Photo by: Reef Diego
Crandall, Pome'e: How Oregon State's Defense Has Evolved Since The Spring
August 16, 2026 | Football
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Attack.Â
That's the word both Tevita Pome'e and TJ Crandall keep coming back to when they talk about Oregon State's defense this fall.
"It kind of has that mentality of attack," said Pome'e, the Beavers' defensive tackle. "Being able to attack and create a new line of scrimmage -- that's what I really like about it." Physicality follows from there, he said. Win the line, don't sit behind it.
Pome'e doesn't chase stats. Ask him how he measures a good day on the line — where the box score rarely notices you -- and he'll tell you it comes down to what he calls his "1/11th." Lag technique when the coaches call for it. Two gaps instead of one, if that's the job.Â
"Me just doing my job is enough for me," he said. "Even though I don't get the credit or anything like that ... that's all that matters for me."
Crandall, who plays in the secondary, sees the same scheme buy-in from a different angle. Spring focused on a new defense, new terminology, guys still feeling it out.Â
Not anymore.Â
"We're all learning a new defense, so in the spring you got your bumps and bruises to start," he said. "But now as we're getting more comfortable with it, we're able to run the defense a lot smoother, be more efficient, and communicate."Â
Faster processing up front means more time to see the whole picture, he said, not just his own assignment.
Camp energy has carried both rooms. Pome'e called it "the craziest energy or intention we talk about as a whole team."Â
For Crandall, competitiveness has been the key.Â
"Iron sharpens iron -- everyone's heard that saying, but it's real," he said. "You may talk a lot of trash on the field, but at the end of the day you come back and you love each other."
Crandall showed up to fall camp about 10 pounds heavier than spring, work he credited to the strength staff. The difference shows up at the point of contact: "I'm a lot stronger in my striking, my press is better," he said. "Just being able to be stronger and more confident in my ability to go hit bigger guys and play stronger is amazing."
Newcomers have caught both players' eyes. Freshman corner Kai Wheaton doesn't play like a first-year, Crandall said; he's poised, advanced, already trusted in the room despite arriving only in the spring. On the defensive line, it's transfer Daniel Matagi drawing praise, and not just for what he moves in the weight room.Â
"Whatever is asked of him or needed of him, he does the job," Pome'e said. Listening to the coaches, he added, matters as much as the strength.
The Beavers' 2026 season opens Sept. 5 at Houston.
That's the word both Tevita Pome'e and TJ Crandall keep coming back to when they talk about Oregon State's defense this fall.
"It kind of has that mentality of attack," said Pome'e, the Beavers' defensive tackle. "Being able to attack and create a new line of scrimmage -- that's what I really like about it." Physicality follows from there, he said. Win the line, don't sit behind it.
Pome'e doesn't chase stats. Ask him how he measures a good day on the line — where the box score rarely notices you -- and he'll tell you it comes down to what he calls his "1/11th." Lag technique when the coaches call for it. Two gaps instead of one, if that's the job.Â
"Me just doing my job is enough for me," he said. "Even though I don't get the credit or anything like that ... that's all that matters for me."
Crandall, who plays in the secondary, sees the same scheme buy-in from a different angle. Spring focused on a new defense, new terminology, guys still feeling it out.Â
Not anymore.Â
"We're all learning a new defense, so in the spring you got your bumps and bruises to start," he said. "But now as we're getting more comfortable with it, we're able to run the defense a lot smoother, be more efficient, and communicate."Â
Faster processing up front means more time to see the whole picture, he said, not just his own assignment.
Camp energy has carried both rooms. Pome'e called it "the craziest energy or intention we talk about as a whole team."Â
For Crandall, competitiveness has been the key.Â
"Iron sharpens iron -- everyone's heard that saying, but it's real," he said. "You may talk a lot of trash on the field, but at the end of the day you come back and you love each other."
Crandall showed up to fall camp about 10 pounds heavier than spring, work he credited to the strength staff. The difference shows up at the point of contact: "I'm a lot stronger in my striking, my press is better," he said. "Just being able to be stronger and more confident in my ability to go hit bigger guys and play stronger is amazing."
Newcomers have caught both players' eyes. Freshman corner Kai Wheaton doesn't play like a first-year, Crandall said; he's poised, advanced, already trusted in the room despite arriving only in the spring. On the defensive line, it's transfer Daniel Matagi drawing praise, and not just for what he moves in the weight room.Â
"Whatever is asked of him or needed of him, he does the job," Pome'e said. Listening to the coaches, he added, matters as much as the strength.
The Beavers' 2026 season opens Sept. 5 at Houston.
Players Mentioned
Friday, August 14
Friday, August 14
Wednesday, August 12
Wednesday, August 12
