4 Freshmen Playmakers To Watch For Oregon State Football This Fall

Can youth be an advantage with JaMarcus Shephard's group in Year One?

Oregon State head coach JaMarcus Shephard watches his team warm up before the Oregon State Spring Game at Reser Stadium on Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Corvallis, Ore. | Kevin Neri/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon State football will be relying on a lot of young faces in JaMarcus Shephard's first season at the helm.

The Beavers have picked up some talented skill-position players who just graduated high school, and also have some guys who will be looking to make an impact after taking a redshirt year.

Here are four to keep an eye on this fall:

Cynai Thomas - Wide Receiver

The highest-ranked recruit in the Beavers' 2026 class, Thomas could potentially see a lot of the field this fall as a true freshman. Turning down offers from both Oregon and Washington to come play for Coach Shephard, Cynai racked up an eye-popping 17 receiving touchdowns his senior year of high school at Archbishop Riordan in San Francisco. Standing at approximately 6'3" he possesses great length and has been praised by 247Sports recruiting analyst Greg Biggens as "a silky-smooth route-runner who can get separation down field."

Without a lot of returning production in the passing game, Thomas could make an impact right away at OSU.

Jameson Powell - Wide Receiver

Another skill position player who held offers from prominent Power Four programs, Powell has been praised by Biggens for excellent play-making abilities, with him stating that Jameson "just knows how to get open and has elite quickness off the ball...He's shifty after the catch and can routinely make 2-3 defenders miss." Powell put up a monster senior season at Folsom High School with over 1,200 receiving yards. Along with Thomas, this freshman pass-catcher could be a key play-maker for the orange and black this fall.

Kourdey Glass - Running Back

In what was overall a rocky performance from the Beaver offensive unit in last week's spring game, the redshirt freshman from Hanford, CA was one of the biggest bright spots. In addition to having the most exciting play of the afternoon with a 73-yard TD reception from a screen pass, Glass was probably the most consistent player overall on this side of the ball, and appears to be making a push to be a significant part of the halfback rotation come August. Kourdey averaged more than seven yards per carry his senior year of high school, and was described by Biggens as "one of the top running backs in the area."

Niklas Fisher - Defensive Line

Fisher was one of OSU's highest-rated recruits in the 2025 class, and is primed for a much bigger role this season after redshirting last year. The 6'4," 250-pounder put up 13 tackles for loss his senior year of high school, and could be a key part of the Beavers' pass-rush in 2026.