energy that comes with a new coach on the sideline, but the early consensus is clear enough: they will need to turn a heavily tilted matchup into something far more competitive than the projections suggest. [Read more 🡒]