CORVALLIS — Oregon State guard Tyler Voltin knows about overcoming obstacles.
A former walk-on player who didn’t get on the field in his first two years with the Beavers, Voltin earned playing time in 2023 on his way to claiming a scholarship and a starting role going into the 2024 season.
Just as the 6-foot-4, 379-pound right guard was beginning to excite Oregon State’s fan base about his potential, Voltin suffered a season-ending knee injury against San Diego State in September 2024.
After just over a year of recovery from an ACL tear, Voltin made his return to action last Friday against Houston.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Voltin said. “Felt really good. I didn’t really have any issues out there. I felt it the day after for sure, but it felt great [during the game].”
Voltin’s commitment to getting back on the field has inspired his teammates.
“You see someone like him, who keeps his head down and works works works, and doesn’t complain about it or anything, and continues to stay on his grind, it puts you in the position of ‘how am I to complain?’” running back Cornell Hatcher Jr. said. “You have to model what he does.”
Talking to media after Tuesday’s practice, Voltin said he had targeted a return at the start of the season. During fall camp, after knee evaluation, he realized Oregon State’s fifth game was more realistic. That left Voltin cheering his teammates and waiting a few more weeks.
“I wanted to get out there sooner, but it takes some time,” Voltin said. “I was still early on my recovery timeline.”
Going into the matchup against Houston, the plan was for Voltin to play two consecutive series, take two series off, then continue that rotation throughout the game. But Voltin felt better than expected and alerted his coaching staff that he could play more.
Voltin played 63 snaps, and the Beavers totaled nearly 400 yards of offense with 189 rushing, the most Oregon State has gained on the ground all year.
“Whenever you move a man from point A to point B, you feel pretty damn good,” Voltin said. “We were moving the ball on them really well.”
Oregon State offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson thought Voltin was playing better than anyone else on the Beavers’ offensive line before the knee injury.
“It really sucked that he had to go down,” Gunderson said. “It’s not an easy injury to come back from. In those situations, you feel good for those guys who work so hard to come back and get on the field and have success … That was cool to see him come back.”
Voltin said joining the rotation didn’t throw off the line’s rhythm.
“I think we’re a tight-knit group as a whole,” Voltin said. “I think the interchanging of linemen isn’t going to mess up anything that we’ve got going on. We’re a very mature O-line room, so that doesn’t really matter for us.”
Two other Beavers offensive linemen — Jacob Strand and Tyler Morano — have also worked their way back to the field after injuries.
“Those are pretty special stories for those guys,” Gunderson said. “Now it’s getting them on the field and getting them confident. ‘Hey I can do this. I’m not injured any more. I’m ready to turn it loose.’”
Next game: Oregon State (0-5) at Appalachian State (2-2)
When: Saturday, Oct. 4
Time: 12:30 p.m. PT
Where: Kidd Brewer Stadium — Boone, North Carolina
TV Channel: ESPN+ (Not available on traditional broadcast TV, only streaming on ESPN’s live sports streaming platform. Here’s a look at how you can watch ESPN+ live on your TV.)
How to watch streaming live: You can watch a live stream of this game for less than $12 on ESPN+ (It’s just $11.99/month or $119.99/full year subscription, and you can cancel anytime.)
Odds (9/29): Oregon State by 1.5; over/under 54.5 (Action Network)
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