Oregon State WR Jesse Legree Named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week

Last Saturday, Jesse Legree caught a touchdown and earned over 100 receiving yards in his first college game. The Pac-12 noticed.

Sep 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Jesse Legree (12) scores a touchdown during the third quarter against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Eight years ago, Purdue true freshman wide receiver Rondale Moore set a school record for all-purpose yards. Two years ago, Alabama true freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams made game-breaking plays in a primetime TV thriller.

Now, JaMarcus Shephard's latest star pupil has the nation's attention.

Oregon State true freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree has been named the Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Week.

Last Saturday, the Baltimore native broke out with 5 catches for 136 yards and a touchdown.

After the game, his starting quarterback Braden Atkinson heaped high praise:

"Yeah, I love that kid. Obviously being a freshman, being new to college football, he bowled today. Obviously, coming from a big and really good high school. I mean, that kid just works every day, and I'm excited to see it pay off."

Earlier this week, Oregon State offensive coordinator Mitch Dahlen echoed those sentiments:

"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. I mean, he doesn't act like he's a freshman. He acts like he's been here for a long long time. You kind of knew in that moment it wasn't going to be too big for him, and he made some plays in the pass game and he didn't flinch. Like, he made some contested catches, and even the one that he didn't make - where his toe was out of bounds by a half a foot - like, he doesn't flinch, and I love that about the kid"

Perhaps the top highlight of Legree's first college football game was a 71 yard strike down the sideline late in the first quarter. His efforts set up a rushing touchdown for Atkinson, who said the Beavers practiced the chunk play leading up to the game.

"Yeah, we actually ran that this week and I missed it. He was wide open. So, it felt good hitting it and obviously in making the play, it was just an amazing feeling."

At St Frances Academy in Baltimore - one of the top high school football programs in the country - Legree was an All Conference wide receiver and defensive back. During his senior year, the 5'10" wideout totaled 721 all purpose yards with 6 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and 6 breakups. He also played on the school's basketball team. On the heels of JaMarcus Shephard's hire, Legree committed to Oregon State in early December. In late January 2026, he enrolled at Oregon State.

Legree and the Beavers will welcome the #12 Texas Tech Red Raiders to Corvallis on Saturday night, with kickoff scheduled for 4:30 PM PST.