Update:

Tufaga announced today that he has decided to transfer to Hawaii. Hawaii originally offered Tufaga during his recruiting. Tufaga attended High School in Honolulu, so this will be a homecoming for him.

Notably, the Beavers will take on the Warriors in their second game of the season, on September 7th. The two schools also have a rocky relationship after Oregon State was given secondary recruiting violations after being accused of tampering by Hawaii coach Nick Rolovich.

Oregon State linebacker Isaiah Tufaga has decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal, just 10 days ahead of the start of the regular season, according to a report from The Oregonian. Tufaga, a sophomore, has three years of eligibility remaining. During his freshman season, Tufaga played in 9 games, starting 3 times. He finished the season with 39 total tackles, 25 solo, and 3.5 tackles for a loss.

Tufaga was part of a linebacker corps that looked like it would be a strength for the Beavers. With Shermar Smith returning, Nebraska Avery Roberts looking strong, and freshman Omar Speights having a lot of potential, it’s possible the Beavers couldn’t find a role for Tufaga. If his playing time was going to be limited, or if he was asked to redshirt for a season, it may have prompted his decision to transfer.

During his recruiting, Tufaga was also offered by Hawaii, Nevada, Vanderbilt, Southern Utah and UNLV. He may look to one of those schools now. His brother Mason is also a top recruit, being rated as one of the nation’s best OLBs and the best recruit in Hawaii. Mason Tufaga was offered by Oregon State, but it now seems unlikely he will be considering the Beavers. In addition to OSU, he’s been offered by Oregon, Arizona, Arizona State, USC, Utah, Hawaii, Nebraska, and South Carolina. If the brothers have decided to reunite, it may be at one of those schools.

The Beavers will start their season in just 10 days, hosting Oklahoma State. While this is a big shape up, the linebacker unit is pretty deep, so hopefully the team can recover. Check back with Building the Dam for more news as the season approaches.