The Oregon State football team is losing one of its top young linebackers.
On Monday afternoon, sophomore Dexter Foster announced on social media that he is entering the transfer portal.
Foster has turned into one of the highlights for the Beavers over the past two seasons. The 6-foot-3, 236-pound linebacker put together a strong 2025 before injuries took him off the field.
Despite only playing in seven games, he still had 52 tackles (fourth on the team) and three tackles for loss.
As a freshman, Foster saw action in all 12 of the Beavers’ games. He had 43 tackles, with two tackles for loss and one sack.
If Foster had returned in 2026, he likely would have been one of the team’s leaders on defense.
Foster played his senior year of high school football at Central Catholic, helping lead the Rams to a perfect 13-0 season and winning the Class 6A state championship.
That year, Foster tallied up 49 tackles, with 14.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. A three-star prospect per 247Sports, he was an all-state honorable mention as a senior.
Foster was a standout at Roosevelt prior to his senior season.
Oregon State is coming off a disappointing 2025 season, where the Beavers went 2-10 and fired coach Trent Bray midway through the year. New head coach JaMarcus Shephard had indicated that he wanted local athletes to be the centerpiece of the Beavers, but will be moving forward without one of the team’s top local players.