Braden Atkinson named Oregon State starting quarterback

Oregon State has named Braden Atkinson as the starting quarterback following a competitive training camp. Atkinson, a transfer from Mercer, won the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in the FCS last season, where he recorded 3,596 passing yards and 34 touchdowns.

Atkinson’s promotion comes at the expense of Maalik Murphy, the previous starter who played for Texas and Duke before joining the Beavers. Murphy completed 58.1% of his passes with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions during his 10 appearances last season. The decision follows the departures of backup Gabarri Johnson and true freshman Tristan Ti’a.

Head coach JaMarcus Shephard, formerly the Alabama co-offensive coordinator, leads the team into the new season. The Beavers are scheduled to open their campaign on September 5 against Houston.