CORVALLIS — Oregon State sophomore cornerback Exodus Ayers was arrested by the Corvallis Police Department on Monday morning following accusations of physical assault by a former girlfriend.
Ayers, 20, faces three counts of assault in the fourth degree and four counts of harassment. He’s also been accused of strangulation, two counts of coercion, criminal mischief in the third degree and six counts of unlawful dissemination of an intimate image.
Ayers is in custody at Benton County Jail and will be arraigned at 1:30 p.m., according to county officials. Four of the charges, including coercion and strangulation, are felonies.
“The university is aware of the pending charges involving Exodus Ayers, is gathering information and is addressing this with the seriousness and care it warrants,” OSU said in a written statement provided to The Oregonian/OregonLive.
A probable cause affidavit obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive details several alleged incidents involving Ayers and Katherine Daniella Rodriguez, an OSU senior, dating back to September 2024.
Court documents allege that, among other things, Ayers hit Rodriguez in the face with a bag; grabbed her by the throat and applied pressure; slapped her across the face; yanked her backward by the hair; and posted sexually explicit videos of her on social media.
“She described he would slap her across the face, hit her in the back of the head, grab her by the collar of her clothing, grab her by the waist, physically restrain her from leaving, and even grabbed her by the throat on more than one occasion,” the affidavit reads.
Rodriguez provided police with four doorbell camera videos she obtained from a neighbor, according to the affidavit.
Ayers has yet to play in a game for OSU this season. A temporary stalking order against Ayers in Benton County Circuit Court was dropped in September after Rodriguez failed to appear in court.
Ayers — originally listed as the top cornerback on OSU’s depth chart before being removed — still appeared on the OSU football roster as of Monday morning prior to news of his arrest. It is unclear whether he was still practicing with the team during his absence from games.
Rodriguez’s allegations first came to light in a series of TikTok videos she posted in late July and early August, and she filed a report with the Corvallis Police Department in September.
Corvallis officers also responded in late February to a report of a domestic disturbance at Ayers’ apartment involving Ayers and Rodriguez, according to police reports obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
“(Rodriguez) alleged that he didn’t want her to leave, so he was using his body to pin her down on the bed,” said Corvallis Lieutenant Ben Harvey, citing a Corvallis police report. “At one point, she says he pressed his hands on her throat, obstructing her breathing. They had some dispute over some things that were in a phone.”
Corvallis police did not identify injuries on Rodriguez or Ayers, and didn’t find any other evidence to support her claims at that time, according to the police report. During his interview with officers, Ayers denied Rodriguez’s allegations and claimed he was trying to get her to leave, but that she was forcing her way back into his residence, according to the report.
Ayers played in eight games in his freshman year at OSU in 2024, amassing 21 tackles, a forced fumble, and two passes broken up. Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, he played one season of high school football at Proctor Academy in New Hampshire before committing to Oregon State as a three-star prospect.
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