With plenty in flux during the coaching search, Ti’a’s standout performance against Tulsa was a major bright spot.
CORVALLIS — Tristan Ti’a has seen the social media posts.
If you’ve been online since Oregon State’s game against Tulsa, the true freshman has become something of a mythical figure. Ti’a is equal parts savior and meme fodder as a brutal season for the Beavers (2-9) winds to an end.
“I try not to let that get to my head,” the 6-foot-2 soft-spoken signal-caller said Tuesday. “Because I know that it can lead to me being overconfident. So, I try to leave that out and let me do my own thing.”
The hype for the former four-star recruit came from his stellar performance against the Golden Hurricanes: 8 of 11 passing for 141 yards and two touchdowns as the third OSU quarterback to play after Gabarri Johnson and Maalik Murphy.
Interim coach Robb Akey wouldn’t publicly commit to Ti’a as the starter this week against Washington State, but Ti’a has certainly made his case. And he is confident in his abilities, despite his humility.
“I feel like a lot of people were asking me if I was nervous or something,” Ti’a said. “But I feel like, I don’t know, it kind of just came natural to me. It just felt like I was meant to be in that spot at that time.”
In the modern era, some fans might worry showing too much of Ti’a against the Cougars could lead to another school scooping him up in the transfer portal. But he reiterated his desire to remain with OSU on Tuesday.
That, of course, is up to whoever gets hired in the coming days as OSU’s next head coach.
“I definitely do want to stay here, so whether we get a new coach or not, I want to,” Ti’a said. “However that future conversation looks out, I would want the chance to be able to compete and stay here for that spot. And if everything happens in the way that I want to, then I’ll still be here, but if not, obviously, I’ll have to find a new spot. But hopefully everything ends up well.”
First step: earn the start (if he hasn’t already), and put together another strong performance. Ti’a’s work behind the scenes led to this moment, he said, including long weeks grinding away on the scout team.
Defensive players claim they put him through the wringer and molded a better player.
“We helped him a lot,” Sai Vadrawale said with a grin, noting that as a fellow Polynesian, he will be rooting for Ti’a in the future.
Growing up in Livermore, Calif., playing quarterback wasn’t always in the cards for Ti’a. He was mainly a baseball shortstop and basketball player. When he started playing football, Ti’a was originally a wide receiver and defensive back.
But he started playing quarterback his freshman year of high school, and became enamored with the greats: Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady and others. He appreciated their mindset above all else.
And biding his time behind two older quarterbacks during a tumultuous first season at OSU, Ti’a kept his own mindset steady. A near-pick on his first throw against Tulsa shook out the nerves, and led to an eye-popping performance that has fans talking.
“I was instilled growing up by my parents, all my family, if you get knocked down six times, seven times, come back up eight,” Ti’a said. “So, that play happening … it really helped me settle down. Like, it’s my time. I need to get going. I need to bounce back. I can’t just let that keep me down.”
Oregon State (2-9) at Washington State (5-6)
- When: Saturday, Nov. 29
- Time: 3:30 p.m. PT
- Where: Martin Stadium — Pullman, Wash.
- TV channel: The CW
- Stream: You can watch this game on DIRECTV (free trial), or with Fubo (free trial). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.
