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In the weeks leading up to the start of fall camp, BeaversEdge.com will be counting down the Top 20 Oregon State football players on the 2026 roster.
The rankings will be controversial, and no two people will agree on every single ranking, but that will be the fun of the rankings! Want to give your two cents on the rankings? Make sure you subscribe to BeaversEdge.com to join The Dam Board and weigh in on the conversation.
We continue the top-20 at No. 7 with offensive lineman Nathan Elu!
Oregon State OL Nathan Elu
No. 78
6-foot-5, 325-pounds
Rs-Senior
San Mateo, Calif.
Junipero Serra HS
2025 Stats: Played in eight games, making seven starts and playing 382 snaps
Elu’s 2025 Recap
Elu saw a career-high in action in his redshirt junior campaign as the San Mateo (CA) native broke into the Beavers’ offensive line rotation and played 382 snaps across eight contests. He played the sixth-most snaps amongst OL in 2025, and he’s the second-highest returning OL behind Tyler Voltin in terms of total snaps played in 2025.
In his first major season of playing time and the Beavers’ OL largely being in flux throughout the year, Elu did a pretty solid job of filling in wherever needed and showcasing his versatility. He saw action at left and right guard, and two games at right tackle. He started seven of the eight games he played in and played 44 or more snaps in seven of his eight games.
2026 Outlook
As we approach fall camp and the start of the 2026 season, there are certainly a lot of question marks with Oregon State’s offensive line, but Elu is one of the established pieces that should play a key role. As mentioned, behind Voltin, Elu is the second-most experienced player returning by snaps played last season, and now in his senior season he’ll be looking to build on his momentum from last season.
The 6-foot-5, 325-pounder has great size to play both guard and tackle, but with the Beavers’ personnel, I expect him to ultimatley slot in at one of the guard spots opposite of Voltin. While not the biggest sample size, against Cal, Fresno State, & Oregon, Elu boasted outstanding pass-blocking PFF numbers, and the Beavers will certainly be looking to help him be more consistent in his final campaign.
Expect Elu to be one of the Beavers’ starters on the offensive line, teaming with Voltin as the only two seniors and the de facto leaders of the new-look OL under new position coach Kirk Barron.
Previously
Honorable Mentions + Just Missed
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