State of the Beavs: Oregon State's Biggest Problem in 2026
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It's a new year for Oregon State football, and there's plenty on JaMarcus Shephard's plate to start his tenure as the Beavers head coach. One of his first fires to put out may end up being the loss of his defensive coordinator, Lance Guidry, who has barely been the Oregon State DC for a week.
It's not the only problem that Shephard has to deal with as he continues to put together a roster for the 2026 campaign. The staff is hard at work adding to the team, replacing nearly all of the talent from the previous two years. Your host Matt Bagley breaks down the latest additions to the group.
MORE: Mercer Wide Receiver Adonis McDaniel Headed to Oregon State
On the hardwood, the Beaver men grabbed an impressive home win against Seattle, but then saw their road struggles continue in a six-point loss at Portland. As Wayne Tinkle continues to figure out what his strongest lineup configuration is, time is running out to build momentum ahead of the conference tournament.
The Oregon State women, meanwhile, are on a seven-game winning streak. They'll take a road trip to Los Angeles on Thursday night for a battle with Loyola Marymount. Jenna Villa has eight consecutive games with a point total in the double digits, showing her value to Scott Rueck after transferring in from Washington State.
All that, plus baseball season is around the corner. The Beavers are once again expected to be a national power, reaching a top ten ranking in several national polls. What is the potential of Mitch Canham's squad in 2026? The Beavers begin the season on the diamond on February 13 in Arizona against Michigan. Go Beavs.
MORE: Oregon State Adds Award-Winning Quarterback Transfer Braden Atkinson
This Week's Topics
-Reaction to the Lance Guidry rumors
-An honest look at Oregon State's biggest problem in 2026
-Breaking down Oregon State's transfer portal stories this week
-MBB and WBB recaps
-Baseball's preseason prowess
-College Football Playoff thoughts
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
About State of the Beavs
Each week, veteran sports broadcaster and writer Matt Bagley examines the news and storylines at play for Oregon State University Athletics. Occasionally joined by contributors for On SI's coverage of the Beavers, as well as the occasional guest spot from Beavers past, present, and future. Get caught up with the playlist below. New episodes are typically released on Tuesday mornings.
Want to interact with the show? Talk to Matt: mbagleyradio@gmail.com
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Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.
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Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.