Jesse Legree’s start at Oregon State has gone from promising to downright historic, and the true freshman wideout is now stacking up with the best pass-catchers in the country.
After hauling in five passes for 156 yards and three touchdowns in Saturday’s 56-26 win at Colorado State, Legree pushed his season line to 28 catches, 744 yards and nine scores. Through five games, he has put together five straight 100-yard outings to open his college career, a run that has him trailing only Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith in receiving yards nationally.
Smith has 44 receptions for 823 yards and nine touchdowns. Legree isn’t far behind in the scoring column, matching Smith’s nine touchdown catches while averaging 26.6 yards per reception to Smith’s 18.7.
For a player who barely had a recruiting profile coming out of high school, the rise has been rapid. Legree is a 5-foot-10, 172-pound Baltimore native who earned all-conference honors at both wide receiver and defensive back at St.
Frances Academy. He didn’t move to receiver until his senior year, which is why his phone didn’t exactly light up.
“I switched to receiving my senior year, so I didn’t have any offers,” Legree said per KVAL.
Oregon State landed him in early December after hiring head coach JaMarcus Shephard, and offensive coordinator Mitch Dahlen said the freshman has looked unfazed from the start.
“You kind of have a feeling on some kids, and he was one of them where the moment’s never been too big for him,” Dahlen said. “I mean, he doesn’t act like he’s a freshman.”
Legree’s first college game hinted that something special might be brewing. He went for 136 yards and a touchdown at Houston, then followed with eight catches for 240 yards and two scores in a 35-24 loss to No.
13 Texas Tech. That performance earned him the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Week award.
Since then, the milestones have kept coming. His five-game 100-yard streak ties the longest in Oregon State history, a mark previously set by Mike Hass in 2005 and Brandin Cooks in 2013. He also became the first true freshman to post 100 yards and a touchdown in each of his first four career starts, and he stretched that streak again in Fort Collins.
The touchdown production is just as eye-catching. Legree’s nine scoring catches already sit seventh on Oregon State’s single-season list.
He’s also taken home Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors four straight times, the first player in conference history to do that. One more would tie Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita’s single-season record of five, set in 2023.
“When I go to catch a ball, they talk about 50/50. I know it’s 100/0 going to come down with me,” Legree said.
The quarterback connection has been a big part of the surge. Sophomore Braden Atkinson threw for 413 yards and five touchdowns against Colorado State, and Legree credited his confidence in the receivers.
“It’s a blessing just to have somebody with that amount of trust in us,” Legree said.
Oregon State is 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the Pac-12, and it returns home to face San Diego State at Reser Stadium on Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. ET. If Legree goes for another 100-yard day, he would become the first Beaver to hit six straight.
In Other News...
Oregon State Fueled A Sideline Meltdown Colorado State Couldn't Hide
Oregon States trip through Fort Collins turned into more than just a lopsided result for Colorado State. In the middle of the game, coach Jim Mora Jr. made a major defensive change, handing over playcalling duties and trying to steady a unit that was already being overwhelmed. The move came with the Rams under heavy pressure and with Oregon State still piling on points.
The adjustment did little to change the evenings direction, as Colorado State still gave up 56 points. Tyson Summers left the sideline after being relieved of his duties and is no longer with the football program, a sign of just how badly things had broken down for the Rams. For Oregon State, it was the kind of game that exposed a defense in free fall and left the Beavers with plenty to build on, even if the bigger story in the box score was what happened on the other side. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon States Passing Attack Just Sent A Loud Early Message
The first Pac-12 game of the season at Canvas Stadium turned into a showcase for Oregon States passing game, and Braden Atkinson was at the center of it. In a 56-26 win over Colorado State, the quarterback kept the Beavers in rhythm from the start, piling up 413 yards and five touchdowns while helping set the tone for a night when the offense looked in command of the matchup.
Jesse Legree was just as important, stretching the field and finishing with three touchdown catches as Oregon State kept finding ways to attack through the air. His latest big night also continued a remarkable run of production, giving the Beavers another proof point that this passing game is more than just hot for one week and may be building into something much bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon States Fast Start Helped Spark A Stunning Colorado State Meltdown
Oregon States fast start against Colorado State did more than put points on the board. It helped turn an already rough afternoon into a jarring sideline situation for the Rams, whose defensive coordinator Tyson Summers was gone by the break in a loss that quickly tilted out of control. For the Beavers, the early pressure and tempo were part of a result that rippled well beyond the final score.
Colorado State is now 2-3, and the fallout has already reached the coaching staff. Jim Mora Jr. has since confirmed that Summers is no longer with the program and that Kenny McClendon has taken over the defensive coordinator role, with San Diego State up next. For Oregon State, it was the kind of game that can expose more than one opponent problem at once. [Read more 🡒]