Oregon State Football Position Preview: Outside Linebacker

This position group will deal with quite a bit of change for Beaver Football in 2026

Nov 29, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Oregon State Beavers linebacker Tyree Blake (47) celebrates after a play against the Washington State Cougars in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

Now that spring football is behind us, it's time to start taking a deeper dive into the personnel that head coach JaMarcus Shephard is working with in his first season at the helm. Today, we are starting with the outside linebackers, where we will have to tread somewhat cautiously.

There is a certain amount of ambiguity between defensive end and OLB, with both seemingly morphed into a single denomination of "edge rusher." Therefore, this is not intended to be an exhaustive list, as there is going to be a lot of crossover with these two groups.

With the loss of both Shemar Meikle and Zekaih Saez, Oregon State isn't returning a lot of starting production at the outside linebacker position. As such, they will be relying both on FCS transfers and younger guys who have awaited their turn in the program. A couple of these players in this ladder category could be a significant X-factor for this position group. Let's take a look at who all is in the mix.

Niklas Fisher- Redshirt Freshman

Very much a defensive line/LB hybrid, Fisher garnered 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks his senior year of high school in Cypress, TX. After redshirting in 2025, Niklas will be looking to bring his explosiveness off the line of scrimmage to the Oregon State front seven. Whether it's as a defensive end or an outside linebacker, the former 89-rated recruit on 247 should be seeing a lot of the field this season.

Jabari Odoemenem- Duquesne Transfer

Though he played largely as an inside linebacker for the Dukes, Jabari has the size and versatility to slide over into a pass-rushing type of role as well, depending on what sort of defensive schemes the Beavers are running with. Odoemenem brings a lot of collegiate experience to the roster, having played in 33 games in his career. In his time at the FCS level, Jabari racked up over 100 total tackles and 11 TFLs.

Tyree Blake- Senior

A native Oregonian who came on strong towards the back part of last season, Blake has proven that he's a workhorse when he's out there on the field. He made a name for himself in the final two games of 2025 in losses to Tulsa and WSU, putting up 18 tackles across those two contests. While it's unknown where exactly he stands on the depth chart under a new head coach, Tyree could definitely end up playing a significant role in 2026.

Will Haverland- Sophomore

Forced into the emergency long-snapper role last season, Haverland will be looking to contribute at his primary position in 2026. Another guy who falls somewhere as a mix of D Edge/OLB, Will put up 3.5 sacks in his senior year of high school at Sheldon, and had a head-turning 12.5 TFLs as a junior with the Irish.

It's difficult to project a depth chart at this early period, especially when there is a certain amount of ambiguity surrounding this position group. However, what I can say is that all four of these guys could end up in the rotation for the front seven, with all of them being versatile enough to line up in different places.