Oregon State football position preview: Tight end

The Oregon State Beavers signed two transfers to bolster the top of their depth chart because the tight end position produced very little previous season.

Riley Williams, a former standout player for Central Catholic, comes to OSU from Miami, where he spent two seasons as a Hurricane. Jackson Bowers, who transferred from BYU, also joins the group.

Jermaine Terry, the top receiver from the tight end position, has graduated. Could the addition of Maalik Murphy as quarterback boost the workload for this group through the air, and how will the newcomers compete with the Beavers’ returning tight ends?

Chart of projected TE depth:

Grade for position: B-

Evaluation:

Williams, who made 21 appearances for Miami coach Mario Cristobal, is expected to assume the primary role for the Beavers this season. The 6-5 Williams was a formidable presence in the run blocking game, which will probably be a major aspect of his job at OSU in front of Anthony Hankerson and company, despite his meager 15 catches for 187 yards.

Caufield, who played in all 12 games last season, is OSU’s top returner and the team’s most seasoned tight end. However, he only managed six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, Bowers played in just five games for BYU over the course of two seasons, despite being a standout for the Beavers in the spring.

This collection of tight ends from OSU has a lot of size and skill, but none of them have shown themselves as reliable receiving options yet. With two-way senior Andy Alfieri, who is now primarily a linebacker, redshirt senior Gabe Milbourn, redshirt freshman Carson Kolb, and incoming freshmen T Andre Waverly and Cody Siegner rounding out the depth chart, that may create opportunities for other players to make an impression.

Will Ryan Gunderson, the offensive coordinator, employ his tight ends more in the passing game now that Murphy is leading the charge?

Perhaps the safety net of Murphy’s large tight ends will be more useful than it was for his predecessors because of his quick and effective decision-making in the spring. Teams will probably target Hankerson down around the goal line because of their size, which should be advantageous in the red zone in particular.

Additional previews for OSU positions:

OL|DT|EDGE|ILB|CB|RB|WR|QB

Early previews of OSU’s opponents:

First game: California

Second Game: Fresno State

Texas Tech in Game 3

Houston in Game 5

Appalachian State in Game 6

Wake Forest in Game 7

Lafayette in Game 8

Washington State in Games 9/12

Sam Houston State in Game 10

Tulsa in Game 11

–For The Oregonian/OregonLive, Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon State Beavers. You may contact him on Twitter at X:@RyanTClarke or by email at RClarke@Oregonian.com. His Bluesky handle is @ryantclarke.bsky.social.

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