Oregon State announces Mercer transfer as starting quarterback

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The Oregon State Beavers have named their starting quarterback. According to Pete Thamel, the Beavers have tabbed Mercer transfer Braden Atkinson to get the nod in Week 1.

Atkinson made a great impact in just his freshman season with the Mercer Bears. He completed 268 of his 407 passes for 3,611 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He led Mercer to a 9-2 record in his 11 starts, and the Bears won the Southern Conference.

His great season earned him the Jerry Rice Award, given to the best freshman in the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision). He also earned the SoCon Freshman of the Year, second-team All-SoCon (Southern Conference) honors, and Freshman All-SoCon honors.

Now, he's at the center of the rebuild of Oregon State's program. Ever since the Pac-12 dissolved and they played an independent schedule, they've been 7-17. Last season, they went 2-10, including losing their first seven games, and incumbent head coach Trent Bray was fired.

The Beavers hired Alabama wide receiver coach JaMarcus Shepard as their new head coach on Nov. 27, 2025, and they landed Atkinson on Jan. 11, 2026. Time will tell how the rebuild goes when they start their season against the Houston Cougars on Saturday, Sep. 5, 2026.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Oregon State announces Mercer transfer as starting quarterback

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