CORVALLIS — Several Oregon State football newcomers made their Reser Stadium debuts in the April 25 spring game and showed the potential to make an immediate impact in the fall.
New head coach JaMarcus Shephard and his staff brought in over 20 players from the transfer portal and also added a handful of freshmen to the roster this spring.
Fans got their first look at the newcomers in game action in a structured setting in the spring game.
The Beavers' offensive weaponry at wide receiver, tight end and running back had bright spots.
“They’re a hard-working group and I’m just really proud of this group that we brought in here because it speaks toward the type of individuals that we will bring into our program here at Oregon State,” Shephard said after the spring game.
Running back Tre Garrison scored one of three touchdowns in the game.
Garrison, an incoming freshman from New Orleans, wears his 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame strongly on the field. He signed with Washington State but flipped his commitment to the Shephard-led Beavers in December 2025
His touchdown came on a firm 4-yard run from a handoff delivered by quarterback Maalik Murphy.
Jesse Legree, a freshman wide receiver from Baltimore, had a handful of catches and solid plays in the spring game, including an impressive 20-yard reception from quarterback Brady Jones.
“He’s one of those freshmen who has been a thorn in (the defense’s) side all spring,” Shephard said of Legree.
Legree was a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports, and played as a two-way utility player in high school. His athleticism is undeniable, and it’s landed him an early spot among OSU’s wide receiver rotation.
Shephard said the Oregon State defense, which won the spring scrimmage on a scoring system, did a good job of covering Legree as he threatened to “take the game over” at times.
Additional freshmen offense weapons such as receivers Jameson Powell and Cynai Thomas were out running routes and the recipients of multiple targets from Oregon State’s slew of quarterbacks.
Thomas, the younger brother of former Beavers defensive back Skylar Thomas (who just signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent), stands at 6-3 and was a three-star high recruit in San Francisco.
Powell, likewise, is a three-star recruit out of California who was labeled as “talented enough to play for just about (any) school in the country,” by 247Sports.
Oregon State’s transfer additions were scattered around the field in numerous positions. But like the freshmen class, they made noticeable impacts.
Two of Shephard’s flagship signings, sophomores Aaron Butler and Aeryn Hampton, made meaningful catches in the spring game.
The pair were nationally touted as high school recruits and spent a season at two of the most prestigious football programs in the country. So hopes are high as Shephard is known developing wide receivers.
Butler, who transferred from Texas as a four-star recruit and was a three-star portal prospect, was targeted as many times as nearly any receiver and delivered one of the plays of the day with a 50-yard catch from quarterback Braden Atkinson.
Hampton, who was with Shephard at Alabama last year and was a top-30 player in the state of Texas in high school, caught a 30-yard pass from Jones in addition to a few more targets and receptions.