RECRUITING: A Glance at Oregon State's 2026 Class (so far) By Position

Trent Bray is off to a solid start in the 2026 recruiting cycle. The Beavers now have verbal commitments from 11 players (including eight in the month of June), headlined by California quarterback Deagan Rose. A rising high school senior, Rose's stock continues to go up, and OSU may have to fight with other schools to keep his commitment.

But aside from QB, how are things looking at other positions? Looking at the current depth chart in addition to the 2025 class, we are going to evaluate where the Beavers are looking strong, and what areas they should emphasize for the remainder of the 2026 recruiting cycle.

Position of Strength: Corner

Over the past five seasons, Oregon State has recruited fairly well at defensive back, and that hasn't changed since Trent Bray took over as head coach in 2024. Last month the Beavers secured the commitment of Kai Wheaton, a three-star who also held offers from Colorado and Texas Tech. Combined with Jalil Tucker and Trey Glasper in this year's class, OSU seems to be in good shape going forward at CB.

Position to Emphasize: Safety

It can be difficult to gauge where a program stands at this position, because it's always possible that they can utilize someone who was recruited as a corner at safety. This being said, the Beavers have not signed a safety rated 0.85 or higher in either 2025 or 2026. With 2025 being senior Skyler Thomas' last season of eligibility, the Beavers should be looking to sign a quality safety in their 2026 class.

Position of Strength: Defensive End/OLB

With the additions of high school recruits Niklas Fisher and Bleu Dantzler to this year's roster, Oregon State is shaping up well with edge rushers for the next couple seasons (worth noting that defensive end and OLB often play a similar type of role in OSU's system). Zekiah Saez and Shemar Meikle are both only sophomores, while Takari Hickle is just a junior.

Position to Emphasize: DT

While edge of the line has good potential going forward, the Beavers should be looking to build up on the interior of the defensive line. The good news is that former Oregon transfer Tevita Pome'e is only a sophomore, as is DT Thomas Collins. But in today's era of the transfer portal, there is never any way of knowing who will stick around all four years. With a long way to go in the 2026 recruiting class, the Beavers will want to target at least one defensive tackle.

Notes about other positions:

Wide Receiver:

Receiver Cynai Thomas is one of the headliners of OSU's 2026 class. Last season as a high school junior, he had over 700 receiving yards and caught 12 TD passes. Thomas chose Oregon State over offers from Oregon and Washington, and is a big win on the recruiting trail. The Beavers also got the commitment of California athlete Malcom Watkins last month, who is expected to primarily be a receiver at the college level. With the departure of Darrius Clemons and Trent Walker after this season, OSU might look to add another wideout to the 2026 class.

Offensive Line:

As of late, Oregon State has not recruited particularly well with offensive lineman compared to the skill positions. They did land the commitment of West Linn tackle Jake Normoyle, a solid pickup. However, the Beavers should put a high priority on signing at least one high-quality offensive lineman in the 2026 cycle.