Surprises From Oregon State's First Two-Deep Depth Chart

Yesterday, Oregon State University’s football communications staff released an official depth chart for Friday’s football season opener against Cal.

As expected, injured starting wide receiver Darrius Clemons is nowhere to be found. Yesterday on Instagram, Clemons told fans that he would miss the season with an ACL tear. 

However, there were still many surprises on the Beavers’ first depth chart of the season. This piece breaks them all down.

Guards Tyler Voltin and JT Hand are spectators on Saturday

Perhaps the biggest surprise was the omission of veteran guards Tyler Voltin and JT Hand. While Voltin suffered a gruesome leg injury last September that sidelined him for the rest of the 2024 season, he participated in Fall camp. Earlier this month, new offensive line coach Mike Cavanaugh not only spoke of Voltin as a starter, but as a leader.  Yesterday, Trent Bray refused to discuss individual players’ injury statuses in his weekly presser, and there have been no hints or rumors that Voltin suffered an injury, so the Stayton native’s disappearance from the two deep will leave fans guessing.

Hand, a transfer from Arizona, was penciled in at one of the starting guard spots from the moment he arrived on campus. In three seasons in the desert, he played in 10 games. Oregon State’s lack of veteran guards seemingly made him a lock to win the job, but instead Mike Cavanaugh’s interior offensive line features redshirt-sophomore Hillsboro native Ryan Berger (Liberty HS) and mammoth 6’5” redshirt junior Nathan Elu flanking the experienced starting center Van Wells.

The kicking competition is over, for now

Redshirt junior kicker Caleb Ojeda has won Oregon State’s starting placekicker job over redshirt sophomore Logan McReery and recent Japanese senior transfer Tetsuda Tsuyumine. The 2025 season will mark Ojeda’s first game action since transferring from the juco College of San Mateo, where he played from 2022-2023. In his sophomore year of juco ball, Ojeda connected on 10-of-14 field goals with a season long of 47 yards.

Sailasa Vadrawale III starts at nickel corner

A backup last season, redshirt sophomore Sailasa Vadrawale III was thrust into Oregon State’s 2024 lineup due to a dizzying slate of injuries. While the Beavers secondary stayed healthy in Fall camp, the former Cal transfer appears to have seized the most of last season’s opportunity. He will start Saturday night’s season opener as Oregon State’s top nickel corner.

Previously, it was expected that Kobe Singleton was in line for the starting nickel job. The redshirt senior was placed on a preseason watch list for Comeback Player of the Year, and he drew substantial praise from coaches last season before suffering a season ending injury in early October. Another name of note for the Beavers was redshirt junior Noble Thomas Jr., who started early last season before suffering a season-ending injury. While Singleton cracked the two-deep as Vadrawale III’s backup, signaling that he may get the nod in Dime personnel, Thomas missed the depth chart entirely.

Transfer Jalil Tucker starts at boundary corner

Jalil Tucker has taken a long, arduous path through his college football career. The former Lincoln High School (San Diego, CA) standout signed in Oregon’s 2022 class, but transferred to San Diego State after only recording 2 tackles in his freshman season.

Back home in 2023, Tucker struggled even further: he appeared in no games for the Aztecs. So he transferred again - this time to juco San Diego Mesa College - and thrived. After being ranked the nation’s 8th best juco corner according to 247Sports, the San Diego native packed his bags for Corvallis. 

Tucker beat out the aforementioned Kobe Singleton, as well as three freshmen who cracked the depth chart: Sean Craig, Trey Glasper, and David Madison. Tucker will start at one of the defense’s boundary corner positions, opposite sophomore Exodus Ayers and the aforementioned nickel Sailasa Vadrawale III, on Saturday night.