On Saturday during a visit to campus, the Miami Hurricanes tight end and former Central Catholic star announced his transfer portal commitment to the Oregon State Beavers.
“It was really that thought of playing back home,” he said. “Believe it or not, I was born and raised in Portland Oregon and I’d never stepped foot in Corvallis. It was my first time being down there.”
“I had connections with the coaches — whether they were Central Catholic alumni or just through local ties. And the opportunity was huge. I’d go there and be able to showcase my talent.”
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In two seasons at Miami, Williams played in nearly every game and accumulated 15 receptions for 187 yards and one touchdown.
The 6-foot-6, 240-pound tight end will have two years of eligibility remaining.
After entering his name into the portal in late December, Williams heard from dozens of schools, but was most heavily recruited by Cal, Oregon State and UCLA.
The Beavers earned the first visit this weekend, in part, due to a pair of peer recruiters.
“Darrius (Clemons) was definitely recruiting me,” Williams said. “He was on me heavy, for sure. He was on me the most behind the transfer quarterback, Maalik Murphy.”
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Williams’ Miami team played against Murphy while he was at Duke this fall and the newest Beaver was impressed by the quarterback’s ability to make plays with his arm.
“To be honest, when I saw him (in Corvallis) I didn’t realize how tall he is. He’s huge,” Williams said. “He’s got the ability to throw the ball. He’s a 3,000-yard passer. I’m excited to be on that team and catch those passes and block for him and do whatever I’m supposed to do.”
Would Williams have still chosen Oregon State without a star transfer quarterback coming in?
“I don’t know,” he said, thinking. “Honestly, not sure. But once he signed and hit me up, that sealed the deal for me.”
As a class of 2023 high school prospect, Williams was a star at Central Catholic before transferring to national powerhouse IMG Academy (Florida) for his senior season.
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A heralded bluechip recruit, Williams was selected as an Under Armour All-American and committed to Miami over more than 20 scholarship offers, highlighted by Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and others.
At Miami, Williams earned immediate playing time, but was not utilized as a pass-catcher as much as his high school profile projected.
Offensive fit, therefore, was a massive piece of the puzzle when looking at his options as a transfer.
And Oregon State offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson’s offense made for an excellent fit.
“I have two years of experience under my belt. I’ve played almost every game of my college career so far,” Williams said. “Through that, you see that you have to see a school that is going to utilize you and give you the opportunity to show what you can do to help you win. You have an offensive coordinator, coach Ryan Gunderson, he’s a previous (offensive coordinator) at UCLA when they had Greg Dulcich. It’s going to be an offense where the tight ends are utilized.”
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Perhaps the final key piece in Oregon’s favor? The programs recent pipeline of in-state tight ends becoming NFL’ers – Teagan Quitoriano (Sprague) and Luke Musgrave (Bend).
Williams hopes to arrive in Corvallis sometime next week.
He’s ready to work – and to showcase his ability closer to home.
Nemec’s analysis
I’ve covered Riley Williams extensively since his freshman season.
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Coming out of high school, I had a high four-star grade on him – with an NFL ceiling.
I still feel that way – and continue to love him as both an on-field asset and a culture fit.
Simply put, he’s a good athlete and human being.
Mario Cristobal’s offenses – both at Oregon and Miami – have somewhat limited the passing game, especially pass-catching tight ends.
When he committed, I had some concern about how he’d be used, and I think the Miami offense wasn’t the best fit for his skillset.
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i expect Williams to immediately become a key focal point in the Oregon State offense and for his numbers to quickly reflect that of his recruiting stock coming out of high school.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A man accused of killing several women and dumping their bodies in the Portland area was arraigned Wednesday on a fifth murder charge.
Jesse Calhoun’s defense attorney entered a not guilty plea on his behalf in a Portland courtroom where victims’ family members were present. The hearing, during which Calhoun remained silent, came after he was indicted last week on the most recent second-degree murder charge over the death of Ashley Real, 22, in 2023.
Calhoun has now been charged with five counts of second-degree murder for five victims, along with four counts of abuse of a corpse. The victims’ bodies were found over multiple months in early 2023, sparking concern at the time that a serial killer might be targeting young women in the region.
Calhoun was previously indicted in the deaths of Kristin Smith, 22; Charity Perry, 24; Bridget Webster, 31; and Joanna Speaks, 32.
He remains in custody at the Multnomah County Detention Center. His defense attorneys declined to comment.
Real, Perry, Webster and Smith were found in northwestern Oregon, while Speaks was found near an abandoned barn in southwestern Washington. Their bodies were found in a roughly 100-mile radius, including in wooded areas and in a culvert.
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Jose Real, Ashley Real’s father, was in tears as he spoke with reporters after the hearing. He recalled memories of watching her grow up and playing with her brother.
“I never thought or imagined that my family would experience something like this,” he said through a Spanish interpreter. “She had a heart of gold.”
Masciell Real, Ashley’s sister, also spoke through tears.
“I think being in that courtroom today and being able to see him, and know that he is behind bars now, it takes the weight off my shoulders knowing that he isn’t around and free to cause any harm to any other women out there,” she said. “But it also doesn’t take away the fact that my sister isn’t here anymore.”
Relatives of other victims were also present.
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“We’ve all experienced the worst thing that could ever happen to you, and it’s incredibly hard to see one of the other families hurt the way we do,” said Melissa Smith, mother of Kristin Smith.
Jose Real previously told The Associated Press that he had called police in November 2022 after his daughter showed up crying at his Portland home, saying she had been choked by Calhoun. She had marks on her throat, he said, and he took her to a hospital.
Real said at the time that an initial police report was taken but that the case was then transferred to a different jurisdiction and it was difficult to reach those overseeing it. Details of the attack were first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
His daughter’s body was found in May 2023 by a man who was fishing in a pond southeast of Portland.
Calhoun was arrested in June 2023 on unrelated parole warrants and then indicted in 2024 and 2025 in the other four women’s deaths. The initial indictment came weeks before Calhoun was due to be released from state prison, where he was returned in 2023 to finish serving a four-year term for assaulting a police officer, trying to strangle a police dog, burglary and other charges.
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He was initially released in 2021, a year early, because he helped fight wildfires in 2020 under a prison firefighting program. Gov. Tina Kotek revoked the commutation in 2023 when police began investigating him in the deaths.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
