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LOGAN — Since former Utah State head coach Gary Andersen took the head coaching job at Oregon State, he's pulled several local players and staff members to Corvallis, Oregon — including Utah defensive coordinator Kalani Sitake.
Add one more to the list, this time a former Aggie.
Former Utah State quarterback Darell Garretson will join Andersen at Oregon State, according to a report in The Oregonian late Monday night. Garretson, who will be a junior in 2015-16, will have two seasons of eligibility remaining after sitting out a year per NCAA transfer rules.
The junior from Chandler, Arizona, told the Oregon newspaper that he plans to walk on to the football team this fall, and will compete for the starting quarterback job once he is eligible in 2016. Oregon State was one of the bigger schools that reached out to Garretson, along with Washington — whom the Aggies reportedly blocked because the two teams play each other this fall — and several FCS programs.
"It doesn't matter," Garretson told the Oregonian's Connor Letourneau when asked about walking on. "I like the place too much. I actually went there on an unofficial (visit) going into my senior year of high school, and I really liked it then. I don't think it's changed too much."
Garretson joins a quarterback class in transition, as true freshman Seth Collins, redshirt freshman Nick Mitchell and redshirt freshman Marcus McMaryion are expected to compete for the starting job this fall. Garretson, who threw for 1,140 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions as a sophomore in 2014 before suffering a season-ending wrist injury against Colorado State, becomes the fourth quarterback on the roster — and brings a veteran attitude to the Beavers' backfield in 2016 and beyond.
Garretson finished his Aggie career with 2,586 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. But the emergence of incoming sophomore Kent Myers, as well as Oregon transfer quarterback Damion Hobbs, made his place on the quarterback depth chart tenuous.
Starter Chuckie Keeton received a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA, granting him a fifth season of eligibility and Garretson announced he was transferring just a few days later.
At Oregon State, Garretson will also be reunited with former quarterbacks coach Kevin McGiven, and the Beavers' spread offense is similar to the one Garretson played in with the Aggies.
