From walk-on to wow for Walker

Oregon State junior Trent Walker ranks 14th nationally with 65 receptions so far this season (courtesy OSU sports communications)

CORVALLIS — It is hard to compare anyone to Mike Hass, for my money the greatest receiver in Oregon State history.

But Trent Walker’s story is very similar.

Hass had no scholarship offers out of Portland’s Jesuit High and came to Oregon State as a walk-on in 2001. He earned a scholarship as a redshirt sophomore and left school in 2005 as the only receiver in program history with three 1,000-yard seasons. As a senior, Hass won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver and is now a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Two decades later, Walker came out of Beaverton High and joined Oregon State’s program as a walk-on.

Walker mostly rode the bench before earning a scholarship after his redshirt sophomore season. In what has become a dismal 2024 season for the Beavers, Walker has been a shining light with 65 receptions for 713 yards and two touchdowns heading into Saturday’s 4 p.m. Pac-2 home finale against Washington State. He ranks 14th in the FBS ranks in total receptions.

It took Walker three years to come to prominence as an OSU starter

“Trent has had a really good year,” says Kefense Hynson, in his seventh season coaching OSU receivers. “He has made a big jump from last year. He took the leadership role in the (receivers) room very seriously. He was intentional about everything he did during the offseason and (August) camp. The work has paid off for him. It has been cool to see it.”

Walker, 21, grew up an Oregon State fan and as a youth remembers watching Beaver greats Brandin Cooks and Isaiah Hodgins in action. He was too young to have seen Hass play, but knows of the legend.

Walker, shown here in Beaver gear for Halloween as a tot, grew up an Oregon State fan (courtesy Trent Walker)

“I know he was a baller,” Walker says. “His story was something I looked up to and kept me directed on the right path. I thought, ‘If someone before me could do it, why not me?’ ”

Walker has already exceeded one of his goals — 700 receiving yards this season. The other goal was more intangible: “I want to make my name known and stamped in Oregon State football history.”

If Walker can catch 10 passes in Oregon State’s final two games, he will move into 10th place on the school’s single-season receptions list. Only eight players have caught more than 75 in a season — Hass, Cooks, Hodgins, James and Jacquizz Rodgers, James Newson, Markus Wheaton and Dave Montagne.

“To have my name on a list with those type of players would be humbling,” Walker says.

Walker’s mother Stacia, father Tom and brother Trevor all attended Oregon State.

“I grew up a Beaver,” Trent says. “We had season tickets until I started playing youth football; then we couldn’t come down on Saturdays because we had games. I have memories of going down onto the field and getting autographs of guys, and also of playing football on the practice field before games.”

Walker was a quarterback in youth football and came to Beaverton High as a sophomore hoping to play the position.

“We had a quarterback, and we asked him to move to wide receiver,” says Bob Boyer, who retired this season after 22 years as head coach at Beaverton. “Trent said, ‘Sure, no problem.’ ”

Walker started as a sophomore and as a junior was all-Metro League on offense and defense, with more than 1,100 receiving yards and 13 TDs.

“Trent was one of those kids when you’re watching him move around on the field, you get a feeling that this is going to be a play-on-Saturday type of kid,” Boyer says. “He was a very athletic, smooth-moving guy out there.”

Boyer says Walker had excellent physical tools, but it was his attitude that stood out.

“Trent is a tremendous kid,” Boyer says. “A really good, ‘Yes sir, no sir, whatever you need me to do’ kind of kid. His junior year, we had a senior wide receiver named Cody Davidson, who also is playing college ball (at Eastern Illinois). If Cody had a great game for us, Trent was super excited. If Trent had a great game, too, they were excited for each other. Trent wasn’t a ballhog type of kid.

“If you watch him play now, he is the same guy. More than the catches and the runs, I am impressed with the blocks, and watching how he is as a teammate. He does all the little things that sometimes the stars don’t do. That just sums up the kind of kid I saw all through high school.”

Walker benefitted from Boyer’s tutelage.

“Bob is a great dude,” Walker says. “For 40 years (as a head coach and assistant), he was the face of Beaverton football. He was someone special to me. He wanted to build character as well as make you a football player. I feel like he succeeded at that.”

Walker moved back to quarterback as a senior in 2020, the truncated Covid season that actually took place in the spring of 2021. In the Beavers’ first offense possession of their season opener, he suffered a torn labrum and was out for the season.

“He wasn’t playing after that, but he was still out there talking to teammates and coaching them,” Boyer says. “Sometimes kids fall away when they have an injury. That wasn’t him.”

By that time, Walker had already decided on Oregon State. Four schools offered scholarships — Air Force, Army, Portland State and Valparaiso. He turned them down to become a Beaver.

“It was my dream school,” Walker says. “I wanted to better myself. My dad always made it a point that people may undervalue you, but as long as you know what you can do, you can do it.”

Boyer knew he could do it. He just didn’t know if he would get a chance.

“With the transfer portal opening up, you may be really good and they may bring somebody in who is better,” Boyer says. “I knew Trent could play at that level. I knew he had the talent and the work ethic to get it done. But when you go in as a walk-on, it’s a roll of the dice.”

During Walker’s first three years at Oregon State, he was behind many receivers on the depth chart. His first couple of years it was players such as Trevon Bradford, Tre’Shaun Harrison, Zeriah Beason, Champ Flemings and Tyjon Lindsey. Last season it was Silas Bolden, Anthony Gould and Jesiah Irish.

As a freshman in 2021, Walker got into one game. As a redshirt freshman in 2022, he saw action in two games. But by last season, Walker was beginning to emerge as a player to reckon with.

Hynson liked what he saw from him in the receivers room.

“He approaches the game a little bit differently,” Hynson says. “He studies it. Asks a lot of questions. He grew that way.”

“I wasn’t getting coached specifically, but I took the coaching points so that when I did get an opportunity, I wouldn’t make the same mistakes,” Walker says. “You get what you put in. Those three years definitely benefitted me.”

And Walker was showing his mark on the practice field.

“Physically, he has always been a good player, but he had a big confidence boost last year,” Hynson says. “He showed he could play. We had a really good secondary. Practice was super competitive, and he was making plays.”

Oregon State’s receiving corps had some burners in Bolden, Gould and Irish.

“Those are all 4.3 (40-yard dash) guys,” Hynson says.

The Beavers conduct GPS speed testing on their players.

“Trent was the second-fastest guy in the room in terms of 20-mile-per-hour runs, behind only Jesiah,” Hynson says. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he was high 4.4 or low 4.5. He can run.”

Says Walker: “I’m not the fastest guy in the world, but I’m not slow.”

As a redshirt sophomore last season, Walker caught five passes for 66 yards, including two for 13 yards against Notre Dame in the Sun Bowl. By then, head coach Jonathan Smith had departed for Michigan State and many of the returning veterans had jumped ship, too.

In March, new head coach Trent Bray awarded Walker a scholarship during a team meeting along with tight end Bryce Caufield, offensive lineman Tyler Voltin and safety Jack Kane.

“It was even better that three of my teammates got one, too,” Walker says.

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 “I was so excited for Trent,” Boyer says. “When you stay in a program and work to the point where the coach says, ‘We need to do this,’ well, that’s awesome.”

Looking ahead to the 2024 campaign, Walker sensed a big opportunity looming. The 6-2 redshirt junior got bigger, pushing his weight up close to 200 pounds.

“We had a lot of (receivers) leave, and with the conference realigning and Coach Smith leaving, I knew there was a big role to be had in the room,” he says. “I knew if I attacked it, it could be mine.”

Walker has burst into prominence this fall. Against San Jose State he had career highs in catches (11) and receiving yardage (151). He has more receptions this season than any Beaver since 2019, when Hodgins got 86. Walker has tripled the receiving production of any teammate. The player who is second in receptions is running back Anthony Hankerson with 23 for only 110 yards. The next receiver is Jeremiah Noga with 19 for 233 yards.

Walker is considered a possession receiver, but he has considerable speed and moves, too (courtesy Alan Thayer)

“We have a lot of guys in the room who are very talented,” Walker says modestly. “Each and every one of them could be catching the amount of balls I’m catching.”

Walker has probably been Oregon State’s most valuable offensive player — maybe its best on either side of the ball. He also is the Beavers’ punt return specialist.

“I have seen steady progression,” Hynson says. “He would tell you he wants to make more plays. We have to call more verticals to him. But he’s playing really good ball, and he is a great kid. Always in a good mood, and a good teammate. It has been exciting for me to coach him and work with him.”

Walker has enjoyed working with Hynson, too.

“Coach ‘Fence’ is the best,” he says. “In the meetings, Fence does a great job of coaching everyone in the room. He doesn’t put a ceiling on anyone. He doesn’t say, ‘These guys are going to play and these guys won’t.’ It’s up to you to develop. If you are (a reserve), he is going to coach you the same way he coaches the starters.”

Boyer has watched his former player this season with pride.

“I love Trent’s overall feel for the game,” Boyer says. “He doesn’t get rattled. He doesn’t get psyched out. He is even-tempered. When he scores a touchdown, there is no big celebration. He acts like, ‘I scored; now let’s go do it again.’

“That kind of level-headedness helps him operate so well. He wants to be a great teammate and do what the team needs. When they are not throwing the ball as much and concentrating on the run, he doesn’t back off. He is putting blocks out there. It has been really fun to watch.”

Though Walker has already passed his statistical goal this season, “I keep striving to find new goals,” he says. “Once you get there, you don’t want to just be satisfied. It’s important to keep making new ones.”

The biggest goal is to snap Oregon State’s five-game losing streak. First on the schedule is No. 25 Washington State (8-2). The regular-season finale is at No. 12 Boise State (9-1). Walker is looking at the challenge optimistically.

Walker says he will be back for his senior season at OSU in 2025 (courtesy Alan Thayer)

“The (recent) games haven’t gone our way,” he says. “It’s still right in front of us. We have two more games to change things. If we win these two, we get in a bowl. If we win the bowl, no one is going to remember the middle of the season.

“That’s what we are trying to keep our eyes on. We still have two more games to show the world what we can do.”

Walker, who is majoring in business administration, has another season of eligibility. Through normal times, he would be asked by a reporter about his thoughts about his senior season with the Beavers. In these times of NIL and the transfer portal, nothing can be taken for granted. So I ask, will you be back in an OSU uniform next season?

“Yeah,” he says. “I don’t want to leave.”

You sure?

“Yeah, he says again with a smile. “I don’t want to leave.”

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