Top Oregon State players who've entered the transfer portal ahead of Sun Bowl against Notre Dame

Modified Dec 26, 2023 01:46 GMT

The Beavers are losing important pieces to the transfer portal

The Oregon State Beavers are getting ready to close out their season against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Friday, at this year's Sun Bowl. The Beavers are currently the No. 21 team in the nation, with them having ended the regular season with an overall 8-4 record, and 5-4 in the Pac-12.

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The highlight of their season came in Week 6 when they defeated the then-No. 10 Utah Utes 21-7. Their only other victory over a top-25 team came a couple of weeks later, in Week 7, when they defeated the then-No. 18 UCLA Bruins 36-24.

However, despite a season that brought glimpses of great things to come, the Beavers' future looks gloomy. They lost their head coach Jonathan Smith to a job offer with the Big Ten's Michigan State Spartans, and are set to lose starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei to the transfer portal. This might be because Oregon State is one of only two schools still tied to the Pac-12 in 2024, as the conference has all but ceased to exist.

Top Oregon players in the transfer portal

#1. DJ Uiagalelei - QB

Uiagalelei was the Beavers starting signal-caller this year coming from the Clemson Tigers in last year's transfer portal. In 2023 he threw for 2638 yards, with 21 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. Currently, he's expected to go back to the ACC with the Louisville Cardinals and the Florida State Seminoles being the top contenders to get his services according to On3.

#2. Jack Velling - TE

The tight end has already committed to the Michigan State Spartans next year, probably following the steps of head coach Jonathan Smith. The player was central to the Beavers offensive, earning him a Second Team All-Pac-12 selection. This season he recorded 438 receiving yards, with eight receiving touchdowns on 29 catches. A huge loss, considering he has two years left of eligibility.

#3. Aidan Chiles - QB

The Beavers not only lost their starting quarterback but also the player who was looking like a possible replacement. Freshman Aidan Chiles is another player leaving for Michigan State alongside Jonathan Smith. Chiles was a four-star recruit for Oregon State in 2022 and was also considered a four-star transfer.