Editors Note: This story has been updated as of Feb. 2 for the most recent transfers

After a 2-10 season in 2025, the Oregon State University football roster will be looking very different in 2026. 

The Beavers lost 35 players and added 21 before the college football transfer portal closed on Jan. 16. 

Even though players can no longer leave their current teams, names without a team can still join a new one or rejoin their old one. Oregon State could still add more transfers beyond its initial class. 

And players on the football rosters of Indiana University or the University of Miami, the two teams that played in the College Football Playoff National Championship Jan 19., have an extra window to enter the portal from Jan. 20-24.  

With a new head coach in JaMarcus Shephard entering the 2026 season, the Beavers underwent more roster turnover than usual. In 2025 the team added 14 players and lost 15. 

“I pride myself in trying to do the right things for the university. I expect (the players) to do the same thing,” Shephard said of his transfer portal recruitment strategy at his introductory press conference Dec. 2. “So there’s a lot of things that you have to make decisions on pretty quickly, but at the same time, I want to take my time and make sure that we get the right people.” 

Oregon State saw its most gains and losses at the wide receiver position, losing eight and adding four through the portal. One of those departures was senior wide receiver Trent Walker, who led the Beavers in receiving yards in both 2024 and 2025. In 2026, he’ll be playing for the University of Houston Cougars. 

However, two of Oregon State’s five additions from Power Four schools were at the wide receiver position: Aaron Butler (formerly University of Texas) and Aeryn “Bubba” Hampton, who was with Shephard at Alabama when the latter was the wide receivers coach. Running back AJ Newberry is the latest player to transfer to Corvallis, transferring from Vanderbilt.

The Beavers also lost quarterbacks Tristan Ti’a (now at Auburn), Gabarri Johnson (unsigned), and Kallen Gutridge (unsigned) in the portal. But the team added former Western Michigan passer Brady Jones and Mercer standout Braden Atkinson to compete with Maalik Murphy for the starting quarterback job in Corvallis in 2026. 

Atkinson passed for 3,611 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions for the Bears in 2025, winning the Jerry Rice Award for the most outstanding freshman player in the Football Championship Subdivision. 

Top OSU offensive linemen Jacob Strand (now at Auburn), Dylan Sikorski (Texas), Ryan Berger (Wake Forest), and Adam Hawkes (Arkansas), who combined for 21 starts in 2025, also left in the portal. 

On defense, the Beavers lost several top contributors from the 2025 season, including edge rusher Shamar Meikle (now at the University of South Florida), who tied for first on the team in sacks with two, and linebacker Dexter Foster (Nebraska), who finished fourth on the team in total tackles. Defensive lineman Jojo Johnson, now at Texas Tech, finished second on the team in tackles for loss with six and a half.

Edge rusher Bleu Dantzler, who played in four games for Oregon State as a freshman in 2025, joined the cross-state rival Oregon Ducks after entering the portal. 

A number of former Beavers transferred to Pac-12 schools as well, including wide receiver Darrius Clemons (Washington State University), offensive lineman Zander Esty (Boise State University), edge rusher Kai Wallin (San Diego State University), and cornerback Jalil Tucker (Washington State).

And on special teams, where the Beavers struggled with missed kicks and wild snaps in 2025, the team added two long snappers from the portal: Tug Sanford from Stephen F. Austin University, and Jonathan Zarut from Memphis University. Former Syracuse kicker Jadyn Oh also joined the Beavers. 

However, longtime OSU long snapper Dylan Black, who was injured for most of the 2025 season, left in the portal, landing at the University of Southern California.  

The transfer portal isn’t the only way the Beavers have added to their roster this year. The team has added nine letters of intent and six hard commitments from high school players in the class of 2026 so far, according to 247 Sports. The Beavers also signed four junior college players: defensive lineman Tyler Bailey, safeties R.J. Whitten and Kahanu Kalahiki, and edge rusher Jarrel Comer lI. 

You can view the current list of transfer portal departures and additions for Oregon State this offseason below: 

In: 

• Quarterback: Brady Jones (Western Michigan), Braden Atkinson (Mercer) 
• Running Back: AJ Newberry (Vanderbilt)
• Wide receiver: Xayvion Noland (UT Rio Grande), Adonis McDaniel (Mercer), Aaron Butler (Texas), Aeryn “Bubba” Hampton (Alabama)  
• Tight end: Eric Olsen (Utah Tech), DeCorion Temple (Central Michigan) 
• Offensive line: Kwan Johnson (Eastern Illinois), Teko Shoats (Bethune-Cookman), Carter Guillaume (Louisville), Peter Langi  
• Defensive line: Daniel Matagi (Portland State), Ish Findlayter (Duquesne) 
• Linebacker: Ja’Bari Odoemenem (Duquesne), Dylan Layne (Idaho) 
• Cornerback: Isaiah Houi (Eastern Illinois) 
• Long snapper: Tug Sanford (Stephen F. Austin), Jonathan Zarut (Memphis) 
• Kicker: Jadyn Oh (Syracuse) 

Out: 

• Quarterback: Tristan Ti’a (Auburn), Gabarri Johnson, Kallen Gutridge
• Running back: Salahadin Allah (Iowa State) 
• Wide receiver: Trent Walker (Houston), Darrius Clemons (Washington State), Zachary Card, Jimmy Valsin III, Jamai East (Eastern Washington), David Wells Jr. (Tulsa), Taz Reddicks (UNLV), Elijah Washington (Sacramento State)
• Tight end: Riley Williams (Mississippi State), Carson Kolb
• Offensive line: Jacob Strand (Auburn), Dylan Sikorski (Texas), Ryan Berger (Wake Forest), Zander Esty (Boise State), Jayden Tuia (Colorado State), Keyon Cox (UAB), Adam Hawkes (Arkansas)
• Defensive line: Jojo Johnson (Texas Tech), Kelze Howard (Georgia State), Tahjae Mullix (University of Connecticut), Thomas Collins (UCF), Nick Norris
• Edge: Bleu Dantzler (Oregon), Kai Wallin (San Diego State), Zakaih Saez (University of Connecticut), Shamar Meikle (USF)
• Linebacker: Dexter Foster (Nebraska) 
• Cornerback: Jalil Tucker (Washington State) 
• Safety: Amarion York, Conrad Hussey (Miami)
• Long snapper: Dylan Black (USC)