- Terry Baker won the Heisman Trophy in 1962.
- Steven Jackson ran for 3,625 yards over three seasons.
- Brandin Cooks’ 2013 season resulted in 128 catches for 1,730 yards and 16 touchdowns, all single-season Oregon State records.
Founded over 130 years ago, the Oregon State Beavers have won 12 bowl games through the 2024 season.
Their most recent bowl game win came in 2022 in the Las Vegas Bowl against Florida. Oregon State was favoured in the NCAA fb odds at -6.5 and won 30-3.
Today, you can bet online on the Beavers football odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook.
See my list of the top five Beavers ever below.
5 Best Oregon State Beavers Football Players, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Position | Oregon State Years |
| 1 | Terry Baker | QB | 1960-1962 |
| 2 | Steven Jackson | RB | 2001-2003 |
| 3 | Brandin Cooks | WR | 2011-2013 |
| 4 | Ken Simonton | RB | 1998-2001 |
| 5 | Jonathan Smith | QB | 1998-2001 |
Oregon State Beavers All-Time Greatest Football Players
1. Terry Baker
Baker played both football and basketball while he was at Oregon State from 1960 to 1962.
As a quarterback at Oregon State, he won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award (college football player of the year), Pop Warner Trophy (most valuable senior player on the West Coast), Chic Harley Award (college football player of the year), was UPI Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year, was the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, was a unanimous All-American, and three-time first-team All-PCC.
He finished with 3,476 passing yards (ninth in program history), 23 passing touchdowns (tied for 10th), 4,979 total yards (ninth), and 39 total touchdowns (tied for ninth).
The Beavers retired his No. 11.
He’s also enshrined in the Oregon Sports and College Football Hall of Fame.
2. Steven Jackson
Jackson played for Oregon State for three seasons, rushing 743 times for 3,625 yards (fourth) and 39 touchdowns (third).
Keep in mind that he accumulated these stats across three seasons, with just 74 carries in his freshman season.
He was a two-time third-team All-American and two-time first-team All-Pac-10.
3. Brandin Cooks
Like Jackson, Cooks played three seasons at Oregon State, from 2011 to 2013.
He caught 226 passes (second) for 3,272 yards (third) and 24 touchdowns (first).
He holds the single-season records in receptions (128), receiving yards (1,730), and receiving touchdowns (16). This all came in 2013. That same year, he won the Fred Biletnikoff Award (given to the best wide receiver).
Additionally, he was a consensus All-American and first-team All-Pac-12.
4. Ken Simonton
A running back, Simonton played for Oregon State from 1998 to 2001.
He ran for 5,044 yards (first) and 59 touchdowns (first). He also added 55 receptions for 447 yards and one touchdown.
He was first-team All-American, first-team All-Pac-10, and second-team All-Pac-10.
5. Jonathan Smith
The second quarterback on this list, Smith was at Oregon State from 1998 to 2001.
He passed for 9,680 yards (third), 55 touchdowns (third), 9,209 total yards (third), and 59 total touchdowns (third).
Smith led Oregon State to a 41-9 win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl and was named the MVP of the game.
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