Willamette HS Linebacker Kawai Chamberlin Commits to Oregon State

Yesterday, Oregon State earned a verbal commitment from Willamette HS (Eugene, OR) linebacker Kawai Chamberlin, an athlete from a family rich with ties to the Beaver State.

Oregon State football helmets sit on a table before the introductory press conference of the hiring of its new head football coach, JaMarcus Shephard, at Reser Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, in Corvallis, Ore. | Kevin Neri/Statesman Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kawaihuihuiokekuahiwi Chamberlin, nicknamed Kawai by family, friends, and coaches, is currently the state's fifth-highest graded player in 247Sports' composite rankings. Next January, he might become an Oregon State Beaver.

First reported by Angie Machado of BeaverBlitz. Chamberlin verbally committed to Oregon State yesterday morning.

In a tell-all interview with that publication, the three star linebacker from Willamette HS (Eugene, OR) emphasized the allure of Oregon State's culture under Jamarcus Shephard:

"There's a standard and a mindset at OSU that isn't for everyone. It's for me and I want to be a part of that. I believe in these coaches, they have the ability to turn this program around and I'm excited to be a part of it. The second I walked through the door the players and coaches embraced me like I was apart of the family."

Chamberlin's family are no strangers to college athletics. His older sisters Ula and Kaili starred on South Medford High School's girls basketball team (Medford, OR) - where Ula became the school's all time leading scorer, and Kaili won a state title alongside future Oregon State guard Donovyn Hunter - before each sister played NCAA Division I basketball. The elder Ula then spent two years at Weber State, then a season with UC San Diego, and finally Kelly Graves' Oregon Ducks. When the time came for Kaili to play at the next level, she split time between Southeastern (Lakeland, FL) and McNeese State (Lake Charles, LA).

Family matters deeply to the young linebacker, and Oregon State's family impressed him, as he explained yesterday to Brandon Huffman of On3/Rivals:

“Coach Shep and coach Cort (Dennison) put so much time and effort into recruiting me,” said Chamberlin. “Family is very important to me and I feel that they worked hard to develop that relationship with me.”

The 6'2" 220 pound linebacker and tight end helped Willamette win 10 games last season - just the second time in the school's 76 year history that it earned double digit victories - and reach the state quarterfinals. Last season, Chamberlin notched 118 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, and 3 pass breakups. On offense, he scored four touchdowns.

Chamberlin is a part of Oregon State's 2027 recruiting class. He also boasts offers from Big Ten members Minnesota, and the Beavers' new Pac-12 foes Boise State, San Diego State, Texas State, and "Pac-2" brethren Washington State.