Oregon State freshman receiver Jesse Legree re-signs for 2027-28 season
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The gist
Oregon State freshman receiver Jesse Legree, the nation's leading receiver, announced he will re-sign with the Beavers for 2027-28.
His return keeps college football's top pass-catcher with the program he calls a future powerhouse.
Background
Jesse Legree is a true freshman wide receiver at Oregon State from Baltimore, Maryland, who wears No. 12 and leads the nation in receiving yards (1,040), touchdown catches (14) and receiving yards per game (148.6). He arrived as a three-star recruit whom ESPN ranked the No. 89 receiver in the 2026 class, and he was a defensive back at Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore before switching to receiver before his senior season; Oregon State was the only FBS school to offer him a scholarship as a receiver. He committed to Oregon State shortly after head coach JaMarcus Shephard's arrival last winter, and his breakout season made his future the subject of national attention.
How it unfolded
- Oct 3, 2026Legree caught three touchdown passes against Colorado State.
- Oct 17, 2026Legree caught eight passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns, including a 90-yard catch from Braden Atkinson, in Oregon State's 48-30 win over Washington State.
- Oct 19, 2026Legree was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for the seventh time in 2026, tying the conference record for most weekly honors by a player.
- Oct 23, 2026Legree announced on a CBS Sports College Football YouTube livestream that he will re-sign with Oregon State for the 2027-28 season.
Who’s saying what
- Player
- Legree said he fell in love with the culture at Oregon State and that it will become the start of a national powerhouse.
- Alumnus
- Former Oregon State Beaver and longtime NFL player Chad Johnson offered $2 million of his own money to help the program retain Legree.
Still unverified
Whether Chad Johnson's $2 million offer actually goes to Legree is not established; the Statesman Journal reports Johnson's impact "certainly made a difference" regardless.