Top 5 Transfer Targets

Now that the football season is over it is transfer season! The NCAA got rid of that dumb rule where schools could prevent their former athletes from transferring to certain places, so I would expect more transfer activity than usual. For example, yesterday Oregon State’s Dwayne Williams announced that he is applying for a 6th year of eligibility and will be transferring to another college for his final year. Best of luck to Williams on his next chapter, it’s been a joy to watch him in Corvallis.

The transfer season presents an opportunity for Oregon State though. Under Jonathan Smith they have shown the proclivity to be a good destination for student-athletes that would like a bigger opportunity on the field. And just based off of who has announced their intentions to transfer this season, these are some players I think Oregon State should pursue.

1. Nathan Eldridge (Arizona Transfer) - Center

The offensive lineman from Arizona started 25 consecutive games at center between the 2016 and 2017 seasons before an injury wiped out his 2018 season. He confirmed the rumors and announced his decision to transfer recently on twitter and as a grad transfer will be eligible immediately next season.

He’s already visited Corvallis and the Beavers OL coach, Jim Michalczik, was his former position coach in Tucson and has been recruiting him. With Oregon State’s struggles at the line of scrimmage and the graduation of Sumner Houston, Nathan Eldridge is undeniably Oregon State’s most important transfer target this off-season.

2. Jalen Chatman (Rutgers Transfer) - QB

Another man high on the Beavers priority list is Jalen Chatman. The former 3-star dual threat quarterback recruit recently announced his decision to transfer from Rutgers and find a new home for college. Jermar Jefferson and Isaiah Smalls have ties to Chatman and want Corvallis to be his new home.

Unfortunately, Chatman would have to sit out a year and while a QB may not seem like a pressing need. The depth behind Tristian Gebbia is shaky. I’m rooting for Jake Luton to get a 6th year of eligibility and return to Corvallis, but either way Jalen Chatman would be a welcome and much-needed addition in Corvallis.

3. Wayne Kirby (BYU Transfer) - DT

Back to what really matters, the line of scrimmage! Wayne Kirby is a former 3-star defensive lineman recruit who originally enrolled to play for Oregon out of high school. He quickly came to his senses and got away from that toxic environment, but not before playing in 9 games as a true freshman. He never saw the field at BYU after missing fall camp and the first week of the season. Kirby will have to prove that he can get back to the potential he showed coming out of high school, but Oregon State desperately needs defensive lineman and Kirby could make a big impact for the Beavs.

4. Naytron Culpepper (USF Transfer) - CB/S

Naytron Culpepper is a talented secondary player that is transferring from USF. The former 2017 recruit from Florida was strongly considering Oregon State out of high school and the Beavers really wanted him to come to Corvallis. Could there be an opening for him the second time around?

5. Christian Folau (BYU Transfer) - LB

Another BYU transfer that has some ties to the state of Oregon in Chiristian Folau. Folau signed with Kalani Sitake/Oregon State before serving a 2-year LDS mission in the 2015 recruiting class and then followed Kalani to BYU after his mission.

The East High School product (Salt Lake City, Utah) was a 3-star recruit who also had offers from Utah, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Cal, Stanford, Washington and Utah State out of high school. After redshirting in 2017, Folau never saw the field this season after dealing with various injuries.

Would Folau consider transferring to the school he originally committed to before his mission? It’s possible, Utah State is another possible destination with the return of former head coach Gary Andersen though.

The early signing period is less than a week away (December 19th-21st) and while many transfers won’t make a decision that quickly; college coaching staffs have a limited number of scholarships available. At the FBS level they are granted 85 scholarships and the Beavers already have about 66 scholarships locked up for 2019. A lot can happen before next season, but with 14 verbal commits for the 2019 recruiting class the Beavers staff will need to be prudent with how they allocate their remaining scholarships.