The Beavers are on to the JaMarcus Shephard era. A brutal 2025 season is in the rearview, but the emotions linger.
PULLMAN, Wash. — Tears ran down Trey Glasper’s face. Tristan Ti’a embraced Robb Akey, the young quarterback’s shoulders shaking as the 59-year-old interim coach imparted words of encouragement.
A visibly emotional Trent Walker had to be held up by an assistant coach as he walked down the stairs to the Oregon State locker room, perhaps for the final time. Aiden Sullivan had his hood up, pacing in frustration.
It all stemmed from what happened on the field Saturday, a 32-8 loss to Washington State. But a well of emotion had been building throughout a confounding, embarrassing, remarkably bad 2025 season for the Beavers as they finished 2-10.
“If it wasn’t for the kids,” Akey said in a dark hallway outside the locker room. “I’d tell you it was miserable.”
The 2025 season featured botched snaps, blown assignments, injuries, arrests, fired coaches and a flood of fan frustration. For many, it’s probably a relief that it’s over.
Young players have a chance to hit the reset button and turn the tide. But as the Beavers enter a new era under head coach JaMarcus Shephard, there is a chance none of the aforementioned names are back wearing orange and black next season.
Yet they experienced this pressure-packed, painful season together. The memories and friendships are all many will leave with as the roster prepares to churn.
Akey brought some levity, and several players took advantage of their opportunities down the stretch, but this entire operation will look completely different come spring. This year’s team spent some of its final moments together experiencing one last jolt of adversity on a frigid night in Eastern Washington.
“This is an amazing group,” punter AJ Winsor said. “So many guys in that locker room that care so much about this team, this community, this program. It’s really hard to see that we couldn’t make this season a little better than we did.”
Some players will likely be quick to depart for the next opportunity. Maalik Murphy, the Beavers’ high-price transfer quarterback this past offseason, was the first to run back to the OSU locker room postgame after not playing a down.
The true freshman Ti’a — who struggled through much of his first career start, but showed flashes of his talent — said it’s the responsibility of the young players who do stick around the program to help OSU climb back from this low point.
“We all came here for a reason,” Ti’a said. “To just build on that reason and build up the program is very important. For all the guys that come back, hopefully all of them, we can just rebuild and take advantage of the strengths we have.”
Not all of them will come back. Most won’t, between graduating seniors and outgoing transfers. Portal departure announcements will fill the weeks ahead as Shephard remakes the team.
But regardless of where these players end up, their shared experience can either serve as a valuable lesson of persisting through tough times or a painful memory to be pushed down and buried.
“It was heartbreaking, honestly, not to be able to go out there and get a win for our seniors in their last game,” Glasper said. “The remaining teammates just gotta take that as fuel, motivation, in moving on and getting better.”
OSU believes in Shephard’s ability to pick up the pieces and make the Beavers a competitive product again. Athletic director Scott Barnes did not make the trip to Pullman on Saturday; he was in Corvallis helping lay the foundation for this program’s future.
Those who remain when the dust settles will have a chance to help write it alongside Shephard, who OSU players are set to meet for the first time in the coming days.
Will they stay, or will they go? Regardless, they were here. And it was hard.
“Great guy, and I’ve heard good things,” Glasper said of Shephard. “I’m excited, but I don’t know what the future holds. I can only go day-by-day. When I get the opportunity to meet him, that will be great.”
