3 Position Battles to Watch During Oregon State Spring Camp
In this story:
Who will start at quarterback?
In late December, Maalik Murphy's transfer to Oregon State answered that question emphatically. Unfortunately, there are a pair of follow-up questions with answers yet to be determined: who will back him up, and who will catch his passes?
The answers to those two questions can be found in the result of position battles this Spring. By our eye, here are the three biggest position battles this Spring at the Valley Football Center.
Third-String Quarterback
In a perfect world, only one quarterback starts next season for Oregon State: Maalik Murphy. If that happens, it will be a sharp departure from the 2024 season. Last fall, Gevani McCoy, Gabarri Johnson, and Ben Gulbranson each started games for the orange & black. If the Beavers need three passers once again, there are concerns about who that third player would be.
On paper, Tristan T'ia is the favorite: the much-hyped 4-star prospect from the Bay Area has the talent to win the third-string spot, but he carries two concerns: T'ia will be a true freshman next fall, and he is not currently enrolled. Without practice reps this Spring, T'ia might not be ready for the third-string role.
Enter Kallen Gutridge. The redshirt-freshman from Wilsonville is the only other scholarship player rostered at the QB position, meaning he'll get precious reps and experience backing up Murphy & Johnson this Spring. At Wilsonville, Gutridge won an Oregon 5A State Championship and was a dual-threat QB with 15 rushing touchdowns over his junior & senior seasons.
Starting Kicker
With a 60 yard kick on a cold November night, Everett Hayes' leg lifted the Beavers past Washington State, and earned the young man a place in the annals of Oregon State lore. Now, he is working towards a future in pro football. Who will replace him?
Right now, Oregon State has three kickers on the spring roster: redshirt junior Caleb Ojeda, sophomore Logan McReery, and Japanese senior transfer Tetsuda Tsuyumine. None of the three kickers have seen game action for Oregon State, or any other NCAA Division I school.
Ojeda played two seasons of juco ball at the College of San Mateo before transferring to Oregon State ahead of the 2024 season. He hit 10/14 field goals his sophomore season, with a long of 47 yards. McReery, like Ojeda, played juco ball before transferring in 2024. He converted 8/9 field goals for American River College two seasons ago, with a long of 37 yards.
Little is known of Tsuyumine, other than the fact he played for one of Japan's top college football programs, the Hosei Orange of Hosei University in Tokyo.
Starting Tight-End
Right now, 2024 starting tight-end Jermaine Terry is actively working for a chance on an NFL roster. At Oregon State, his backups are battling to replace him. Redshirt-junior Bryce Caufield headlines the returning tight-ends: Caufield played 33 games over the last 3 seasons, with 9 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown.
A proud alum of Lakeridge HS in Lake Oswego, Caufield's dream of starring at Oregon State has a pair of obstacles in the way: transfer tight-ends Jackson Bowers and Riley Williams.
Over two seasons at BYU, Bowers appeared in five games, but he came to Provo as the nation's 22nd-ranked tight-end in the 2022 class. Williams originally signed with Miami after leading Portland's perennial powerhouse Central Catholic HS to an Oregon 6A state championship. At 6'5" 250 lbs, he has the measurables to impress, but lacks the stats: in 21 games over 2 seasons, Williams snagged 15 catches and a touchdown.
A change of scenery for the Portland native Williams might lead him into a starting role.
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.