The Oregon State Beavers will feature a new conference, a new head coach, new coordinators — and a new roster — heading into the 2024 college football season.
Since Trent Bray was named coach on Nov. 28, he has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to overhaul the Beavers’ roster, diving head-first into the transfer portal to plug holes and bolster a two-deep that has been decimated by departures in the wake of conference realignment and coach Jonathan Smith’s defection to Michigan State.
Bray has landed 13 portal pledges in his six weeks as coach, adding two quarterbacks, two running backs, two offensive linemen, three cornerbacks and four defensive linemen to the Beavers’ roster.
Classes for winter term started Monday in Corvallis and students can add courses without department approval through Sunday, so there’s still a little time for Bray to add to the roster before spring practices. And, of course, another transfer portal window opens in April.
But, as of now, Oregon State has added 13 players through the transfer portal this offseason. Here’s a rundown of them all:
GEVANI MCCOY, QB
Height/weight: 6-2, 185 pounds
Status in 2024: Redshirt junior
Previous school: Idaho
This and that: McCoy was a lightly recruited prospect out of Lakewood, California, but blossomed into a star at Idaho, passing for 5,550 yards and 43 touchdowns after winning the starting job as a redshirt freshman. A two-year starter, he led the Vandals to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs last season, when he emerged as the best quarterback in the Big Sky Conference. As a freshman, he won the Jerry Rice Award, given to the best freshman in the FCS, and as a sophom*ore, he was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, given to the best offensive player in the FCS. An accurate, athletic and mobile quarterback, McCoy left Idaho ranked ninth in school history in both passing yards and touchdowns, and figures to contend for the Beavers’ starting job next season.
GABARRI JOHNSON, QB
Height/weight: 5-10, 195 pounds
Status in 2024: Redshirt freshman
Previous school: Missouri
This and that: Johnson was a four-star recruit in the 2023 class who was rated the nation’s No. 22 quarterback by 247Sports. The Beavers, along with several other schools — including Oregon, Washington, Utah and Arkansas — offered him scholarships out of Tacoma, but he elected to go to Missouri. Johnson redshirted for the Tigers last season and did not play in a game, so he has four years of college eligibility remaining. A dual-threat quarterback, Johnson passed for 2,222 yards and 28 touchdowns, and rushed for 737 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior at Lincoln High School in 2022. He’s one of three quarterbacks to commit to Oregon State since Bray became coach, joining McCoy and Wilsonville High School’s Kallen Gutridge.
JAM GRIFFIN, RB
Height/weight: 5-9, 210 pounds
Status in 2024: Redshirt senior
Previous school: Mississippi
This and that: Griffin is returning to Corvallis for his final college season after spending 2023 at Mississippi, and figures to provide running back depth behind behind two-time, all-conference standout Damien Martinez. Griffin played one season for the Beavers in 2022, rushing for 288 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games, before entering the transfer portal two days before the start of preseason camp last August. He didn’t see the field much at Mississippi, rushing just seven times for 39 yards, while playing mostly on special teams. A veteran back who has played in 34 games over four seasons, Griffin has rushed for 904 yards in his college career.
ANTHONY HANKERSON, RB
Height/weight: 5-9, 195 pounds
Status in 2024: Junior
Previous school: Colorado
This and that: Hankerson was a sought-after three-star high school recruit out of Florida in the 2022 class before committing to Colorado, choosing the Buffaloes over the likes of Georgia, LSU, Florida State and South Carolina. He rushed for 593 yards and four touchdowns in two seasons at Colorado, including 319 yards and one touchdown under Sanders last season, when he made two starts and split time with freshman Dylan Edwards. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
KOBE SINGLETON, CB
Height/weight: 5-11, 185 pounds
Status in 2024: Redshirt senior
Previous school: Liberty
This and that: Singleton was a first-team all-Conference USA selection last season for Liberty, finishing with four interceptions, one fumble recovery and 41 tackles on a team that went undefeated in the regular season and played in the Fiesta Bowl. He entered the portal after the bowl game and initially committed to West Virginia, before switching his pledge to Bray and Oregon State. Singleton, who went to high school in Pasco, Washington, also had offers from TCU, Mississippi State, Illinois and Cincinnati. This will be the third college stop for Singleton, who began his career at Southern Utah, where he earned third-team all-Big Sky honors in 2022.
SAI VADRAWALE III, CB
Height/weight: 6-0, 180 pounds
Status in 2024: Redshirt freshman
Previous school: Cal
This and that: Vadrawale was a three-star recruit in the 2023 class who had more than a dozen scholarship offers. He chose Cal over the likes of Washington, Colorado State and Air Force. Vadrawale played in just two games for the Bears last season, recording one tackle against UCLA, and will have four years of college eligibility remaining. He finished with 145 tackles and six interceptions at Rancho Cotate High School, located north of San Francisco.
MASON WHITE, CB
Height/weight: 6-1, 185 pounds
Status in 2024: Sophom*ore
Previous school: TCU
This and that: The Beavers were one of nearly 20 schools to offer White a year ago when he transferred from junior college, but he elected to go to TCU. He played in four games with the Horned Frogs last season, recording one tackle against SMU, before entering the portal a second time. A gifted athlete, White played on offense, defense and special teams at Birmingham Charter High School in California, finishing with 1,429 receiving yards, 630 rushing yards and 10 interceptions in his career. He also competed in track and field. Before joining TCU, White recorded seven interceptions and 53 tackles at Mt. San Antonio College.
TYGEE HILL, DL
Height/weight: 6-3, 288 pounds
Status in 2024: Redshirt sophom*ore
Previous school: LSU
This and that: Hill is coming to Corvallis after two seasons at LSU, where he played in nine games and made three tackles as a role player along the Tigers’ defensive line. Hill, who went to high school in New Orleans, was a decorated and sought-after recruit in the 2022 class and chose the hometown Tigers over a host of offers from prominent schools, including Alabama, Texas, Florida, Mississippi and Miami. He pledged to the Beavers hours after they learned they were losing standout lineman Sione Lolohea to the transfer portal. Hill has three years of eligibility remaining.
TEVITA POME’E, DL
Height/weight: 6-3, 318 pounds
Status in 2024: Redshirt freshman
Previous school: Oregon
This and that: Pome’e, who was a three-star prospect in the 2023 class, arrives in Corvallis after spending his first college season at Oregon. Originally from Tonga, Pome’e played in just one game with the Ducks and did not record a statistic, meaning he will have four years of college eligibility remaining. He went to high school in Utah and chose the Ducks over a host of schools, including USC, Washington, Utah — and the Beavers. A two-sport high school standout who also competed in track, Pome’e was the 24th-ranked defensive tackle recruit in the nation according to ESPN, and played in the 2023 Polynesian Bowl alongside Gabarri Johnson.
AMIPELEASI LANGI, DL
Height/weight: 6-6, 310 pounds
Status in 2024: Senior
Previous school: Houston
This and that: Langi played two seasons at Houston after transferring from junior college. He played in just four games for the Cougars, recording one tackle against UTSA. Houston fired coach Dana Holgorsen after a disappointing season and Langi entered the portal, bringing size and experience to a Beavers’ defensive line in the middle of an overhaul. He landed at Houston after recording 27.0 tackles, including 5.0 for loss, in 10 games at Independence Community College, picking the Cougars over offers from Nebraska, Tennessee and Maryland, among others.
NICK NORRIS, DL
Height/weight: 6-5, 260 pounds
Status in 2024: Senior
Previous school: Northern Colorado
This and that: A one-time teammate of former Beavers lineman Joe Golden at Northern Colorado, Norris landed at the FCS school after receiving little interest on the recruiting trail. He had a strong sophom*ore season after Golden transferred to OSU, recording 68 tackles, including seven tackles for loss and one sack. And he was off to a good start as a junior last season, before suffering a season-ending wrist injury after five games. He is expected to compete for playing time along the Beavers’ re-tooled defensive line.
GERAD CHRISTIAN-LICHTENHAN, OL
Height/weight: 6-10, 315 pounds
Status in 2024: Junior
Previous school: Colorado
This and that: On a Colorado offensive line considered a weak link, Christian-Lichtenhan was a bright spot, starting 11 games at left tackle and playing 827 offensive snaps. When Deion Sanders became coach at Colorado and told his team he was going to overhaul the roster with transfers, Christian-Lichtenhan was one of the few to remain — one of just nine, in fact. He has played in 33 games, including 19 starts, in his college career, and comes to Corvallis with offensive line coach Kyle DeVan, who joined Bray’s staff after spending two years with the Buffaloes.
VAN WELLS, C
Height/weight: 6-2, 290 pounds
Status in 2024: Junior
Previous school: Colorado
This and that: Wells, who also played under DeVan at Colorado, was the first transfer to commit to Bray and brings a wealth of high-level experience to Corvallis, having played in 20 games over two seasons for the Buffaloes. One of the few holdovers in the transition to Sanders, Wells started 10 games and played 740 snaps last season, logging a PFF blocking grade of 67.5, which included a team-best pass blocking grade of 80.7. A three-star prospect in the 2022 class, Wells was rated as the nation’s No. 9 center by ESPN.
— Joe Freeman | jfreeman@oregonian.com | 503-294-5183 | @BlazerFreeman | Subscribe to The Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
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