Can Beavers' Continue To Grow In 2027...Or Have They Already Plateaued?
Ricky McKinley // Dam Daily • Published: August 31st, 2027
The question everyone is asking about Oregon State football heading into 2027 is: are we a team on the rise, or did we already reach the plateau in a Group of Six conference?
It's a valid point, to be sure. The newest rendition of the Pac-12 is far from the powerhouse of previous generations, even with Boise State headlining the conference and the emergence of our beloved Beavers. If we've learned anything about the new age of college football, the disparity between the haves and have-nots is wider than ever. We almost saw that play out in real time when South Carolina courted Armando Leon, our rising star defensive coordinator, despite only one year of coaching under his belt.
The Beavers of 2026 took care of business when they were supposed to—ugly loss to Washington State aside—but were clearly overmatched against the likes of Oregon and Texas Tech. When they drew the 16th-ranked SMU Mustangs, who had narrowly missed the ACC Conference Championship Game, in the Holiday Bowl, many predicted another rough outing to close out the 2026 season for the Beavers.
Instead, Oregon State arrived in San Diego with a chip on their shoulder and stunned the Mustangs 31-28, pushing the Beavers to a 10-win season one year removed from a 10-loss campaign. The message from the Beavers was clear; we don't shy away from any challenge. The next step? Closing the gap between themselves and other premier teams around the country.
This offseason, the Beavers made all the moves you'd expect from a team on the rise. It's not hyperbole to say the offense was subpar for much of the season, with much of the blame landing fully on Kallen Gutridge's shoulders. That isn't to say the quarterback didn't have his moments, but they were few and far between. More often than not, our top-10 rated defense was left to fend off the opposition praying that the offense would produce enough points to give them a cushion. A team with aspirations of continuing to elevate their profile addresses that situation in the offseason, not hoping it fixes itself with a year of experience.
And Oregon State did just that, poaching former Ole Miss QB AJ Maddox. Maddox is a more polished version with similar upside to Gutridge, with a superb arm, and while head coach Jonathan Smith didn't state that it was Maddox's job to lose, the whispers out of Corvallis are that Maddox is almost assuredly going to be the starter.
The other glaring issue for the Beavers was replacing the glut of production that departed defensively during graduation. Oregon State recorded 62 sacks in 2026, ranked 2nd nationally, but only Kelze Howard (5), Sailasa Vadrawale III (4), and Kodi DeCambra (1) are returning from that top-ranked unit. To say they addressed that issue would be an understatement, according to some analysts and defensive coordinator Armando Leon.
"You look at the talent we added in the portal, and it's substantial," the now second-year coordinator said after the portal window closed. "We did a lot of mixing and matching last year, trying to maximize the talent we had on the roster with what we needed on the field. But this year, we got guys that are versatile. Manu Hasty can clean up everything in between the lines, Jalen Smith is a ferocious pass-rusher with great bend, who has the ability to drop in coverage when needed. We love JVP out of Oregon and from my conversations with him, he's got a chip on his shoulder this year.
"And don't overlook both Omar and Kris. Their addition frees up Kodi DeCambra to move to cornerback full-time, which should really help our secondary coverage out. He's probably one of our best pure coverage defenders, being able to slot him opposite of Sailasa is going to be huge helping us eliminate the chunk plays on the back end that plagued us last year."
The Beavers went out and got the pieces they needed on both sides of the ball; now the question is can they build on last year's success without the disguise of ambiguity?
"Last year, no one expected them to shoot to the top like they did," one Pac-12 athletic director stated anonymously, "But now? Everyone wants to kind of put them back in their place so to speak. It's a great story on the outside, but on the inside it kind of intensifies the scrutiny. Every AD in the conference is looking at their guys now saying 'why couldn't we do that? We have the same resources.' I can tell you, my program definitely has taken a hard look in the mirror and wondered what they did that we aren't."
Unlike last season, where the Beavers went on the road to Houston before hosting ranked Texas Tech in Week 2, the Beavers have a soft opening in 2027.
They open the season hosting FCS Portland State, then follow that up with a visit from the New Mexico State Lobos, but from there things ramp up quickly. A trip to Autzen Stadium and the 5th-ranked Oregon Ducks looms large in Week 3, followed by road contests at BYU and Ole Miss before diving into conference play.
"I think everyone has that Oregon game circled; that's where we see how good this Oregon State team really is," confessed Jonathan Smith after a Friday practice, "But I know AJ is really looking forward to the trip back to Oxford as well.
"But regardless of how we do in non-conference play, the ultimate goal is another Pac-12 Championship and we can't lose sight of that goal. Stacking a few wins before we get there would be preferred, however."
The Beavers shocked the Pacific Northwest last season; now we'll see if they can do it again.
Stay tuned for the pre-game coverage of Week 1's tilt against the Portland State Vikings and a new year of "Leon's Lowdown."
Until then, keep building that dam, Beaver Nation!
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2027 Oregon State Beavers Roster
81 Overalll / 81 Offense / 81 Defense
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- 2026)
