Oregon State isn’t rushing the quarterback decision, and JaMarcus Shephard made that clear as fall camp opened Wednesday morning at Reser Stadium.
The Beavers plan to wait until no sooner than Aug. 22 to name a starter, giving the staff two fall scrimmages and another two weeks of practice before the season opener at Houston. That timeline has been the plan since spring practice, and Shephard said nothing has changed.
“Eventually we do want to name one and give him the opportunity to take the first-team reps with the first team offensive line,” Shephard said. “Even at those times we still are going to have him take some with the second team.”
On paper, the competition includes returning starter Maalik Murphy along with Mercer transfer Braden Atkinson and Western Michigan transfer Brady Jones. Still, anyone who saw the spring game could tell Murphy brings a different level of arm talent and athleticism.
But Shephard said the staff is going to let the process play out, and the decision won’t be made on reputation alone. Oregon State is tracking the kind of details that usually decide quarterback battles: how often a player puts the ball in jeopardy, turnovers and bad reads.
“We look at all of that and we keep a tally of it,” Shephard said. “We’re very transparent with our whole football team, to the point that we’ve put this information up in front of all of our offense so they see how it’s going all throughout camp. So they know who’s going to probably be the quarterback based on the data that they have.
“If they tell you, I’ll have a big problem.”
In Other News...
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 State Has A Pass Rush Battle Fans Need To Watch
As Oregon State heads toward fall camp, the edge defender group is shaping up as one of the more interesting position battles on the roster. Takari Hickle gives the Beavers a clear veteran anchor at the spot, and with his fifth-year senior experience, he enters camp as the most proven pass rusher back in the fold.
The real intrigue comes from the competition behind him, where Ish Findlayter, Jarrel Comer and Adrian Onyiego will be fighting for starting roles and snaps. For a defense that wants more pressure off the edge and a deeper pass-rush pipeline beyond 2026, this is a spot worth watching closely once camp opens. [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 🡒]