Oregon State Football

Former Florida State wide receiver Malik Benson has committed to Oregon in the transfer portal, he told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Benson decided to join the Ducks in order to play for Dan Lanning's staff and alongside projected starter Dante Moore, he told Thamel.

He was granted an additional year of eligibility thanks to the NCAA's recent decision to grant a waiver to former junior college transfers.

Benson began his career at Hutchinson Community College before committing to Alabama as 247Sports' top-ranked JUCO prospect.

He transferred to Florida State after one season, then re-entered the portal on Dec. 23 after recording 25 catches for 311 yards and a touchdown with the Seminoles.

Benson made 12 catches for 171 yards and a touchdown over the first three games of the season, but saw his targets decrease after that as the Seminoles' quarterback trio combined for just 2,164 total passing yards.

His other top choices were Tennessee, a program bringing back quarterback Nico Iamaleava, and Kansas, where quarterback Jalon Daniels is returning.

Both signal callers boasted more college experience than Moore, who has not started since transferring from UCLA to Oregon ahead of the 2024 season.

But Benson might be hoping to get more targets at Oregon, where the Ducks are looking to replenish their wide receiver room as they prepare to lose their top two wideouts in Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden to the NFL Draft.

Evan Stewart, who ranked third with 613 receiving yards last season, has yet to announce whether he will return for 2025.

If Stewart does come back to Eugene for his final year of college eligibility, the combination of him and Benson would give the Ducks a speedy wideout duo that could help them replace Johnson's agility. Benson is a former high school track athlete who rank a 10.4-second 100-meter dash, per 247Sports Allen Trieu,

Florida State is meanwhile looking to rebound from a 2-10 finish to the 2024 season with the transfer additions of former Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos and former USC wideout Duce Robinson.

The Noles may continue adding to their receiving room in order to replace Benson as Mike Norvell's team looks to bolster their chances of returning to bowl game contention.

Oregon State released its 2025 football schedule on Wednesday, and it reveals an interesting quirk.

Oregon State 2025 Football Schedule 🔒

📲: https://t.co/vilQprQ0lH pic.twitter.com/eV7qu9jJ3p

— Oregon State Football (@BeaverFootball) October 23, 2024

The Beavers will play two regular season games against Pac-12 rival Washington State, one at home on Nov. 1 and another on Nov. 29 in Pullman.

"We're excited to have a second straight year with seven dates at Reser Stadium," Oregon State's athletic director Scott Barnes said in a statement.

"We elected to play two games against Washington State in order to maximize the strength of this schedule, which includes intriguing matchups both at home and on the road."

At the moment, Oregon State and Washington State are the only two remaining Pac-12 teams after the 10 other ex-members defected for the Big Ten, Big 12 or ACC.

However, the Pac-12 is rebuilding, adding Gonzaga, Boise State, Fresno State, Utah State, Colorado State and San Diego State beginning in 2026. Gonzaga does not have a football program, putting the Pac-12 at seven football teams in two years.

Oregon State notably plays some former Pac-12 rivals in Cal and, of course, in-state rival Oregon. But playing two games against the same opponent in the regular season is unique, although not unprecedented.

Chris Vannini of The Athletic provided more insight on the matter.

📆 Oregon State releases its 2025 schedule, which includes two games against Washington State, home and away.

(Independents have done this before. Liberty and NMSU played twice a few years ago. Also helps Pac-12's 2025 TV rights) pic.twitter.com/ipMJa1vhHF

— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) October 23, 2024

ESPN's Kyle Bonagura also provided more insight.

The Oregon State and Washington State home-and-home is happening next year, both schools announced.

Has seemed like an obvious play since the MWC scheduling agreement talks broke down for 2025. Makes a lot of sense.

— Kyle Bonagura (@BonaguraESPN) October 23, 2024

Per Greg Woods of the Spokesman-Review, Washington State now has 10 games lined up for 2025, with two openings left.

Oregon State transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei has made his decision on where he will play his final college football season.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Uiagalelei has committed to play for Florida State in 2024. He has one year of eligibility left after spending the first three seasons of his career at Clemson.

Thamel reported on Sunday that Uiagalelei was Florida State's "top target" in the transfer portal this year. He took a visit to the school in early December but was still deciding between staying in school or declaring for the NFL draft.

In his lone season at Oregon State, Uiagalelei led the team to an 8-4 record while throwing for a career-best 2,638 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions, good for a passer rating of 145.0. He also added six rushing touchdowns.

Uiagalelei will help Florida State replace quarterback Jordan Travis, who completed his sixth college football season this year and will be moving on to the NFL. An injury to his lower left leg ended Travis' 2023 campaign after 11 games, but he was one of the catalysts for the Seminoles' stellar season.

Florida State went 13-1 with its lone loss coming in the Orange Bowl against Georgia this past Saturday. The Seminoles were the biggest snub from the College Football Playoff, as they had an undefeated regular season and won the ACC championship.

Uiagalelei will be tasked with getting Florida State back into contention for a national title next year.

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 216

HAND: 9¼"

ARM: 32⅜"

WINGSPAN: 76⅞"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.58

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL: 36"

BROAD: 9'10"

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POSITIVES

— Physical safety with very good size and length. Strength is on full display in the run game.

— Good movement skills for his size. Fluid pedal and quick feet in space. Has short-area quickness to cover initial moves in routes.

— High-motor defender who quickly closes space on ball-carriers. Flows to the ball with good feel and vision.

— Strong tackler who fronts up ball-carriers while driving his feet through contact. Effective blitzer who can blitz from interior and off the edge.

— Plays the ball well when able to get his head around and locate it. Above-average ball skills to capitalize.

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NEGATIVES

— Lacks the change-of-direction ability to cover shiftier receivers. Can get rocked on his heels in backpedal at times. Tightness can show up in open-field tackling.

— Has good speed but will struggle to carry faster receivers deep. Also has difficulty matching crossing routes through traffic.

— Can panic and face-guard at times when downfield. Rarely able to play through receiver's hands.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 G, 74 TOT, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 SK, 2 INT, 8 PD, 1 FR, 1 FF

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NOTES

— Born Oct. 10, 2000

— Unranked recruit in 2018 class, per 247Sports

— 2023 second-team All-Pac 12

— 2022 first-team All-Pac-12 (AP, PFF)

— 2022 All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention

— 2022 Pac 12 Defensive Player of the Week (2x)

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OVERALL

Kitan Oladapo was a multi-year starter for the Oregon State secondary. The All-Pac-12 defender boasts great size and strength. He excels in the run game and has enough movement skill to be sufficient in the pass game.

Oladapo is a long-armed defender who has the ideal size to play safety. He's a physical defender who seeks out contact. He plays with a high motor that takes him all over the field. He plays with good instincts to identify plays and quickly react to what he sees.

In the run game, he quickly comes downhill, closing ground before striking ball-carriers. Oladapo isn't afraid to front up and drive his legs through contact, often delivering big hits. Though he isn't afraid to get in the mix, there is tightness that shows up in space, where he can overrun tackles or have trouble redirecting with shiftier ball-carriers.

When playing in the box, Oladapo serves as a great addition in the run game, blitzing from inside and on the edge. His physical strength also comes to light when taking on blocks. He does a good job of discarding receivers and taking on linemen.

As a coverage defender, Oladapo has just enough twitch and speed to cover receivers. He has the foot quickness and change of direction to cover the first move of a route, but he struggles defending double-moves or shifty receivers.

When covering tight ends or bigger slots, Oladapo does a good job of driving on the ball and playing through the hands of receivers. There are too many times in which he decides to face-guard receivers and play their hands, which often leads him to be handsy and panic at times. When he gets his head around to locate the ball, he is able to either deflect the pass or pluck it out of the air with his strong hands and above-average ball skills.

Oladapo's size and physicality should make him a good run defender in the NFL, but his lack of twitch and movement skills are an area of concern. He will have to find a role as a strong safety with the ability to cover tight ends man-to-man and the underneath areas in zone coverage. If he's able to do both, he might carve out a long NFL career.

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GRADE: 7.5 (Potential Impact Player — 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 35

POSITION RANK: S3

PRO COMPARISON: Tracy Walker

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

After being abandoned by the 10 schools departing the Pac-12, Washington State and Oregon State earned a consolation prize.

Per Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic, Oregon State and Washington State reached a settlement with the Pac-12 and its outgoing members on Thursday. A joint statement from all 12 schools said, "We are pleased to have reached an agreement in principle that ends litigation."

As part of the settlement agreement, the departing schools will forfeit a portion of distributions over the remainder of the 2023-24 academic year and provide guarantees against future liabilities such as lawsuits, the presidents of Washington State and Oregon State said in a joint statement. The two schools will also retain other conference assets and all future revenue.

"This agreement ensures that the future of the Pac-12 will be decided by the schools that are staying, not those that are leaving," the statement said. "We look forward to what the future holds for our universities, our student-athletes, the Pac-12 Conference and millions of fans.

Earlier on Thursday, Auerbach also reported that Oregon State and Washington State have been voted into the West Coast Conference as affiliate members in most non-football sports for the 2024-25 academic year. The schools will participate in all WCC-sponsored sports except baseball, though they have 30 days to decide if they want to add baseball to the league or go independent.

On Dec. 1, Oregon State and Washington State finalized a one-year scheduling agreement with the Mountain West for the 2024 college football season. The two schools will each play three Mountain West games at home and three on the road.

Oregon State and Washington State have taken control of the Pac-12 ahead of its final seven months as a 12-team conference.

The Washington Supreme Court on December 15 denied a request to review a lower court's decision to give the universities control of the Pac-12 board, according to ESPN's Kyle Bonagura.

The decision lifted the emergency stay granted by a Washington State Supreme Court commissioner to the University of Washington on November 28.

The November 14 decision by Whitman County Superior Court Judge Gary Libey to make OSU and WSU the sole governing members of the conference will now go into effect.

The 10 schools planning to depart from the Pac-12 in August at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season will no longer be able to vote on conference decisions.

Washington Supreme Court denies request to review the OSU/WSU lawsuit. Stay of lower court ruling is overturned, giving OSU and WSU control of the conference. pic.twitter.com/QfXrHWRUaE

— Kyle Bonagura (@BonaguraESPN) December 15, 2023

Libey's initial ruling stated that whenever OSU and WSU meet as the Pac-12 board, they must create an agenda and share it with the 10 departing schools, per KHQ's Noah Corrin, Emily Frint and Ava Wainhouse.

Departing schools impacted by the state Supreme Court's decision include Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Oregon, Southern California, Stanford, UCLA, Utah and Washington.

The 10 schools have previously accused OSU and WSU of wanting direction of the board to control the revenue earned by the Pac-12's current members.

OSU and WSU argued that the 10 schools already gave up their seats on the board by sharing plans to leave the Pac-12, citing the absence of USC and UCLA representatives from board meetings after the schools announced their upcoming departures in 2022.

WSU and OSU are set to play a six-game schedule against Mountain West opponents as a two-team conference in the 2024-25 season.

As Oregon departs the Pac-12 for the Big Ten in 2024, the future for the Ducks' rivalry with Oregon State became more clear on Thursday.

According to The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach, Oregon State will host Oregon on Sept. 14, 2024 and Oregon will host Oregon State on Sept. 20, 2025. To help accommodate the games, a three-game contract between Oregon and Boise State was reduced to two games. Oregon will host both games against Boise State in 2024 and in 2026.

Oregon will be joining the Big Ten in 2024 along with Washington, UCLA and USC. The Pac-12 will also be losing Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State to the Big 12, along with Cal and Stanford to the ACC, leaving just Oregon State and Washington State in the conference.

Oregon's full slate for its inaugural season in the Big Ten was released in November. It's schedule is highlighted by matchups with Big Ten powerhouses like Ohio State and Michigan along with some of the conference's new additions of UCLA and Washington.

Mark it down.

The full 2024 Oregon Football schedule has arrived 🦆#GoDucks x @B1Gfootball pic.twitter.com/4ZOp2vulFF

— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) November 2, 2023

Oregon State has announced its opponents for the 2024 season, but some dates are still being determined. The Beavers will face the only other Pac-12 team, Washington State along with former Pac-12 team Cal, as well as Oregon. Oregon State will also face Purdue, Idaho State and a handful of Mountain West Conference opponents in its season opener.

Oregon is coming off a successful season and gearing up to face Liberty in the VRB Fiesta Bowl. The Ducks finished the regular season 11-1 before losing to Washington in the Pac-12 Championship in a game that could have seen Oregon land a spot in the College Football Playoff with a win.

Oregon State finished 8-4 on the season, losing their final meeting with Oregon in the Pac-12 31-7. The Beavers will take on Notre Dame in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. Oregon State lost head coach Jonathan Smith to Michigan State, promoting defensive coordinator Trent Bray to take his place.

The future of the Pac-12 remains uncertain, but fans will get the Oregon vs. Oregon State rivalry for at least two more seasons.

Former Oregon State and Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is taking an official visit to Florida State this weekend, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Thamel reported on Nov. 30 that Uiagalelei had entered the transfer portal and "will be deciding in the upcoming weeks whether he'll pick a third college address or declare for the NFL draft."

Uiagalelei began his college career at Clemson in 2020 and he entered the program as one of the top recruits in the country. He was the No. 10 ranked prospect in 247Sports composite rankings for the class of 2020.

The 22-year-old appeared in nine games as a freshman, completing 66.7 percent of his passes for 914 yards and five touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 60 yards and four scores.

However, He struggled as a sophomore in 2021, completing 55.6 percent of his passes for 2,246 yards and nine touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 308 yards and four scores.

The 2022 season was also tough for Uiagalelei as he completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 2,521 yards and 22 touchdowns against seven interceptions in 13 games, in addition to rushing for 545 yards and seven scores, before being pulled late in the year for Cade Klubnik.

Uiagalelei entered the transfer portal after the 2022 campaign and joined Oregon State, where he played well for the Beavers. He completed 57.1 percent of his passes for 2,638 yards and 21 touchdowns against seven interceptions in 12 games, in addition to rushing for 219 yards and six scores.

Oregon State went 8-4 with Uiagalelei under center, including wins over No. 10 Utah and No. 18 UCLA.

Uiagalelei is one of the top quarterbacks remaining in the transfer portal after Dillon Gabriel committed to Oregon from Oklahoma and Riley Leonard committed to Notre Dame from Duke.

Florida State is coming off a brilliant 13-0 campaign in Mike Norvell's fourth season as head coach. However, the Seminoles missed out on the College Football Playoff after quarterback Jordan Travis sustained a leg injury in November.

If Uiagalelei commits to the Seminoles, he would replace Travis, who is eligible for the 2024 NFL draft.

After spending the 2023 season at Oregon State, quarterback DJ Uiagalelei reportedly could be on the verge of a return to the ACC.

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, the two schools that have emerged as Uiagalelei's top suitors are Florida State and Louisville. Mississippi State has also shown some interest. He has one more year of eligibility left after spending his first three seasons at Clemson.

Thamel described Uiagalelei as "one of the top quarterbacks available" in the transfer portal this year. Despite the reported interest from those three schools, he has no visits scheduled at the moment.

In his lone season with the Beavers, Uiagalelei threw for a career-high 2,638 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions for a passer rating of 145.0. He also added six rushing touchdowns as he led Oregon State to an 8-4 record. The team lost to Oregon in the Pac-12 title game and will face Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 29.

A 5-star recruit in the class of 2020, Uiagalelei began his career as the backup to star quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He made waves when he threw for 439 yards and two touchdowns against Notre Dame in his second career start when Lawrence was sidelined with COVID-19.

When he took over as Clemson's full-time starter in 2021, Uiagalelei struggled to find consistency and threw 10 interceptions against just nine touchdowns that season. He had a better showing in 2022 but was benched during the ACC Championship game in favor of Cade Klubnik, which led to his decision to transfer to Oregon State.

Uiagalelei is an experienced starter with a 30-10 career record, so he will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the team with whom he chooses to end his collegiate career in 2024.