Oregon State quarterback Ben Gulbranson (17) hands off to running back Calvin Tyler, Jr. (2) during a game against Arizona State in Corvallis on Dec. 19, 2020

CORVALLIS — Oregon State head football coach Jonathan Smith believes competition helps bring out the best in players.

He anticipates that will be the case in the quarterback room, where the Beavers have several candidates to take over the starting job for this coming season.

Training camp gets started at the end of next week, and the Beavers will be looking to see which quarterback emerges as the leader of the offense.

The Beavers return two quarterbacks who saw extended action last season.

Tristan Gebbia started the first four games before suffering a season-ending leg injury. He completed 80 of 129 passes for 824 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions and helped lead the Beavers to an upset of Oregon before he was hurt on the game-winning drive.

Smith said Gebbia should be ready to go when camp starts.

“I think he’s got a great skill set,” Smith said at the Pac-12’s media day on Tuesday. “Understands the scheme, good leader. Has won games for us.”

Chance Nolan took over for Gebbia and completed 46 of 91 passes for 537 yards and six touchdowns with two interceptions. He also rushed 30 times for 147 yards and one score, providing a dual threat at the position for the Beavers.

“We were really close the last couple (games) with him as the starting quarterback,” Smith said. “Counting on him making huge strides in his game from Year 1 to Year 2.”

Ben Gulbranson, who also saw a limited action last season, will not be ready for fall camp due to a shoulder injury, Smith said.

Knowing that Gulbranson would be out, the Beavers added former Colorado starter Sam Noyer, a grad transfer, to the fold back in June.

Noyer, from Beaverton, passed for 1,000 yards in the Buffaloes’ five games last season, completing 80 of 137 passes with six touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 191 yards on 45 attempts.

“(Noyer) has a little bit different skill set, makes the game physical, moving his feet, bigtime arm,” Smith said. “Anxious to work with him coming in August.

“(We have) three really good options there.”

Noyer isn’t the only Sam in the quarterback room as freshman Sam Vidlak from Hidden Valley High has been on campus and participated in spring practice.

“Had a great spring,” Smith said. “He’s going to have an opportunity this August to go. We have four healthy guys.”

If Gulbranson hadn’t been injured, the Beavers may not have been as interested in Noyer, Smith said. But in need of another healthy body at the position, and Noyer’s familiarity with some of the current players, as well as offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren, who was at Colorado before joining Smith’s staff when he took over, made it an easier decision.

“Everything I’ve heard so far since he’s been here has been great,” Smith said. “You talk about a guy who loves the game, is unselfish. You can see his leadership capabilities even the short time he’s been with us.

“So I’m really excited to see him out there on the practice field with us, using the skill set that he has, not just throwing or running but also on this leadership side.”

The familiarity with Lindgren and the system should help Noyer adapt quicker to what the Beavers want to do on offense.

“Schematically, some of the way we call plays, probably brought back what he remembers from his first couple years,” Smith said.

There isn’t a lot of time between now and the season opener — Sept. 4 against Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Regardless of who wins the starting job, the Beavers need to be able to rely on the other three to step in when needed.

“We feel like we’ve got a quarterback room that is full of some talent, it’s going to be competitive this month in training camp,” Smith said. “The cream rises to the top when you have that type of competition in August, but also it adds to our depth as the season goes.”