REPORT: Braden Atkinson Named Oregon State Starting Quarterback

Braden Atkinson, who won the Jerry Rice Award at Mercer last season, will start under center.

Oregon State's Braden Atkinson (2) throws the ball before the Oregon State Spring Game at Reser Stadium on Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Corvallis, Ore. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In perhaps the biggest surprise of the offseason, Oregon State is making a change at quarterback.

First reported by ESPN's Pete Thamel, the Beavers are set to start Mercer transfer quarterback Braden Atkinson under center.

In mid-January, Atkinson arrived in Corvallis through the transfer portal. Last Fall, the Mercer transfer torched the FCS ranks with a Jerry Rice Award winning season: in 11 starts, Atkinson completed 66% of his passes, accrued 3596 passing yards, and threw 34 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions.

The award he won, named after the gold jacket wide receiver who starred at fellow FCS program Mississippi Valley State before becoming arguably the greatest pass catcher in the history of professional football, is given annually to the best freshman at the FCS level. One prior Oregon State quarterback has earned this honor: former Idaho transfer and 2024 Beavers' starting passer Gevani McCoy.

Atkinson's promotion doubles as a demotion for 2025 starter Maalik Murphy. The former Texas and Duke passer struggled mightily under previous playcallers Danny Langsdorf & Ryan Gunderson, throwing just 9 touchdowns across 10 games, and completing only 58% of his passes. Still, following the departures of backup Gabarri Johnson and heir apparent true freshman Tristan Ti'a, the senior from the Los Angeles suburbs (Inglewood, CA) entered fall camp as the presumptive favorite for the job.

At the beginning of Spring camp in March, Oregon State head coach JaMarcus Shephard spoke glowingly about Murphy's persistence following a difficult season.

"“Never once did Maalik come in my office and evenmentionthe idea of transferring. Not once. He was a consistent leader all throughout the transition as other guys were coming in and delivering the bad news that they’re going to go to other places, or other guys are just leaving the program. He was a constant, and had guys out there working out, catching balls, doing all kinds of great things. He never wavered in any way, shape, or form throughout the time that I’ve been here with him. So, I’m proud of him. [I am] excited for him to compete his tail off against the other guys that we got here."

After a fierce battle through Spring and Fall camps, Shephard's tone shifted. Last week, the Beavers' first year coach heaped praise on his transfer quarterback Atkinson.

"Braden is right there at the front of the pack with all of them. He's havin' a great camp, he is responsive to the different stressors that we're putting on him each and every day, so I'd say he's right there in the trenches with them."

The sophomore Atkinson holds up to three years of eligibility at Oregon State, while the senior Murphy is entering his final season in Corvallis.