BeaversEdge Top 25 For 2025: No. 14 Sai Vadrawale
In the months leading up to the start of fall camp, BeaversEdge.com will be counting down the Top 25 Oregon State football players on the 2025 roster. Want to give your two cents on the rankings? Subscribe to BeaversEdge.com to join The Dam Board and weigh in on the conversation. We continue with defensive back Sai Vadrawale, who comes in at No. 14.
Sai Vadrawale
Defensive Back (nickel)
Bio
No. 8
5-foot-10, 191-pounds
Rs-Sophomore
Rohnert Park, Calif.
Rancho Cotate HS -> Cal -> Oregon State
2024 (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN)
• Played in all 12 games
• Tallied 30 tackles with one tackle for loss, an interception and four pass breakups
• Intercepted a pass and returned it 24 yards against San Jose State, adding one pass breakup and three tackles
• Finished with a season-high five tackles in the double overtime win over Colorado State
• Credited with four tackles at California. Also had a pass breakup and a 1-yard TFL
• Ended the season with four tackles in the finale at Boise State
• Totaled three tackles in the shutout win at San Diego, adding a pass breakup. Followed that with four tackles versus Oregon
CALIFORNIA
• Played in two games in 2023, appearing against Washington State and UCLA. Made one tackle versus the Bruins
RANCHO COTATE HIGH SCHOOL
• Lettered three seasons, and spent time on both sides of the ball as well as special teams
• Led Rancho Cotate to back-to-back titles his past two seasons
• North Bay Oak League Division MVP
• Totaled 145 career tackles with half a sack, six interceptions, one pass breakup, five fumble recoveries, a defensive touchdown, and two blocked field goals
• Posted back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons to end his career, totaling 143 receptions for 2,346 yards and 26 touchdowns over his last three campaigns
• Ran the ball 29 times for 205 yards and five touchdowns. Returned 19 kickoffs for 472 yards while returning 16 punts for 223 yards and one score
• Totaled 1,069 yards receiving with 17 touchdowns as a senior. Finished with 62 receptions
• Defensively, tallied 75 tackles with half a sack and one fumble return as a senior
• Finished with 68 receptions as a junior, adding four interceptions on defense. Finished with 1,615 all-purpose yards in 2021
• Totaled 13 receptions for 233 yards and one touchdown as a sophomore during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season. Picked up 20 tackles and one interception
Vadrawale 2024 Recap
After seeing limited action during his redshirt freshman season with the Cal Bears in 2023, Vadrawale opted to hit the transfer portal, with four years remaining. He found a home in Corvallis with Oregon State, as the fit couldn’t have been better from multiple standpoints. Vadrawale hit the ground running and showed he was more than ready for an increased workload early in his career, and when injury hit, he made the most of his opportunity.
Coming out of fall camp, Noble Thomas was the starter at nickelback, but he was lost for the season after just one game. That thrust Vadrawale into a big-time role earlier than expected, but he showed a lot of promise, playing in all 12 games, with seven starts. He logged 446 total snaps and finished with 30 tackles with one tackle for loss, an interception, and four pass breakups.
Vadrawale 2025 Outlook
Entering the 2025 campaign, expecations are certainly high for Vadrawale following a standout redshirt freshman campaign… His strong play on the field makes him a favorite of defensive backs’ coach Rod Chance, who has praised his versatility and playmaking abilities.
Considering that Thomas wasn’t available in spring practices and will likely be re-joining the nickelback mix in fall camp, Vadrawale has a clear path to be the Beavers’ starting nickelback. He was one of the standouts in spring football and looks to have built upon last season. He’ll see a lot of snaps this season, and may even move around a bit in the secondary with Thomas likely re-joining the fold, but expect a big year from Vadrawale.
