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Princeton University Athletics
Oytinare Porbeni
Photo by: Foley-Photography
October 28, 2026 | Football
By Craig Sachson
PrincetonTigersFootball.com
Jalen Travis '24 and current freshman Wyatt Becker both sported the Orange and Black, but beyond that, you wouldn't think there is much that connects them.
Travis, who has started every game at tackle for the Indianapolis Colts this season, graduated Princeton in 2024 as one of the most decorated offensive linemen in program history. A Midwestern-born multiple-time All-Ivy honoree and 2021 Ivy League champion, Travis earned the University's Art Lane '34 Award in 2024.
Becker was in the midst of posting historic passing numbers in California while Travis was making his mark at Princeton. When the latter took his skills to Indianapolis, Becker made a little history of his own by becoming the first Princeton freshman to start his first career game at quarterback.
They didn't come close to interlapping in the Tiger locker room, but there is one small connection between the two. Actually, it's quite a big connection, and it's one who bet on himself in the biggest way possible.
• • •Â
Oyintare "Tare" Porbeni would never have dreamed of himself as a Division I football player in his early days at Stillwater High School in Woodbury, Minn. It's not that he lacked confidence in himself — in fact, that's one of the critical reasons he's here today — but he simply had no football background to build on.
"My parents weren't big football people, so I didn't grow up watching it," Porbeni said of his parents, Annie and Francis, Nigerian immigrants whose academic and professional journeys took them from Atlanta and North Carolina to Minnesota. "They kept me away from the sport because of the injuries. But I remember seeing some guys get college offers, and I was thinking that I was bigger and taller than them, and a pretty good athlete myself. I might as well give it a shot."
Porbeni had already been playing basketball at the time, but he found Stillwater coach Darrell Salmi and asked if he could join the team. Porbeni admittedly had no idea what he was doing, but he credited Salmi for simplifying the offensive line position enough that he could thrive (though the physical attributes helped plenty too). Off the field, Porbeni never optioned for simple; he took as many AP classes as possible, hoping the combination of athletics and academics might catch the eye of a top collegiate program.
Princeton noticed, and it just happened to have another Minnesota lineman to show Porbeni the ropes.
• • •Â
Travis didn't just excel on the field, though his play in 2023 earned him a fourth-round draft selection the following spring. Besides winning the Lane Award, Travis was also the national male collegiate recipient of the Athletes For A Better World Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup, which honors character, teamwork, and citizenship.
Porbeni paid attention.
"The biggest thing I took from Jalen is to lead your life with purpose," Porbeni said. "Whether it's on or off the field, with your career or academics, you want to have a North Star that will direct you and push you to keep working day in and day out. Jalen is somebody that's extremely involved in his community, which is something I strive to do. He's someone that was extremely passionate about football and his success on the gridiron."
Porbeni matched that passion as both a student and an athlete, but the latter took longer to see the dividends. His lack of experience, combined with a strong group of upperclassmen linemen in front of him, kept Porbeni on the sidelines where he could focus on his own development. It was self-belief that convinced him he could go from no football background to Division I recruit in 18 months, and it was that same belief that assured him he would develop into a key piece of this offensive line.
"That belief comes from my parents," said Porbeni, who has both a sister, Oyinpreye and a brother, Oyindoubra. "They tell us to this day that anything we put our minds to is really possible. They always knew what was possible for me, and I definitely internalized that."
Internalization, and then manifestation. As the linemen from the Class of 2025 graduated, Porbeni had developed both the technical abilities and offensive understanding to break into the lineup as the starting right tackle. He wasn't alone up front; three of his classmates also start on the line, giving the group an immediate advantage in chemistry.
"Our personalities mesh well," he said. "We know what we're all going to do before we even do it. The way we play just makes so much sense. At the end of the day, we're more than just teammates, we're friends."
They are also upperclassmen protecting a pair of younger quarterbacks during this 2026 season. Becker made program history earlier this fall by becoming the first freshman to start the opener at quarterback. Offensive linemen live to protect their quarterback, but Porbeni felt an extra level of responsibility knowing it was a freshman taking the snaps.
"We say it in our meetings all the time, we lead from the front," he said. "Knowing you have someone behind you that hasn't been in the program for as long, it gives you that extra fire to ensure the conditions are perfect for him to do his job."
Â
PrincetonTigersFootball.com
Jalen Travis '24 and current freshman Wyatt Becker both sported the Orange and Black, but beyond that, you wouldn't think there is much that connects them.
Travis, who has started every game at tackle for the Indianapolis Colts this season, graduated Princeton in 2024 as one of the most decorated offensive linemen in program history. A Midwestern-born multiple-time All-Ivy honoree and 2021 Ivy League champion, Travis earned the University's Art Lane '34 Award in 2024.
Becker was in the midst of posting historic passing numbers in California while Travis was making his mark at Princeton. When the latter took his skills to Indianapolis, Becker made a little history of his own by becoming the first Princeton freshman to start his first career game at quarterback.
They didn't come close to interlapping in the Tiger locker room, but there is one small connection between the two. Actually, it's quite a big connection, and it's one who bet on himself in the biggest way possible.
• • •Â
Oyintare "Tare" Porbeni would never have dreamed of himself as a Division I football player in his early days at Stillwater High School in Woodbury, Minn. It's not that he lacked confidence in himself — in fact, that's one of the critical reasons he's here today — but he simply had no football background to build on.
"My parents weren't big football people, so I didn't grow up watching it," Porbeni said of his parents, Annie and Francis, Nigerian immigrants whose academic and professional journeys took them from Atlanta and North Carolina to Minnesota. "They kept me away from the sport because of the injuries. But I remember seeing some guys get college offers, and I was thinking that I was bigger and taller than them, and a pretty good athlete myself. I might as well give it a shot."
Porbeni had already been playing basketball at the time, but he found Stillwater coach Darrell Salmi and asked if he could join the team. Porbeni admittedly had no idea what he was doing, but he credited Salmi for simplifying the offensive line position enough that he could thrive (though the physical attributes helped plenty too). Off the field, Porbeni never optioned for simple; he took as many AP classes as possible, hoping the combination of athletics and academics might catch the eye of a top collegiate program.
Princeton noticed, and it just happened to have another Minnesota lineman to show Porbeni the ropes.
• • •Â
Travis didn't just excel on the field, though his play in 2023 earned him a fourth-round draft selection the following spring. Besides winning the Lane Award, Travis was also the national male collegiate recipient of the Athletes For A Better World Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup, which honors character, teamwork, and citizenship.
Porbeni paid attention.
"The biggest thing I took from Jalen is to lead your life with purpose," Porbeni said. "Whether it's on or off the field, with your career or academics, you want to have a North Star that will direct you and push you to keep working day in and day out. Jalen is somebody that's extremely involved in his community, which is something I strive to do. He's someone that was extremely passionate about football and his success on the gridiron."
Porbeni matched that passion as both a student and an athlete, but the latter took longer to see the dividends. His lack of experience, combined with a strong group of upperclassmen linemen in front of him, kept Porbeni on the sidelines where he could focus on his own development. It was self-belief that convinced him he could go from no football background to Division I recruit in 18 months, and it was that same belief that assured him he would develop into a key piece of this offensive line.
"That belief comes from my parents," said Porbeni, who has both a sister, Oyinpreye and a brother, Oyindoubra. "They tell us to this day that anything we put our minds to is really possible. They always knew what was possible for me, and I definitely internalized that."
Internalization, and then manifestation. As the linemen from the Class of 2025 graduated, Porbeni had developed both the technical abilities and offensive understanding to break into the lineup as the starting right tackle. He wasn't alone up front; three of his classmates also start on the line, giving the group an immediate advantage in chemistry.
"Our personalities mesh well," he said. "We know what we're all going to do before we even do it. The way we play just makes so much sense. At the end of the day, we're more than just teammates, we're friends."
They are also upperclassmen protecting a pair of younger quarterbacks during this 2026 season. Becker made program history earlier this fall by becoming the first freshman to start the opener at quarterback. Offensive linemen live to protect their quarterback, but Porbeni felt an extra level of responsibility knowing it was a freshman taking the snaps.
"We say it in our meetings all the time, we lead from the front," he said. "Knowing you have someone behind you that hasn't been in the program for as long, it gives you that extra fire to ensure the conditions are perfect for him to do his job."
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