Jesse Legree Signs Contract to Return to Oregon State for 2027, WR Leads NCAA in Yards and TDs

Freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree announced Friday on CBS Sports' Just Football that he is returning to Oregon State for the 2027 college football season.

A true freshman wideout for the Beavers, Legree leads all FBS players in receiving yardage (1,040) and receiving touchdowns (14) so far this season.

A 3-star recruit from Baltimore, per 247Sports, Legree has far exceeded expectations and quickly established himself as one of the top offensive weapons at the collegiate level.

Oregon State is part of the new-look Pac-12, and Legree's play is a big reason why the school sits atop the conference at 3-0 in Pac-12 play and 5-2 overall.

Legree sees big things in Oregon State's future, which is a big reason why he decided to re-commit to the program for 2027, telling ESPN's Pete Thamel, "I fell in love with the culture out there. We've built a great culture and it's only going to get bigger from here. This is going to become the start of a national powerhouse."

Over the Beavers' first seven games of the season, Legree has recorded at least 100 yards and a touchdown in each contest.

That includes games against Big 12 opponents in Houston and Texas Tech. Legree went for 136 yards and a touchdown on five catches against Houston, and his best game of the season was against Texas Tech, as he lit up the Red Raiders for 240 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions.

Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith is widely regarded as the best wide receiver in football, but he is second to Legree in both receiving yardage and touchdowns this season.

Oregon State missed out on bowl games in 2024 and 2025 with records of 5-7 and 2-10, respectively, but the Beavers have looked like a different team in their first season under head coach JaMarcus Shephard in 2026.

A former co-offensive coordinator at Alabama and Purdue, Shephard has transformed the Oregon State offense, and Legree has played a massive role in it.

With the CFP in line to expand to 24 teams next season, the Shephard- and Legree-led Beavers could be a popular pick to make the field as a non-power-conference team.