CORVALLIS - Jaheim Patterson and Van Wells are already making their presence felt back at Oregon State, and the Beavers are trying to balance the upside of that experience with the uncertainty hanging over both players’ eligibility.
Both fifth-year seniors are back on the practice field after the Colorado district court injunction opened the door for athletes who began college in 2022 to receive a fifth year of eligibility. The Tenth Circuit is reviewing the NCAA’s appeal, and a ruling could come as soon as this week.
For now, Patterson and Wells are with the Beavers at Reser Stadium and in meetings, learning new terminology and absorbing the playbook as they work their way back into the mix.
“I’m excited about what those two guys can really do to improve this football team,” Beavers coach JaMarcus Shephard said. “But we’re taking all the precautions to make sure that we don’t bang one of the before we get to the first game. We don’t want to put them in a position where they can’t go out there and be their best.”
Patterson, who posted 66 tackles, two interceptions and four pass breakups last season, has settled in quickly on the defensive side and is already pushing the safeties around him to sharpen up.
“He’s putting a lot of pressure on those guys to know exactly each and every alignment an detail at their position,” Shephard said.
Wells got to campus a day after Patterson last week and was already working with the second-team offensive line at center early Monday. Shephard said the staff is focused on getting his conditioning where it needs to be while he continues to pick up the offense at a fast clip.
“He’s got to get his conditioning going so we’re trying to do that to help him get in shape so that he can be prepared when the time comes for him to go into the game,” Shephard said. “He’s a guy that already is picking up the offense at a very, very rapid pace.”
That legal uncertainty makes the next few days tricky for Oregon State. If the Tenth Circuit sides with the NCAA, every rep Patterson and Wells take now comes at the expense of someone else on the roster. But if the Beavers don’t give them enough work, especially with the first unit, they risk leaving them underprepared.
“It’s good for us now to see if there’s an improvement by having those guys in the game,” Shephard said. “We’re going to give them some first-team reps, but not all the first-team reps.”
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Coach JaMarcus Shephard pointed to Nolands grasp of the offense as a big reason he keeps showing up in the right spots, and he singled out Laynes playmaking as a sign of how quickly momentum can change in camp. He also praised cornerback Kai Wheaton for the progress he has made and the way he handled the scrimmage, another encouraging sign for a secondary trying to sort itself out before the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]