Oregon State Football Position Preview: Tight Ends

Oregon State knows the importance of a star tight end. Luke Musgrave was monstrous for the Beavers before his college career ended due to injury, proving to be one of the country's elite pass-catchers. Overlapping with the same time period, Teagan Quitoriano was incredibly effective not only as a receiver, but also for his pass-blocking abilities. Both of these native Oregonians now play in the NFL.

It's no secret that versatile tight ends open up so many more possibilities for an offense. While OSU may not have had much to cheer about in 2025, their offense was most dangerous when Bryce Caufield and Gabe Milbourn were catching passes. Overall, the Beavers have lacked big-time difference-makers in this position group over the past few seasons.

In 2026, JaMarcus Shephard is hoping that this pattern might change significantly. Though they lost their leading TE target in Bryce Caufield to graduation, the Beavers have found some success in the portal this offseason and also have a couple returners (one a veteran and one less experienced) who could be ready for a larger role.

For this position group, I'm not going to try and list a projected depth chart, because all four of these players are likely battling for one of the two key spots.

Gabe Milbourn - Senior

Granted a fifth year of eligibility, Gabe could potentially be part of the rotation this season after showing flashes of potential in 2025. While he may not have been a consistent difference-maker, he made six starts and had a big game in the come-from-behind win over Lafayette, including catching his first career TD pass. He also hauled in three receptions for 57 yards against Tulsa. Overall, most of his damage was done later in the 2025 season, and he might be able to bring this momentum into fall camp.

DeCorion Temple - Senior, CMU Transfer

A versatile athlete who has also played D1 basketball, Temple is a senior with a lot of starting experience at the FBS level. He was quality in the run-blocking game last year on a Central Michigan team that was effective on the ground. He also showed off receiving abilities, finishing 2025 with a couple of TD receptions. Rated 85 in the transfer portal by 247Sports, Temple should prove to be a nice pickup for this Oregon State roster for the upcoming season.

T'Andre Waverly - Redshirt Freshman

One of the top recruits in OSU's 2025 class, Waverly has been praised for his excellent run-blocking abilities, with 247Sports scout Brandon Huffman stating that "he's a plus blocker and does a good job sealing off the edge and allowing his backs space." Huffman also mentioned that Waverly showed tremendous growth as a pass catcher his senior year of high school, and shows a lot of potential for developing into a traditional type of tight end at the college level. Turning down offers from ASU and Auburn to come to Corvallis, Waverly could make a big impact this fall after redshirting in 2025.

Eric Olsen - Junior, Utah Tech Transfer

Of all the TEs in the mix, this is the guy Oregon State is really expecting to make a big impact in the passing game. After having only a modest role in his freshman season, Olsen raced onto the scene in FCS football last year with the Trailblazers, catching 51 passes for nearly 600 receiving yards and two TDs. Only being a sophomore last season, there is no reason to think that Olsen can't continue to elevate his game.

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