Beaver Nation got a Friday-morning jolt when Jesse Legree made it official: he’s coming back to Oregon State.
The freshman receiver said he will return to Corvallis for his sophomore season after a fall that put him on the map. Legree finished with 141 receiving yards and two touchdowns in seven games, then added a touchdown catch in the holiday bowl, setting an Oregon State record in the process.
It wasn’t just one splash play, either. Legree logged 14 catches and looked like a player who kept earning more chances as the season went on. After being overlooked in high school, he got his opening at Oregon State and made the most of it.
Legree also had reason to believe his role would keep growing. Over the next season, he will be trying to build on a 2024 campaign that put him among the Pac-12’s most productive freshmen. He was named the Pac-12 freshman of the week seven times, a run of recognition that says plenty about how quickly he settled in.
Oregon State athletic director Kevin Griffin was asked about retaining players, among other topics, during his press conference Tuesday at the basketball media day.
Griffin was not alone in seeing Legree’s importance. The receiver’s return gives the Beavers another piece to keep developing after a year that turned him into one of the program’s bright spots.
Legree said Friday’s announcement didn’t take long to make after what happened this fall, and he made the decision public on the CBS Sports HQ show.
Oregon State, 5-4 and 3-3 Pac-12, has a bye this week and will return to action against Fresno State at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct.
- The game will be televised on USA Network.
Les Gehrett is the sports editor and covers Oregon State football, basketball and gymnastics.
In Other News...
Colorado Just Got Exposed In A Way Oregon State Will Notice
Colorados trip to Stillwater turned into a reminder of how quickly a game can flip once a defense starts losing leverage, and Oregon State has every reason to pay attention. Oklahoma State shook off a 24-20 halftime deficit and then buried the Buffaloes with a relentless second-half surge, turning a close contest into a lopsided finish while Drew Mestemaker kept the offense moving with a big passing day and Caleb Hawkins added production both on the ground and through the air.
The Cowboys also got the kind of disruptive defensive effort that can change a teams tone for the rest of the season, with LaDainian Fields making his presence felt all over the field. For Oregon State, the takeaway is less about Colorados collapse than the blueprint Oklahoma State used to create it, because the kind of pressure and momentum swing that took over in the second half is the sort of thing that tends to travel. [Read more 🡒]
Jesse Legree Just Pushed Oregon State Into A National Debate
Through seven games, Jesse Legree has put himself in the same conversation as some of the biggest names in college football, which is no small feat for an Oregon State receiver. The comparison is striking because the debate includes Miamis Malachi Toney and Ohio States Jeremiah Smith, two players with far more national attention, yet Legree has forced his way into the discussion by producing at a level that belongs on any serious All-America watch list.
What makes it even more interesting from Oregon States side is the way Legrees season has turned into a broader referendum on where the best wide receiver in the sport might actually be playing. His numbers are strong enough to demand notice, and his impact has been obvious enough to make people look twice at the Beavers when they otherwise might have been focused on the blueblood programs in the mix. The larger question now is not whether he belongs in the debate, but how long he can keep it going. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Just Raised The Stakes For Oregon State
Boise States trip to Martin Stadium turned into more than just another conference road game. The Broncos handled Washington State 31-10, leaving Pullman with their first win at Martin Stadium in program history and giving themselves a stronger foothold in Pac-12 play. Dylan Riley was the difference-maker on the ground, piling up 128 rushing yards while Boise States defense kept the Cougars to 244 total yards.
The way it unfolded matters for Oregon State because Boise State now carries a 6-1 overall mark and a 3-0 conference start into the next stretch, with momentum building fast. Washington State had been in position to make this a tight league race, but the Broncos blew it open late and showed they can finish games with authority, which raises the pressure on the rest of the Pac-12 schedule from here. [Read more 🡒]