Gazette-Times Reporter

The Oregon State football team has updated its roster heading into summer workouts and training camp, which begins July 31.

The 85 scholarship players are set, but the Beavers are at 24 walk-ons. They need to be at 20 to begin camp and until the roster expands once school begins a few weeks into the season.

Here are some notes of interest about the latest roster:

• Senior running back Patrick Fuller is not on the team. He has a long story about missing a year to qualify out of Charter Oak High in Covina, Calif., and then frequently being in coach Mike Riley’s doghouse. After three years of limited playing time he has moved on.

• Incoming freshman running back Jovan Stevenson takes his place on the roster. Stevenson was a greyshirt candidate before that scholarship became available. Even with his addition, the Beavers are still thin with ball carriers.

• The running backs on the roster are: Ryan McCants, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jeremy Francis (junior college transfer), Jeff Sampson (walk-on), and Stevenson (redshirt candidate).

McCants and Francis should do most of the work early with Rodgers getting more involved as the season goes on. Sampson makes a good fullback.

• There are three walk-on quarterbacks retained from spring practice — Brennan Sim, Justin Engstrom and Zach Anderson. Riley wants to redshirt freshman Ryan Katz, and have the walk-ons there for emergency fill-ins if Lyle Moevao and Sean Canfield can’t get the job done.

• The only punter on the roster is Sean Sehnem, a junior transfer from Western New Mexico. There’s no Kyle Harper, who redshirted last year and was the leading candidate to punt in the middle of spring practice.

• The only place-kicker on the roster is Justin Kahut. That’s not a shock. He has been the leader for this season for more than a year. Sehnem was a place-kicker at Western New Mexico, too, so he can be an emergency backup.

• Junior college transfer defensive ends Simi Kuli and Ben Terry are expected to finish their academics and be available once camp opens. They are vital in the quick rebuilding of the defensive line.