Oregon State Beavers practice

Oregon State Beavers head coach Gary Andersen talked with players at the end of the Beavers' football practice on Aug. 13, 2015 in Corvallis. Randy L. Rasmussen/Staff

(Randy L. Rasmussen)

After signing a solid recruiting class earlier this month, the Oregon State Beavers entered the offseason with some wiggle room in terms of scholarship numbers.

That extra space afforded Gary Andersen the opportunity to land a potential impact graduate transfer should the opportunity arise.

On Monday, Oregon State added that piece, as former Wisconsin and South Florida safety Austin Hudson announced plans to transfer to Oregon State University after graduating in May:

I'm excited to announce that I will be transferring to @BeaverFootball to play ball for my old friends! #gobeavs — Austin Calo (@austincalo) February 14, 2017

"I've had so much anxiety about this decision," he said. "Oregon State was my number one choice. That's the crazy part. I wanted to go with people I trust. I'm really excited to work with that staff again and work. Coach Hall and I used to work every day after practice on footwork."

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound defensive back, out of Plant, Florida, was a 247Sports composite three-star recruit in the class of 2014, but showed major upside given his 4.45 40-yard dash speed and 40-inch vertical.

Utilizing that athleticism, Hudson became a special teams player for Andersen and the Badgers immediately, transferring after his first season to be closer to home.

"I have nothing negative to say," Hudson told BadgerNation. "It was a journey I needed to make to understand where I belong and Wisconsin just wasn't the right fit. Football wise it may have been but in terms of what I idealize, the school itself wasn't the right fit."

After sitting out as a true sophomore, he registered 11 tackles at South Florida this fall, and appeared to be finding his niche.

But his graduate degree program was dropped by the school, and with plans to graduate in May, Hudson needed to find a fit both academically and athletically.

Given Hudson's close relationship with Oregon State's coaching staff, as well as the school's educational offerings, the Beavers immediately became the best fit.

"I was lucky," he said. "Oregon State was one of the schools that popped up, and it's a very exclusive program suited and fitted to your needs."

While Hudson said playing time, a few years ago, would have been a major factor in his final destination, he said he has grown to care more about honesty and fairness in a coaching staff.

To him, Andersen and his coaches provided the best chance to get a straight answer about how he fit.

"I would say this is a question I would've answered differently years ago," Hudson explained. "But I've been around and I'm wiser than I was. The thing that means so much to me is that I return faith. When someone has faith in me, I want to return it. You never know how things are going to be, you never know how everyone will grow. But I trust that this staff will play the best player. This staff gives you the opportunity to work for something and they are going to make it fair and they are going to make it just."

Hudson will have two years to play two and will be eligible this fall.

He is set to graduate from South Florida in May and hopes to move to Corvallis shortly thereafter to begin taking summer classes.

-- Andrew Nemec

anemec@oregonian.com

@AndrewNemec