No Father's Son
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Agent
- Posts: 11169
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 22:54
No Father's Son
Those freshman transfers said you didn’t offer enough NIL.
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3823
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
No Father's Son
had some big production to fill out too from Woods and Akana most notably, but I think we got some dawgs
Ayers and Kelze Howard staying were huge, they were both in the yellow for their deal breakers.
he ain't want to be a gamecock anyways
honestly, I was surprised I got the HC offer for SC in the first place
but felt like too big of a jump in Y1 tbqhlet they mama love em when they suiting up for D2 Abilene Christian College
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3823
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
No Father's Son
Chapter Twenty-Six: Selling the Brand
“I’m not going to lie to you, we’re bringing in other linebackers today and tomorrow,” I cautioned, wanting to be as straightforward as I could without underselling the projected value I saw, “But we could bring every single one of those players in and that won’t change the role I have planned for you in this defense.”
I leaned forward and fanned out the photos of different coverages and blitz packages, all highlighted where he would be lining up, gesturing to them with my off hand. “You’d be my Patrick Willis, the dude running everything in the middle and cleaning up all the mistakes. That doesn’t change even if we bring in other guys, they’re all complements to the scheme etched around your playmaking ability and leadership skills.”
Manu Hasty, the Vanderbilt Commodore transfer who tallied 52 tackles as a true freshman and entered the portal seeking a better scheme fit, continued dissecting the pictures without comment, eyes tracking various alignments.
When he finally spoke, it was measured and nuanced, the lines clearly practiced long before he entered the film room at Valley Football Center.
“You know, I got SEC schools offering scholarships and playing time too, Coach. All preaching how I’m their “missing piece”, what makes Oregon State any different?”
It wasn’t a question meant to offend, but after turning down an SEC program myself just weeks ago, it struck a particular nerve. Since Ricky McKinley had reported I’d toured South Carolina’s campus and had left right before Chadwell’s contract was announced, the rumor mill was in full swing.
The prevailing thought amongst local talk radio? That I feared the SEC. That I wanted to hide out in the Pacific Northwest, where the expectations would always be less, the competition always viewed as inferior, where I could bully hapless teams.
“How many of those programs were transparent about the other recruits they were hosting and reiterated your place above them?”
Now it was Manu’s turn to sit in silence, letting the words work their way through his thought process. After I felt the thought had delivered the intended message, I continued:
“The difference here is that you have a chance to shine for a program on the rise. A chance to be a part of something special, but most importantly for you? A place you can make an impact. Let’s play devil’s advocate and Oregon State takes a step back this year, in terms of success. You’re still going to be on the field, a prominent part of it which is more than some of those SEC programs can promise, and worst case? You parlay a strong season into a bigger payday at those schools next year.
“Let’s not pretend that after this season, you’re any more committed to us than any other program. In today’s day and age, if Corvallis ends up not working out, all you are sacrificing is one season with the opportunity to play regularly, hoping that it turns into a bigger payday. But I can promise you, so long as you’re wearing the Orange and Black, you’ll get opportunities, and I’ll do everything I can to help you improve as a football player and a man.
“I’m not asking for the rest of your collegiate career, I’m asking for one season.”
We both sat in silence, measuring the weight of each other’s statements, before Manu sat back up in his chair and leaned in, making eye contact.
“So, who else you scheming to play alongside me, Coach?”
We weren’t facing a 37-player exodus like the year before, but after graduation and a pair of transfers, we still had 22 scholarships to replace, plus an additional 10 open scholarships that were never filled from 2025.
The biggest difference from last year, however, was we weren’t going after warm bodies anymore. We were meticulously scouting and finding guys that fit our scheme to a T, not finding ways to integrate the players we were able to procure in the portal.
Not every pitch landed as flawlessly as Hasty’s. We’d hosted former LSU linebacker Davhon Keys earlier in the process, who ultimately chose Texas A&M. “No disrespect, Coach,” Keys reasserted on the phone, “But once you play SEC football, it’s hard not to see anything else as lesser competition.” I couldn’t fault him for that; I almost made the same choice less than a month ago.
Manu Hasty wasn’t the highest rated recruit we hauled in, but he was the most impactful as far as I was concerned. The only other player who came close to his value was QB AJ Maddox, whom we were able to steal from the Ole Miss Rebels, to give Gutridge some competition this spring.
Hasty had everything I was looking for in a mike linebacker. Instincts, speed, coverage skills, and most importantly, he was a film junkie. It was evident during the short film session we had; he digested tape at a ravenous rate and was able to relay the information back to me three frames later without missing a beat.
“He’s a generational type of player,” I’d told Jessica the night he’d finally committed to joining the Colony. “The type that can reshape a defense. We scrapped it together with a ragtag group of guys last season, desperate to get bodies then figure it out later. But this year? We’ve got some real talent with guys we scouted specifically for certain roles.”
“Sounds like the rest of the conference should be on notice, just make sure it’s not all hot air, Flyboy,” she retorted, always making sure my head was never so big I couldn’t walk through the door.
He wasn’t the only talent we were able to convince, either. From USC, to Oregon, and several other SEC schools, it was apparent that the perception of Beaver football had changed over the last year. Recruits that previously would never have entertained a proposal from the other Oregon team, were now suddenly sending us their tape in hopes of getting an offer. Hasty was the first, then more followed. Maddox from Ole Miss, Jadyn Walker from USC, Jimmy Van Pelt from Oregon. They weren’t the biggest names in the market, but they were high-quality compared to the scraps Oregon State was used to getting.
More than that, it was validation that the rest of the country was seeing what we believed, that Oregon State was indeed a program on the rise. Not a flash in the pan, feel good story. Real, tangible, and still growing.
As Coach Smith and I were cleaning out the last of the recruiting files, making room for another new crop of prep recruits, I voiced my internal thoughts.
“Coach,” I vocalized, “you think it’s off base to say some of the guys we were able to swing in the portal, wouldn’t have answered the phone last year?”
Without missing a beat Coach Smith stated matter-of-factly: “Oh I don’t think it, I know it.”
“Just remember, as quickly as we can gain public opinion, we can lose it.”
He dumped out the remaining contents of the stack of manila folders in front of him, then turned fully to face me.
“A lot of that change of perception comes from you, Mando. You’re passionate about football and it oozes out when you’re talking with recruits about their role in the defense.
“Just don’t forget the grind it took to elevate our status. ‘Cause nothing lasts forever and at some point, you’ll have to do the same at a new program, but in my shoes.”
“I’m not going to lie to you, we’re bringing in other linebackers today and tomorrow,” I cautioned, wanting to be as straightforward as I could without underselling the projected value I saw, “But we could bring every single one of those players in and that won’t change the role I have planned for you in this defense.”
I leaned forward and fanned out the photos of different coverages and blitz packages, all highlighted where he would be lining up, gesturing to them with my off hand. “You’d be my Patrick Willis, the dude running everything in the middle and cleaning up all the mistakes. That doesn’t change even if we bring in other guys, they’re all complements to the scheme etched around your playmaking ability and leadership skills.”
Manu Hasty, the Vanderbilt Commodore transfer who tallied 52 tackles as a true freshman and entered the portal seeking a better scheme fit, continued dissecting the pictures without comment, eyes tracking various alignments.
When he finally spoke, it was measured and nuanced, the lines clearly practiced long before he entered the film room at Valley Football Center.
“You know, I got SEC schools offering scholarships and playing time too, Coach. All preaching how I’m their “missing piece”, what makes Oregon State any different?”
It wasn’t a question meant to offend, but after turning down an SEC program myself just weeks ago, it struck a particular nerve. Since Ricky McKinley had reported I’d toured South Carolina’s campus and had left right before Chadwell’s contract was announced, the rumor mill was in full swing.
The prevailing thought amongst local talk radio? That I feared the SEC. That I wanted to hide out in the Pacific Northwest, where the expectations would always be less, the competition always viewed as inferior, where I could bully hapless teams.
“How many of those programs were transparent about the other recruits they were hosting and reiterated your place above them?”
Now it was Manu’s turn to sit in silence, letting the words work their way through his thought process. After I felt the thought had delivered the intended message, I continued:
“The difference here is that you have a chance to shine for a program on the rise. A chance to be a part of something special, but most importantly for you? A place you can make an impact. Let’s play devil’s advocate and Oregon State takes a step back this year, in terms of success. You’re still going to be on the field, a prominent part of it which is more than some of those SEC programs can promise, and worst case? You parlay a strong season into a bigger payday at those schools next year.
“Let’s not pretend that after this season, you’re any more committed to us than any other program. In today’s day and age, if Corvallis ends up not working out, all you are sacrificing is one season with the opportunity to play regularly, hoping that it turns into a bigger payday. But I can promise you, so long as you’re wearing the Orange and Black, you’ll get opportunities, and I’ll do everything I can to help you improve as a football player and a man.
“I’m not asking for the rest of your collegiate career, I’m asking for one season.”
We both sat in silence, measuring the weight of each other’s statements, before Manu sat back up in his chair and leaned in, making eye contact.
“So, who else you scheming to play alongside me, Coach?”
We weren’t facing a 37-player exodus like the year before, but after graduation and a pair of transfers, we still had 22 scholarships to replace, plus an additional 10 open scholarships that were never filled from 2025.
The biggest difference from last year, however, was we weren’t going after warm bodies anymore. We were meticulously scouting and finding guys that fit our scheme to a T, not finding ways to integrate the players we were able to procure in the portal.
Not every pitch landed as flawlessly as Hasty’s. We’d hosted former LSU linebacker Davhon Keys earlier in the process, who ultimately chose Texas A&M. “No disrespect, Coach,” Keys reasserted on the phone, “But once you play SEC football, it’s hard not to see anything else as lesser competition.” I couldn’t fault him for that; I almost made the same choice less than a month ago.
Manu Hasty wasn’t the highest rated recruit we hauled in, but he was the most impactful as far as I was concerned. The only other player who came close to his value was QB AJ Maddox, whom we were able to steal from the Ole Miss Rebels, to give Gutridge some competition this spring.
Hasty had everything I was looking for in a mike linebacker. Instincts, speed, coverage skills, and most importantly, he was a film junkie. It was evident during the short film session we had; he digested tape at a ravenous rate and was able to relay the information back to me three frames later without missing a beat.
“He’s a generational type of player,” I’d told Jessica the night he’d finally committed to joining the Colony. “The type that can reshape a defense. We scrapped it together with a ragtag group of guys last season, desperate to get bodies then figure it out later. But this year? We’ve got some real talent with guys we scouted specifically for certain roles.”
“Sounds like the rest of the conference should be on notice, just make sure it’s not all hot air, Flyboy,” she retorted, always making sure my head was never so big I couldn’t walk through the door.
He wasn’t the only talent we were able to convince, either. From USC, to Oregon, and several other SEC schools, it was apparent that the perception of Beaver football had changed over the last year. Recruits that previously would never have entertained a proposal from the other Oregon team, were now suddenly sending us their tape in hopes of getting an offer. Hasty was the first, then more followed. Maddox from Ole Miss, Jadyn Walker from USC, Jimmy Van Pelt from Oregon. They weren’t the biggest names in the market, but they were high-quality compared to the scraps Oregon State was used to getting.
More than that, it was validation that the rest of the country was seeing what we believed, that Oregon State was indeed a program on the rise. Not a flash in the pan, feel good story. Real, tangible, and still growing.
As Coach Smith and I were cleaning out the last of the recruiting files, making room for another new crop of prep recruits, I voiced my internal thoughts.
“Coach,” I vocalized, “you think it’s off base to say some of the guys we were able to swing in the portal, wouldn’t have answered the phone last year?”
Without missing a beat Coach Smith stated matter-of-factly: “Oh I don’t think it, I know it.”
“Just remember, as quickly as we can gain public opinion, we can lose it.”
He dumped out the remaining contents of the stack of manila folders in front of him, then turned fully to face me.
“A lot of that change of perception comes from you, Mando. You’re passionate about football and it oozes out when you’re talking with recruits about their role in the defense.
“Just don’t forget the grind it took to elevate our status. ‘Cause nothing lasts forever and at some point, you’ll have to do the same at a new program, but in my shoes.”
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3823
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
No Father's Son
The Beavers Strike Gold In the Portal
Ricky McKinley // Dam Daily • Published: January 17th, 2027
Last year, the Oregon State Beavers coaching staff was blunt about their strategy going into the offseason transfer portal: "Anybody and everybody." And it showed with the hodgepodge of talent the Beavers trotted out on the field last year. Not saying anything derogatory about last year's squad, just that we had safeties playing at nearly every position at one point.
This year, the club is calm and calculated about who they target in the portal, and it shows.
One of the biggest critiques about last year's defense, despite the outstanding metrics, was the lack of size at linebacker due to the number of safeties on the field. Many around the conference believe that while the Beavers were arguably one of the fastest defenses in the country, the lack of size caused them to get swallowed up by pulling linemen and directly contributed to the massive chunk plays they gave up on the ground.
While defensive coordinator Armando Leon wouldn't go that far in his assessment of last year's squad, he did acknowledge getting some "true" athletic linebackers was a priority.
Enter Manu Hasty and Jalen Smith, a pair of SEC-caliber linebackers with all the tools to take the success from last year and build on top of it.
Hasty is the gem of the class for Leon's defense, a true 3-down backer with the speed to play sideline-to-sideline, the instincts to adapt on the fly, and the leadership to hold everyone accountable.
"He's the type of athlete that opens up the field for everyone else," confirmed Leon when reached for comment, "He makes it a lot easier for other guys to shine through, because he commands so much attention."
Offensively, the Beavers added a trio of offensive linemen, most notably former Utah Utes center Solatoa Moea'i who is expected to anchor the middle of the offensive line that returns both starting tackles and right guard Ryan Berger.
But the real talk of Corvallis is the addition of former Ole Miss Rebels AJ Maddox. The former Rebel, who never took a snap in Oxford, is expected to come in and challenge incumbent starter Kallen Gutridge immediately.
"They both bring different skill sets, which is what we wanted when targeting a QB," admitted second-year offensive coordinator Mitch Dahlen. "AJ brings superior arm talent, Kallen has the athleticism. We're going to challenge them all summer to see who rises to the top and if it takes a game or two into the season? So be it. Too many times last year our offense stalled from inconsistent quarterback play; we can't have that this year. Both those guys know that, so I expect a spirited competition this summer."
Coach Dahlen ain't lying. There were times where Kallen had this offense absolutely HUMMING. And others where it looked like he couldn't throw himself out of a paper bag. But he also didn't have anyone beating down the door; James Rowe was serviceable when called upon, but no one thought he'd be taking the reigns. Bringing in Maddox shows that even if Kallen wins the job, if he falters, they have a viable option behind him.
But before we dive into the transfer portal haul, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the high-school recruits joining the Colony this offseason. Welcome aboard gentlemen and buckle up, 'cause these aren't your parents' Beavers.
While the prep recruits don't bring the same name brand recognition as the transfer window, guys like Mario Magnifico and Dion Doucet may very well be household names in the Pacific Northwest sooner rather than later.
Overall, Oregon State finished with the 44th-ranked class overall and the 1st-ranked class in the Pac-12, narrowly edging out the 49th-ranked Boise State Broncos.
•••
Oregon State Beavers' 2026 Recruiting Class
| Ranking | Position | Name | Ht | Wt | Hometown | Tendency | NAT/STA/POS | Dev Trait |
 | CB | Mario Magnifico | 6'2 | 193 | Santa Ana, CA | Bump and Run | 540/49/47 | Star |
| LB | Kona Redwine | 6'0 | 228 | Garland, TX | Signal Caller | 665/60/91 | Star |
| MLB | Dion Doucet | 6'2 | 222 | Lake Oswego, OR | Thumper | 798/4/50 | Impact |
| EDGE | DeMarcus Talbot | 6'4 | 237 | Bellflower, CA | Pure Power | 894/79/89 | Normal |
| EDGE | Floyd Flanagan | 6'0 | 220 | Burien, WA | Speed Rusher | 904/14/55 | Normal |
| MLB | Rudy Beebe | 6'0 | 222 | Humble, TX | Thumper | 877/96/77 | Normal |
| HB | Derek Metropulos | 5'8 | 203 | West Hills, CA | Contact Seeker | 1006/87/116 | Impact |
| QB | Kyle Johnson | 5'11 | 183 | Sammamish, WA | Dual Threat | 1127/18/64 | Normal |
| LB | David Kongbo | 6'0 | 210 | San Mateo, CA | Thumper | 1191/111/105 | Normal |
| DT | Leo McGinnis | 6'3 | 259 | Corona, CA | Power Rusher | 1283/118/110 | Impact |
| CB | Damian Skaggs | 6'0 | 181 | Temecula, CA | Field | 1284/119/106 | Star |
| MLB | Max Waggoner | 6'2 | 240 | Bothell, WA | Lurker | 1378/21/80 | Normal |
| G | Enrique Esparza | 6'1 | 284 | Las Vegas, NV | Pass Pro | 1412/14/70 | Normal |
| T | DeMarco Alabi | 6'6 | 316 | Gray, GA (JUCO) | Raw Strength | 1426/124/100 | Normal |
| CB | Dante Slay | 5'10 | 164 | Compton, CA (JUCO) | Boundary | 1511/138/121 | Normal |
| CB | Rico Darr | 6'1 | 188 | Sumner, WA | Bump and Run | 1526/24/124 | Impact |
| DT | Sam Luvu | 6'2 | 305 | Cedar Rapids, IA | Power Rusher | 1538/78/9 | Normal |
| HB | Sharrif Slack | 5'10 | 163 | Somerset, KY | Backfield Threat | 1647/12/185 | Impact |
| T | Kevin Marciano | 6'5 | 288 | Bellingham, WA | Raw Strength | 1775/29/120 | Normal |
| Class | Position | Name | Previous School | 2026 Stats |
| JR | C | Solatoa Moea’i | Utah | 0 Sacks |
| FR | QB | AJ Maddox | Ole Miss | N/A |
| JR | LB | Jalen Smith | Mississippi State | 30 Tkl, 7 TFL, 3 Sacks |
| FR | MLB | Manu Hasty | Vanderbilt | 52 Tkl |
| JR | SS | Omar Thornton | Boston College | 55 Tkl, TFL, INT |
| SO | SS | Kris Wokomah | Air Force | 52 Tkl, INT |
| FR | MLB | Landon Mccomber | Stanford | 40 Tkl |
| FR | DE | Jimmy Van Pelt | Oregon | N/A |
| SO | MLB | Jadyn Walker | USC | 3 Tkl |
| JR | G | Tyler Chen | San Jose State | 1 Sack |
| FR | LB | Greg Foxworth | Kansas | 2 Tkl, TFL |
| SO | LT | Shamir Fowler | UNLV | 1 Sack |
| JR | LB | Chris D’Appolonia | Maryland | 13 Tkl |
| SO | FS | Ashton Williams | BYU | N/A |
| SO | TE | Josh Schuchts | UTEP | N/A |
| FR | SS | Jeremiah Jones | USF | 70 Tkl |
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djp73
- Posts: 11507
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 13:42
No Father's Son
got you a whole defense out the portal 
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Soapy
- Posts: 13745
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:42
No Father's Son
shits on the transfer portal, almost leaves himself after a year and then reloads in the portal
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Caesar
- Chise GOAT
- Posts: 13864
- Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 10:47
No Father's Son
Kris Wokomah is elite. A+ class just from him.
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3823
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
No Father's Son
we got some ballers, but this time it was calculated
when did he shit on the portal!? And he didn't almost leave - he said from the jump he didn't want the job, but Coach Smith told him the optics would look bad if he outright turned it down, so he took the visit anyways
Wokomah looks solid, but this Hasty kid is
prototype LB in my system
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3823
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
No Father's Son
ayo
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redsox907
Topic author - Posts: 3823
- Joined: 01 Jun 2025, 12:40
