State of the Beavs: Effects of Jesse Legree's Commitment To OSU + 2026 Basketball Previews
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Welcome to this week's episode of State of the Beavs, our weekly podcast highlighting what you need to know about Oregon State football, basketball, baseball, and more. Subscribe and listen at the links below!
One of the biggest stories in college football of the last two weeks: Oregon State freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree making a formal commitment to the Beavers through the 2027-2028 season. For a good chunk of this week's episode of State of the Beavs, we're looking at that decision and what it means for the overall growth of the program - even if JaMarcus Shephard would rather take things one game at a time.
You'll hear clips both from Shephard's media availability coming out of the bye week, and from Legree's announcement at his high school in Baltimore before we look at the Beavers' matchup with Fresno State in California on Halloween.
With just a few days before the start of college basketball season, it's also time to look at the Beaver men's and women's programs. John Severs and Ben Pahl were present at Oregon State's media day in Portland last week and join the show to offer their perspectives.
All that, plus the five college football games that you need to watch over Halloween weekend. Go Beavs.
MORE: Justin Joyner Encouraging Oregon State to "Play With Pace" in First Season in Corvallis
This Week's Topics:
-Jesse Legree's commitment to the program for 2027 and what it means for Oregon State football, at-large.
-Legree's announcement from St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, and clips from JaMarcus Shephard's Monday press conference in Corvallis
-Notes on the Fresno State Bulldogs ahead of this week's football game, and a look at this week's spread.
-Ben Pahl and John Severs join the show to discuss their preseason observations on the Oregon State men's and women's basketball programs.
-Five games to watch in college football this weekend.
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
About State of the Beavs
Each week, veteran sports broadcaster and writer Matt Bagley examines the news and storylines at play for Oregon State University Athletics. Occasionally joined by contributors for On SI's coverage of the Beavers, as well as the occasional guest spot from Beavers past, present, and future. Get caught up with the playlist below. New episodes are typically released on Tuesday mornings.
Want to interact with the show? Talk to Matt: mbagleyradio@gmail.com
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Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.
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Ben Pahl is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in Portland, Oregon. His work covering college and professional sports has been featured by the Orange Media Network at Oregon State University as well as KBVR.fm. His other career stops in sports include the Portland Pickles baseball club and the NBA G-League's Rip City Remix.
Having grown up in Pocatello, home of the Idaho State Bengals, John Severs is a lifelong fan of small schools that don't always deliver a lot of wins. Prior to writing for On SI, John covered the Beavers for SB Nation's Oregon State blog Building the Dam, with a focus on baseball and women's basketball. When he's not watching college sports he spends most of his time reading, playing video games and annoying cats.
Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.