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College Football Freshman on Track to Surpass Jeremiah Smith's 15-TD Debut Season

Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith grabs the headlines, but another receiver is grabbing records.
Joe Cox|
Freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree is having a historic season at Oregon State. (Andrew Rydland-Imagn Images)
Freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree is having a historic season at Oregon State. (Andrew Rydland-Imagn Images) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Oregon State Beavers

The 2026 college football season has had plenty of big moments and big players, but-- sorry, Jeremiah Smith-- is having a bigger season than a previously unknown freshman wide receiver. Two seasons ago, Smith had an immediate impact for Ohio State, starting the career that has made him a significant Heisman Trophy favorite. But there's a younger, less renown player who is having an even better season.

The Nation's Top Wide Receiver

Oregon State freshman Jesse Legree is re-writing the college football record book on a weekly basis. Legree was a little-known three-star signee from near Baltimore, but his day one impact at Oregon State has been essentially unrivaled.

Legree's History-Making Season

After seven games, Legree has 46 catches for a nation-best 1,040 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has had at least 100 yards and at least one TD every week. It's a pace that has never been seen before.

First-year Oregon State head coach JaMarcus Shephard has seen his team jump out to a 5-2 start behind Legree. At 5'11" and 170 pounds, Legree isn't physically imposing. But he uses his speed and raw athleticism to make massive plays week after week.

Oregon State had only won seven games combined in its past two seasons, but seems headed for bowl eligibility. Meanwhile, Legree is now a +2100 pick for the Heisman per DraftKings. That's the fifth best odds in the nation, trailing only Smith, Miami QB Darian Mensah, Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss, and Notre Dame QB CJ Carr.

The Future Ahead of Legree

Barring any unexpected shifts in the NFL Draft's eligibility requirements, Legree will have two more seasons of college football following this season. It's fair to assume that whatever offers await him will likely be substantially more than he received as an unknown three-star recruit who only had a handful of FBS offers.

Given reports of multi-million dollar paydays, it's highly likely that college football's top programs will line up to pay Legree seven-figure money to transfer from Oregon State. Meanwhile, Legree will continue re-writing the college record book. Trevor Insley's 2,060 receiving yards in a season might be slightly out of reach, and Troy Edwards's 27 receiving touchdowns in a season will take even more production, but as a player who has generally been counted out, Legree might just continue to surprise.

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Joe Cox
JOE COX

Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.

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