JaMarcus Shephard Shares Updates on Injured Beavers

During Saturday's season opener, several Oregon State players suffered significant injuries. Learn more in this piece.

Aug 30, 2025; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers tight end T'Andre Waverly (89) catches a pass during warmups before the game against the California Golden Bears at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Legendary coach Vince Lombardi once opined that "football is not a contact sport; it is a collision sport."

That adage was proven true last Saturday, when JaMarcus Shephard's Oregon State Beavers opened their season at the Houston Cougars.

Several student-athletes suffered injuries in the loss. Several others are out for a significant amount of time. In a wide-spanning press conference with local media earlier today, Oregon State's first year head coach offered updates on those injuries.

According to Shephard, freshman tight end T'Andre Waverly and freshman linebacker Jeremiah Ioane have each been ruled out for the season. Both players redshirted in 2025, and entered the Fall with four years of eligibility remaining under new NCAA guidelines.

Waverly, a towering 6'4" athlete from Everett, north of Seattle, was a three star recruit and an all-state honoree at Kamiak High School, playing both ways as a tight end, defensive end, and outside linebacker. When he wasn't suited up on the gridiron, he ran track. At the completion of his high school career, he was named a Navy All-American and invited to play in the Navy All-American Game's East vs West matchup at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Ioane, a 6'1" freshman linebacker from Las Vegas, was a consensus Nevada three star linebacker before joining Oregon State's 2025 signing class. At Liberty High School - a perennial contender for Nevada state championships - Ioane recorded 29 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and a pass breakup during his senior year. Before arriving in Corvallis, he was ranked the 12th best recruit among all football players in the state of Nevada.

A third freshman - California three star defensive tackle Jesse Myers - will be shelved until at least November, according to Shephard. The Ukiah native was a consensus three star recruit, and an all-state defensive lineman, before redshirting at Oregon State in 2025.

One player who did see action - offensive lineman Carter Guillaume - suffered a foot injury early in the first half. During ESPN's live broadcast, the sophomore from Louisville was shown on the sidelines, sporting a walking boot. In today's presser, Shephard stressed that Guillaume and Oregon State defensive back Harlem Howard - dealing with a nagging injury that kept him out of Saturday's contest - must persevere through pain this Fall.

"Both of them are dealing with issues that may potentially be resolved, but will probably linger somewhat throughout the season."

Surprisingly, one player not mentioned in today's presser, or in Saturday's postgame comments, was junior cornerback Exodus Ayers. The once-promising true freshman starting corner missed all of last season due to allegations of domestic violence, which resulted in his arrest last November. Shephard's arrival seemed to include a clean slate, with Ayers participating in Fall camp. However, in the Beavers' first game this season, he was a healthy scratch.

The rest of Oregon State's roster are set to welcome the Texas Tech Red Raiders to Corvallis on Saturday evening, with kickoff scheduled for 4:30 PM PST.